Free at Last!

[Mad Cook]

My television gave up the ghost a few days ago and I haven't got round to doing anything about it. In fact, I may not bother to replace it.

I can't believe how much I've got done since it died. I've knitted half a baby's cardigan, sorted out and taken a huge box and three bags of stuff to the charity shop, had a sort out in the garage, tidied up and weeded out my piles of knitting and food magazines, been out to lunch with friends, done a pile of baking, read two novels, listened to the radio live and caught up on my laptop with a few radio programmes I'd missed and emailed various friends who I don't see often and done the financial report for the charity horse show we ran in the summer, which has been sitting on my shoulder nagging at me for a few weeks. That's in 3 days and it's been wonderful!

I was given the TV by my colleagues as a retirement present. I hadn't had one for about 10 years and they had always been shocked when they asked me if I saw "Coronation Street" or "LA Law" and I told them I didn't have a TV. They told me that I would be lost without a television when I was retired! I was SO lost without one it sat on the floor in my hall for three months before I even opened the box!

In Britain you have to buy a licence to receive TV broadcasts but sometimes I think they should pay me to watch the rubbish that's on! Being without one just for these few days really has seemed like freedom.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Television certainly can get out of hand!

When I was growing up we only had the television on to watch specific programs and then off it went.

Now it is on most of the day as background noise to my very quiet life.

I only have about a dozen free channels because I am too cheap to pay for cable television.

I'm curious about how much your annual license is to watch television.

 

[Gravy Queen]

Ooh noo I love me telly !!! We have Free sat , I need to be able to record things and I like things like live pause so I can make a cuppa tea. Strictly is back on so how could I ever live without that !!

 

[Mad Cook]

Television certainly can get out of hand!

When I was growing up we only had the television on to watch specific programs and then off it went.

Now it is on most of the day as background noise to my very quiet life.

I only have about a dozen free channels because I am too cheap to pay for cable television.

I'm curious about how much your annual license is to watch television.

A colour TV Licence costs £145.50 and a black and white TV Licence costs £49.00 (Yes, there are still a few ancient B&W televisions left around.)That's approx. $234.75 and $79.06 and covers all televisions in the house. It mostly goes to fund the BBC but you can't get out of it if you only use Freeview, cable or satellite channels. If the television set can't receive broadcasts and you use it for playing DVDs or videos you obviously don't have to have a licence.

If you get rid of your television and cancel your licence, the Licencing Authority hound you incessantly because they just cannot understand that someone might not actually want a TV - they have detector vans and inspectors who go around checking. Fortunately, whilst they can demand to see your television and you have to show it too them, they can't access your property without an invitation from you or the presence of a police officer. I had a visit once when I didn't have a TV. The "You HAVE to show me your television. It's the law" - "I can't show it to you because I haven't got one" conversation went round and round in circles for about ten minutes before he stomped off making dire threats about bringing warrants and policemen.

At one time you had to have a licence for the radio as well but that hasn't been the case for many years.

I'm too mean to pay for cable or satellite too. Most of their stuff comes round to Freeview eventually anyway.