[Gllug] BBC Open Source

[Robert Newson]

David Damerell wrote:

...

>>>Only if you have a television.
>>>
>>Pretty much everyone has a TV - and to deny someone a TV is to exclude them 
>>from a big chunk of society.

I don't watch broacast TV as I don't get the time - am I being excluded from 
a big chunk of society because I get my entertainment from the radio, by 
actually going out and doing things with people, etc instead?

...
> But seriously, if you want to boycott the license fee (the expression
> originally employed), there is a straightfoward and legal option
> available for doing so; don't have a television. No-one is being
> "denied" a TV there, because the boycotter is doing it of their own
> free will.

Just to point out:

The licence is for you to be able "to install and use television receivers".

A "Television Receiver" is "any apparatus installed or used for the purpose 
of receiving (whether by means of wireless telegraphy or otherwise) any 
television service, whether or not it is installed for any other purpose".

Thus, a video recorder which is tuned in, and/or connected to a cable and/or 
satellite, and is installed or used for the purpose of recording broadcast 
programs (for time shifting) is also a "Television Receiver" and requires a 
licence to be used (for the recording of any television service).

Similarly TV cards in computers.

However, a Television set which is used as the screen for a video or dvd 
player, or a games console, or an old home computer (which requires the 
tuning circuits of the television set to be able to see the signal*), etc 
and is not installed, or used for the purpose of receiving any television 
service does not require a licence.

In particular: "368 Meanings of "television receiver" and "use"...(3) 
References in this Part to using a television receiver are references to 
using it for receiving television programmes."  (Part 4 which starts "363 
Licence required for use of TV receiver".)

[* this brings up an interesting point in the London area at least: Channel 
5 was assigned CH37.  Most old home computers, etc used CH36 for their 
output.  However, the old modulators have a tendency to wander and as a 
result, the actual channel can vary quite a bit with the result that they 
would interfere with channel 5, and channel 5 would interfere with them.]

...

    the Secretary of State may require by a direction to the BBC.

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