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Sweden To Charge TV Tax For Anyone With A Computer or Tablet

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Re: Sweden To Charge TV Tax For Anyone With A Computer or Tablet

#41

Post by aidos »

dspence wrote: post #32
samwillis wrote: post #12

I think it is only a matter of time before the UK moves to something like this. We have TV licensees to fund the BBC but with more and more of the content that they produce being available on-line though iPlayer things will have to change. I believe the BBC's charter is up for renegotiation in about four years and it would be the perfect time to make the change.

I actually think this is pretty reasonable - everybody I know consumes BBC content in some form (most of them without paying the license fee) and it's a small price to pay for the presence of an impartial news source.

I agree with this. 9 years ago when I moved to the UK (from New Zealand) I didn't quite understand the paying for the license thing. Now I realise that the BBC provides so much useful content that I'm more than happy to pay for it.

Re: Sweden To Charge TV Tax For Anyone With A Computer or Tablet

#42

Post by awestroke »

zacharyvoase wrote: post #11

You must pay for the right to receive electromagnetic waves which are passing through your body 24/7, whether you like it or not. Seems legit.

Swede here.

The money goes towards radio and television that is free from political influence, and also free from ads. It is like a tax for something most people benefit greatly from. It has nothing to do with the medium it is broadcasted through.

Re: Sweden To Charge TV Tax For Anyone With A Computer or Tablet

#43

Post by thisone »

dspence wrote: post #32
samwillis wrote: post #12

I think it is only a matter of time before the UK moves to something like this. We have TV licensees to fund the BBC but with more and more of the content that they produce being available on-line though iPlayer things will have to change. I believe the BBC's charter is up for renegotiation in about four years and it would be the perfect time to make the change.

I actually think this is pretty reasonable - everybody I know consumes BBC content in some form (most of them without paying the license fee) and it's a small price to pay for the presence of an impartial news source.

I'd have to agree.

We don't watch live to air anymore, but we do use the heck out of iPlayer.

When it came around to renewing the license a few months ago, we made the conscious decision to renew it, even though we legally didn't need to (no sat receiver, no aerial).

I know a lot of people will call us stupid for doing so, but I'm also convinced that the BBC will lobby (or whatever they need to do) for changes to the licensing laws once the UK officially is out of the economic danger zone.

Re: Sweden To Charge TV Tax For Anyone With A Computer or Tablet

#44

Post by _b8r0 »

dspence wrote: post #32
samwillis wrote: post #12

I think it is only a matter of time before the UK moves to something like this. We have TV licensees to fund the BBC but with more and more of the content that they produce being available on-line though iPlayer things will have to change. I believe the BBC's charter is up for renegotiation in about four years and it would be the perfect time to make the change.

I actually think this is pretty reasonable - everybody I know consumes BBC content in some form (most of them without paying the license fee) and it's a small price to pay for the presence of an impartial news source.

I don't. I had an EyeTV card but the licensing for the software is despicable and after losing the serial number I couldn't get it reactivated after rebuilding the same Mac. I used to use BBC iPlayer instead but I don't these days, as I use a VPN and Hulu or similar sites for 80% of what I want to watch.

There's no such thing as an impartial news source[1][2][3][4][5][6]. Your best bet is to get a range and understand the biases involved. I'm not saying that bias is a bad thing with the BBC, but understanding it's existence is as important as understanding biases in the Guardian and Telegraph's reporting when it comes to consuming news.

[1] - http://biasedbbc.org/

[2] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_the_BBC

[3] - http://www.thecommentator.com/article/1953/exclusive_bbc_lef...

[4] - http://bbcinstitutionalbias.blogspot.co.uk/

[5] - http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/media-culture/the-problem-of-b...

[6] - http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/11/bbc-libe...

Re: Sweden To Charge TV Tax For Anyone With A Computer or Tablet

#45

Post by samwillis »

petercooper wrote: post #37
samwillis wrote: post #12

I think it is only a matter of time before the UK moves to something like this. We have TV licensees to fund the BBC but with more and more of the content that they produce being available on-line though iPlayer things will have to change. I believe the BBC's charter is up for renegotiation in about four years and it would be the perfect time to make the change.

It's already law in the UK for live channels. If you have no TV but only watch BBC1 live through iPlayer, you must have a TV license. However, you don't need a TV license to watch time delayed programs (so anything from the iPlayer archive), so perhaps this is an area where the law will change, although it never has for TV.

The question is if you watch BBC1 streaming but 5 min behind, and hence watching a recording, are you required to have a TV license?

We had a debate about this at work while the Olympics were on. Interestingly you can watch live tv at work on a laptop that is not plugged in and on wifi if they don't have a tv license but you do at home. You break the law the minute you plug the laptop in.

Re: Sweden To Charge TV Tax For Anyone With A Computer or Tablet

#46

Post by noarchy »

guylhem wrote: post #24

You don't want to watch TV ? We don't care. We will make you, whether you want it or not. And we will charge you for the privilege - having to subsidize the things you dislike, what a cool idea. (I guess I would have to give up my computers if I lived in Sweden) EDIT: Downvoted already? Whatever. I will not willingly subsidize government propaganda.

There are those who really believe that because something is funded by taxes, that it will be impartial. By this thinking, the old Radio Moscow was perfectly legit. After all, it was free of corporate influence, and the need to cater to advertisers. I wouldn't doubt that some of the same people would like Pravda-style, government-funded newspapers.

Re: Sweden To Charge TV Tax For Anyone With A Computer or Tablet

#47

Post by samwillis »

thisone wrote: post #43
dspence wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I actually think this is pretty reasonable - everybody I know consumes BBC content in some form (most of them without paying the license fee) and it's a small price to pay for the presence of an impartial news source.

I'd have to agree. We don't watch live to air anymore, but we do use the heck out of iPlayer. When it came around to renewing the license a few months ago, we made the conscious decision to renew it, even though we legally didn't need to (no sat receiver, no aerial). I know a lot of people will call us stupid for doing so, but I'm also convinced that the BBC will lobby (or whatever they need to do) for changes to the…

I would do the same. We may as a country complain allot about some of our institutions like the BBC and the NHS but relay they do an amazing job and should be supported.

Re: Sweden To Charge TV Tax For Anyone With A Computer or Tablet

#48

Post by adamtulinius »

Svip wrote: post #26
derda wrote: post #10

Germany had this for some years. The fee is almost the same as in Sweden. I feel ripped off by this, its a remainder of a time when TV-Broadcasting was still so expensive that only public founded institutions could provide it. These ages are long gone. Until beginning of this year it was actually relatively easy to avoid paying it. You just did never answer one of their letters and took care who you opened the door.…

We also have it hear in Denmark. It's called »medielicens« and technically not a tax, but a licence fee (BBC subscribers will understand). It is also required even if you do not use any of DR's services (DR being 'Danish Broadcasting'), but own any form of media device. Most people I know do not pay it, however.

To clarify (dane here):

Everybody with an internet connection of any sort with a bandwith of at least 256kbps must pay the fee. The argument is that they can access dr.dk (danish public service television channel), and the content they provide for no additional fee. Obviously owning a TV will cause the fee as well.

It is a fact that almost all danish households must pay the fee, which especially hurts low-income households, such as those of students; the fee is the same no matter the household composition.

There is no good practical reason for not financing danish public service by increasing income tax ever so slightly.

Re: Sweden To Charge TV Tax For Anyone With A Computer or Tablet

#49

Post by Svip »

OrdojanAndrius wrote: post #30
Svip wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We also have it hear in Denmark. It's called »medielicens« and technically not a tax, but a licence fee (BBC subscribers will understand). It is also required even if you do not use any of DR's services (DR being 'Danish Broadcasting'), but own any form of media device. Most people I know do not pay it, however.

Wait what? How do you not pay it? Just throw out the bills they send you?

Since they are not the government, they cannot legally gain entrance to your property (actually, neither can the government without a warrant, but they cannot get a warrant either). They send you a letter, asking you to sign up to pay the media licence or sign a declaration that you own no such devices.

The declaration - however - is legally binding and there are huge fines for breaking such a declaration. However, they must be able to prove that you do actually have such devices, by entering your property. In most cases, they don't really bother, though.

Re: Sweden To Charge TV Tax For Anyone With A Computer or Tablet

#50

Post by jskonhovd »

awestroke wrote: post #42
zacharyvoase wrote: post #11

You must pay for the right to receive electromagnetic waves which are passing through your body 24/7, whether you like it or not. Seems legit.

Swede here. The money goes towards radio and television that is free from political influence, and also free from ads. It is like a tax for something most people benefit greatly from. It has nothing to do with the medium it is broadcasted through.

"radio and television that is free from political influence". Sorry, I believe your opinion is incorrect. Any form of non-trivial media has some sort bias.
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