TV Licence - the facts
Here’s a thing:
Blind people are entitled to a £63.25 reduction on the £126.50 annual price of a television licence.
Think about this for a second. Does actually seeing the TV only constitutes 50 per cent of the pleasure of having one? Is there some other wierd level of enjoyment for blind viewers that we don’t kno wabout because our senses are not as heightened as them? Do they have smellivisions?
Deaf people, however have to pay the FULL amount. So even if blind people are deriving only half their viewing experience from listening to the TV, deaf people have to pay the full amount even though they can’t hear the TV.
If you watch a black and white TV you pay £42 a year, as if colour only represents 33 per cent of the televisual experience. So a blind person pays more for their colour television that they can not see than a sighted person with a black and white TV.
Still with me? Because now it gets even stranger. The good people at TV Licencing say:
A blind person gets charged in accordance with the pictures which they can not see.
You love it.
I am colourblind, but I have a colour TV, so these people say I have to pay the full amount.
If I declare that my TV is black and white or if I only pay the black and white fee then I could be fined and end up with a criminal record, even though, like I said, I am colourblind.
So I am being charged a compulsary fee according to the type of technology in my house, regardless if I benefit from it or not. That would be like your ISP charging you for 6 Squillionbit super fatband access that you don’t need, and their excuse would be: “Well, it’s available to use. Whether you choose to use it or not isn’t our problem. We have to pay the people working on it somehow.”
Let me explain to any foreign readers how a TV licence works:
In the UK, you have to pay an annual fee to watch television.
It’s good television, mostly, but you have to pay to watch it.
All the money goes to pay for the BBC’s programme, because they don’t have advertising.
Here’s the Goodfellas part:
You don’t watch the BBC? Fuck you, pay me.
You already pay for your cable or satellite? Fuck you, pay me
Your television was broken for five months of the year? Fuck you, pay me.
Your entire family is blind? Fuck you, pay me.
—
Advertisement
If you are interested in televisions then you can compare prices and buy televisions from our shops.
May 1st, 2005 at 7:42 pm
Brilliant!
But maybe you could have stressed the ad-free nature of the Beeb.
May 2nd, 2005 at 9:33 am
Cheers - um - I did.
All the money goes to pay for the BBC’s programme, because they don’t have advertising.
December 16th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
I am profoundly deaf and cannot understand why I have to pay the full fee. I believe that the deaf should be treated the same as the blind and have the t.v. licence fee reduced. It seems very unfair to discriminate against the deaf by not allowing a similar concession as the blind. The sub titled are not always available and I often miss the enjoyment of a programme. Also many times the sub titled are inaccurate.
March 6th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
After a series of ambiguous TVL responses designed to get one of their inspectors inside my house, i finally got this reply by e-mail. Perhaps useful clarification for people in my position.
TV LICENSING
BRISTOL
BS98 1TL
Tel: 0844 800 6702
Fax: 0844 800 5816
Email: tvlcsc@capita.co.uk
Response received: 06/03/2008
Thank you for contacting us.
You will not need a TV licence.
The use of television sets, video cassette recorders, set-top boxes or DVD recorders to receive or record television programme services must be covered by an appropriate TV Licence (A video cassette recorder, DVD recorder or colour television, whether used separately or together, will require a colour TV Licence, if used in this way). A licence is also required if a TV-enabled personal computer is used to record or receive television programmes.
I hope this helps.
Yours sincerely
TV Licensing
Original Inquiry: 03/03/2008
Subject: Other
Message:
Dear Representative of TVLA
I have so far been unable to get a straight answer regarding two very
specific (but straightforward) questions I have put to TVLA in the past.
Please do not refer me to your frequently asked questions as these do NOT
answer these questions. I would be much obliged if you would answer them
here.
1) Is a Television (that is in NO WAY capable of receiving
telecommunications independently, nor connected to any aerial, cable or
any other means of telecommunications reception) that is also connected to
a DVD player (that is similarly incapable of receiving telecommunications
independently nor is it connected in ANY WAY to any aerial, cable or any
other means of telecommunications reception - NOR is able to RECORD in any
way) in need of a TV license?
If so, please refer me to the specific statutory provisions and/or
relevant flagship case law upon which you base your determination.
2) Is a personal computer that is connected to the internet via broadband,
but is NEVER used to view or access ANY television programming (either
Live or otherwise) nor is capable of receiving or connected for the
purposes of receiving in any other way telecommunications, required to
have a TV license?
If so, please refer me to the specific statutory provisions and/or
relevant flagship case law upon which you base your determination.