Life without television

[Ferretfancy]

Years ago, in the days of VHS, we visited friends having set our machine to record, only to discover they were recording the same thing. And no, we didn't watch it!

It's always convenient to be able to say " No, I haven't seen it yet, but I've got it on hard disc", then after a few days the need to see the programme fades anyway!

[Petrushka]

Ever won anything on the gee-gees?

I don't do too bad on the whole, Jayne. Rather oddly, I much prefer the jumps but get more winners on the Flat! A win usually feeds my CD addiction habit.

[jayne lee wilson]

But was it ever intended to be a 'news bulletin' type programme? It's an analysis programme - or at least was last time I saw it, which was quite a long time ago. Is Paxo still running it? Probably about time he was pensioned off - he's probably become rather a caricature of himself.

Paxman presents it regularly, and he's stronger and fresher than ever!

[jayne lee wilson]

i find Newsnight just too predictable and prejudiced to be any thing other than truly appalling, a mockery of a serious news programme .... some correspondents do decent analysis but the presentation is dreadful and the actual news content is rather meagre at times .. the 24hr news services both BBC and Sky are far superior at both coverage and depth analysis; Newsnight is a tired old donkey

You sound like you haven't watched it in a while... Emily Maitlis, Stephanie Flanders, Allegra Stratton (late of The Guardian)? Lots of strong, clever women fronting a show that's very much alive, and even Paxman seems to have a new lease of life.

Predictable? It's a current affairs programme... tonight it covered Greece, the wider Euro question (including an excellent interview with Nassim Taleb, who makes more direct sense than anyone on the Banks and the economic crisis) and GM crops (face to face debate between those running the experiment and one woman who says she'll destroy the crops themselves). A vid of Donna Summer doing I Feel Love played us out over the credits...

Prejudiced? In what possible way? Please elaborate.

I think it's time for YOU to drop the dead donkey.

[Panjandrum]

It's way past my bedtime anyway...

[James Wonnacott]

Ariosto

I very much empathise.
The powers that be use very unpleasant techniques, which amount to harrassment, on others who don't wish to pay. Students get a series of unpleasant and quite threatening communications.

I get a computer generated letter every month along the lines of "what to expect when you go to court...." or "this address has been marked for a visit by enforcement officers.." (not without a warrant they won't and then there are the two GSDs to get past).

They keep telling me that if I don't have a television I should inform them- I can't see why, I don't have to tell the Environment Agency that I don't go fishing and therefore don't require a fishing licence.

[Flosshilde]

It doesn't do much good even if you do tell them you don't have a TV - they just say that, while they believe you, they still want to come & check. & I think that they don't need a warrant to enter your house - one of the very few groups of people who can do so.

While we are on the topic, If my memory serves the licence covers watching programmes at the time of transmission on any equipment - so computers are included. Presumably they could could insist that if you have a computer with iPlayer installed you should have a licence.

[french frank]

I think that they don't need a warrant to enter your house - one of the very few groups of people who can do so.

"TV Licensing can only enter your home without your permission if authorised to do so under a search warrant granted by a magistrate (or sheriff in Scotland). They (like other members of the public) rely on an implied right at common law to call at a property as far as the door, while going about their lawful business and making their presence known. Enquiry officers must abide by a strict code of conduct. They must explain to the occupier of the premises why they are visiting and be polite, courteous and fair.

You have no obligation to grant entry to an enquiry officer if you don’t wish to do so. If refused entry by the occupier, the enquiry officer will leave the property."

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/about/foi-administering-the-tv-licensing-system-part-2-AB20/

While we are on the topic, If my memory serves the licence covers watching programmes at the time of transmission on any equipment - so computers are included. Presumably they could could insist that if you have a computer with iPlayer installed you should have a licence.

This is where it becomes a grey area. Yes, I have a computer and could watch TV 'live' - but I don't do so. I don't have any dedicated equipment allowing me to watch television. Is there such a thing?

[Flosshilde]

ff - Thanks for correcting me on the matter of right of entry.

During one of my numerous phone calls to the TV License Authority I asked about a TV used just for watching commercial DVDs (ie not ones one has recorded); the response was that it would have to be rendered incapable of receiving broadcasts. Not sure how you'd do that with digital?

[mangerton]

ff - Thanks for correcting me on the matter of right of entry.

During one of my numerous phone calls to the TV License Authority I asked about a TV used just for watching commercial DVDs (ie not ones one has recorded); the response was that it would have to be rendered incapable of receiving broadcasts. Not sure how you'd do that with digital?

Don't connect an aerial! I think if the inspectors call and can see that no aerial exists in or above the premises you'd be OK.

[Ariosto]

As far as I've been told and understood it, you can own a TV and as long as it is not connected to an arial and/or in obvious use, you are legal. When the Mafia were let in and he saw my setup he relaised that we did not have TV connected, so he pissed off and I never heard another word. But now I've had a licence for a year they are starting to write to me about my TV licence running out in a few days (31 May to be precise).

They have to get a court order to come in, unless you invite them in. So we could all bankrupt the TV licencing Gestapo (or rather Maffia) by stopping our licence payments and demanding they get a court order to come in. I wonder how many weeks that would take? Might be worth doing. The country is bankrupt, so why not the BBC? It's just another money grabbing useless commercal organisation now.

[kernelbogey]

I tried returning the Licensing Authority letters with NO TV HERE etc scrawled on them - to no effect. An ordinary letter also had no effect. When I sent one by recorded delivery, saying that I had no tv, they wrote back and said they'd leave me alone but that they would check again in (I think) two years. Even after that one computer-generated threatening letter arrived, but I managed to control myself .

I've lived more of my life without tv than with. I watch a few programmes on iPlayer. When I watch any documentary (can't offhand think of an exception* to this) I find the delivery of information slow, repetitive and tiresomely simplistic. (Posted about this before.) There are a suite of cliches used by documentary makers that I am increasingly irritated by. The presenter gesticulating, or photographed in some absurdly dramatic position; unnecessary music (a bit dramatic if some important or scary fact is about to be reported); a boffin brought in to explain something technical, with the presenter usually either asking stupid questions or paraphrasing what the b has just said in case we didn't get it first time.

A recent, disappointing example of the above was How to build a cathedral. Such a wasted opportunity.

[Edit] * I just thought of an obvious exception, the blessed Jonathan Meades.

[Frances_iom]

[QUOTE=kernelbogey;163861...presenter usually either asking stupid questions or paraphrasing what the b has just said in case we didn't get it first time.

...[/QUOTE]
I just post the letters back addressed to 'the occupier' or 'the legal occupier' as addressee not known - however I'm also pestered by junk mail from Virgin to the same address - I suspect that crooked company is also using the TV mailing list in an attempt to avoid the 'no junk mail' list

Re TV I know we are not supposed to comment on the appalling condition of state education but I presume the TV funders know their audience and anything requiring the attention span and/or understanding of a 5 year old is unwatchable by the majority - who after all are responsible for voting in our lords + masters.

[amateur51]

[Edit] * I just thought of an obvious exception, the blessed Jonathan Meades.

If we lived in a truly customer-centred society, it would be feasible to insist on a TV licence that permitted you to watch, say, only Test Match Cricket and Jonathan Meades

What's that?

Pay. Per. View

Forget I suggested it

[kernelbogey]

If we lived in a truly customer-centred society, it would be feasible to insist on a TV licence that permitted you to watch, say, only Test Match Cricket and Jonathan Meades

What's that?

Pay. Per. View

Forget I suggested it

Technology developments would now make that possible, I guess. Would income to the Beeb fall? I suppose it could be offered alongside the licence fee, as an alternative....