License to Watch TV??

[Moose McLennan]

I am told that specially equipped trucks roam through British neighbourhoods looking for the electromagnetic emissions of unlicensed TVs.

I think that one falls under the category of 'urban legend' .

The system here in Germany is essentially the same as in the UK. And just not having a TV is not enough - you are required to license radios, even car radios, and in the very near future internet enabled computers.

All this for the privilege of being able to watch hours and hours of oompah oompah music, not to mention repeats.

M.

[Freelander Sporrano]

Funny how this thread gets me. I just received my bill for my TV licence from Norwegian Broadcasting

Price for 6 months 1020 Kr

Thats €127
or $162 US or
£86

Expensive for 6 months in my opinion...Whats cheap in Norway...

Mustn't grumble they do send MOTG at times :rolleyes:

[Mike1]

I recall reading somewhere that a brouhaha was expected with the increasing use of portable television devices (i.e. wrist T.V.'s, etc.).

[Sylvain]

Whats cheap in Norway...

Snow?

In Canada, we don't have a TV license, but CBC/SRC gets public funding form general taxation. That means you pay for it even if you don't have a TV set...

[jfellrath]

Funny how this thread gets me. I just received my bill for my TV licence from Norwegian Broadcasting

Price for 6 months 1020 Kr

Thats €127
or $162 US or
£86

Expensive for 6 months in my opinion...Whats cheap in Norway...

Mustn't grumble they do send MOTG at times :rolleyes:

Look at it this way, Freelander - to get cable television (which you pretty much need if you want to watch anything decent) in the US costs us around $70 a month, on average. You're getting quite a deal.

[Freelander Sporrano]

Look at it this way, Freelander - to get cable television (which you pretty much need if you want to watch anything decent) in the US costs us around $70 a month, on average. You're getting quite a deal.

Not really I pay and additional $50 a month just so I can watch anything decent. BBC prime and Discovery etc

The non commercial channels not bad the other national channel is just full of cheap American reality programs (or Norwegian copies)Sorry about that...But Don't you Americans have decent TV ? I'm just wondering.

I hope you don't take offence . It's just when I see these programs on occasion I get to wondering about the American viewing public. Don't you ever complain about the rubbish on your tele's?

When they show a new American program over here they say "The most seen program in America" or some such It's usually rubbish.

Sorry about the rant. I wouldn't mind some answers.

[jfellrath]

Not really I pay and additional $50 a month just so I can watch anything decent. BBC prime and Discovery etc

The non commercial channels not bad the other national channel is just full of cheap American reality programs (or Norwegian copies)Sorry about that...But Don't you Americans have decent TV ? I'm just wondering.

I hope you don't take offence . It's just when I see these programs on occasion I get to wondering about the American viewing public. Don't you ever complain about the rubbish on your tele's?

When they show a new American program over here they say "The most seen program in America" or some such It's usually rubbish.

Sorry about the rant. I wouldn't mind some answers.

Ah... so with your cable it's similar.

No, your impresssions of American network television are largely correct. We do have a few shows that break out and do something different once in a while, but those are few and far between. And when they do break out, they are so widely emulated that they become parodies of themselves after a while. Hence the popularity of cable TV here.

[bubba]

David, I hate to admit it but the vast majority of American TV is aimed at low grade morons. As if the programs themselves aren't bad enough, commercial time is increasing and those are another horror for anyone with living brain cells. Just to add insult to injury Phillips is developing a chip to be put in video recording devices that would prevent fast forwarding through the commercials, forcing the viewer to suffer through the interminable beasts. I don't want to get into a rant here, but American entertainment is probably some of the most mindless and pathetic in the world.

[Freelander Sporrano]

Thanks for the input lads . As I say I've never experieced American TV in America so only have what they show over here to go by however I'm a fan of:
Lost
I like 24 for a good laugh (So much in so little time )

NYPD Blue Sipo' must be the ultimate anti hero

Always been a Star Trek Fan

A new series of Battlestar Gallactica starts this evening (What ever happened to Lorne Green ?Yep I watched Bonanza with my Dad when young)Should be interesting..we'll see

Thanks for not taking my earlier comments the wrong way

[ronstew]

I wrote

I am told that specially equipped trucks roam through British neighbourhoods looking for the electromagnetic emissions of unlicensed TVs.

Moose McLennan replied

I think that one falls under the category of 'urban legend'.

So I looked into it. The UK TV Licensing authority claims that they do use the vans. Link.

This wikipedia article states that evidence from the vans has never been presented in court.