TV Licensing UK Part II
Do you need a License to watch NETFLIX, AMAZON PRIME VIDEO?
Should TV Licensing UK offer “Pay As You Go”?
The other day I had my annual reminder that my TV License had been renewed, which reminded me to phone these people up and ask the question do they do “Pay As You Go”. Meaning if I only access and watch one or two documentaries a year if and that is pushing it, why do I have to pay for a full license?
In fact, I wrote about TV Licensing a while ago posing the same question:
https://www.cymrumarketing.com/2020/02/07/uk-tv-licensing/
I was told the other day by someone who clearly did not seem to be a happy person, that if I watch tv I have to pay for the license and was very arrogant as he spoke to me as if he had some sort of power over me. He was not sympathetic to my call and I felt that my call had literally fallen on deaf ears…..Talk to the hand!
This is what the government says about TV Licensing:
Overview
You must have a TV Licence if you:
- watch or record programs on a TV, computer or other device as they’re broadcast
- download or watch BBC programs on iPlayer – live, catch up or on demand
A TV Licence costs £157.50 (£53 for black and white TV sets) for both homes and businesses.
What’s covered
A single TV Licence covers all of the following in a single property:
- TV sets
- computers
- laptops
- tablets
- mobile phones
- any other device that can receive a TV signal
You do not need a TV Licence to watch:
- non-BBC programs on online catch-up services
- videos or DVDs
- clips on websites like YouTube
- closed circuit television (CCTV)
Find out if you need a TV Licence on the TV Licensing website.
Free and discounted TV licenses
You can get a free license if you’re 75 or older and you get Pension Credit.
You can get a discounted license if you have a severe vision impairment.
If you live in a residential care home, the person who is in charge of the home can apply for a license for you.
Fines and penalties
You can be fined up to £1,000 if you watch or record live TV without a TV Licence.
Do you need a Licence to watch NETFLIX, AMAZON PRIME VIDEO?
The answer is simple you do not need a license for NETFLIX & AMAZON PRIME VIDEO.
If you only watch on-demand or catch-up programs through streaming services like Netflix, then you do NOT need a TV license – UNLESS you’re watching BBC programs on iPlayer. … You need to be covered by a TV license if you watch live TV on any channel or device.
For a List of Streaming Sites Visit:
Streaming Service Search Engine – Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Prime, Apple TV+, HBO (reelgood.com)
https://seawallalife.com/free-movie-streaming-sites/
FINAL THOUGHTS
There have been a lot of talks recently about scrapping the TV Licence, with culture secretary Nicky Morgan suggesting it could be abolished by 2027, but by this time the TV Licensing People should refund people like me, and for argument’s sake if I watch two documentaries a year that equates to £13.00 per month which if say each documentary was one month apart and I have adapted this for the last 10 years that would mean for every year I should get a refund £131.00 multiplied by 10 years is a total of £1,300 that the TV Licensing people have made off the back off me. Moving forward another six years based on my current viewing will be a further £786.00 I will potentially pay the TV Licensing people for nothing. This would bring the grand total of £2,086.00
Brits who want to watch live TV or use the BBC’s iPlayer service must fork out for a license for their home. It used to be straightforward, as until the 21st Century, if you wanted to watch TV shows, you needed to watch an actual TV.
But the rise of streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime have made some people realize they do not actually watch TV through a TV aerial or record programs on a TV, computer, or another device that are broadcasted, downloaded, or watch BBC programs on iPlayer – live, catch up or on demand
I think it is daylight robbery for people like myself and someone needs to demand that the TV Licensing People offer “PAY AS YOU GO” rather than rob you blind.
Obviously, the BBC have to pay their journalists and the Licensing contributes to their fees and overheads so I am not saying abolish the licensing altogether as people will still watch BBC and the media still needs to get paid but instead give people the opportunity to pay as they go.
For all intents and purposes, someone should start a petition. I personally do not have time to do it myself as I am busy with my work, but someone should contact Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan:
https://members.parliament.uk/member/4027/contact
Baroness Nicky Morgan Of Cotes,
Contact Details:
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
Phone: 020 7219 5353
Email: morganna@parliament.uk
Addressing Member of the Lords:
https://www.parliament.uk/business/lords/whos-in-the-house-of-lords/how-to-address-a-lord/
**Remember to be professional, polite, and courteous, be straight to the point, and do not waffle. Remember everyone is human and is approachable provided you know how to do it.
Further Reading:
https://www.cablecompare.com/blog/how-much-internet-bandwidth-do-i-need
#tvlicensing #streamingchanels #freestreamingsites #netflix #primevideo
