BBC could start charging to watch iPlayer

in a bid cover £650m cost of providing free TV licences for the elderly

George Osborne this morning confirmed the BBC facing cuts in its budget
Chancellor planning to force the Corporation to cover cost of free licences
The £650m cost of free licences amounts to a fifth of the BBC's budget
Comes ahead of the first Tory budget since 1996 on Wednesday this week

The BBC could start charging to use its online iPlayer service in a bid to claw back the £650million cost of providing free TV licences for pensioners, it emerged today.

Mr Osborne this morning confirmed the corporation would 'make a contribution' toward the £12billion in benefit cuts he has promised in order to eliminate the deficit.

Under a deal being negotiated between Mr Osborne and the BBC director general Tony Hall, the corporation will foot the bill of providing 4.5million free television licences for the over-75s.

But in return the government will help close the loophole that allows people to watch BBC programmes for free online without having a TV licence.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3149911/Osborne-takes-aim-Beeb-Chancellor-force-imperial-BBC-pick-650m-cost-free-TV-licenses-elderly.html

in which case i will simply remove iplayer from my systems

will help close the loophole that allows people to watch BBC programmes for free online without having a TV licence.


So if you have a licence you won't be charged I presume?

mentor wrote:in which case i will simply remove iplayer from my systems

same hear
I only watched top gear on it if i missed and the odd documentary and since i will not be watching the new top gear and you get documentary`s on line free bye bye bbc iplayer

what i do find a bit disgusting is that they are still using top gear with clarkson even though they "fired him
on iplayer

at the moment is compilation of their finest moments from series 22

talk about spineless hypocrites

In fairness if they are facing cuts then why not. In the UK at least the BBC produces some of the best British TV, far better than ITV, 4 or 5. And people who use it without paying the License Fee are basically getting something for nothing. Although as Sass says it isn't really fair on those who do pay- but there again Sly + means you never really need to miss anything.

It's probably all on You Tube anyway.

Eventually no doubt. Most of my viewing is via youtube thesedays and it is actually really good, if you can get through the endless crap lol

Can't get iplayer here anyway

The government makes a policy that over 75s get a free TV licence and then later states that the BBC will have to fund it. That puts a huge dent in the BBC's budget which will no doubt result in reduced services or withdrawl of some services provided by the BBC.

Part of Osborne's thank you to Murdoch for his support in the election. No doubt they all had a champagne dinner to celebrate it all.

yeah this is just Murdoch trying to destroy free media
he is doing whatever he can to kill the ABC down here

Considering all this talk of 'an ageing population' etc... more people living longer in old age etc... if they were dead as expected then they already wouldn't be paying anything... the fact they are still alive and able to tune in to a signal that is broadcast to everyone and their reception of this signal isn't costing anyone any extra anyway... I'm confused as to how it is a "cost" at all...!?



BBC online allows anyone anywhere in the world access to our tax payer funded tv for nothing... how can we sell our tv productions on to other countries if they can see for free...!?

Actually tommy if you're outside the UK you cannot use iplayer at all. BBC news is accessible in some places and often a local version but that is it.

Don't worry those pesky foreigners you don't like aren't getting your precious British TV, for free or otherwise

What about if using proxy server?


Or content accessed from UK and then streamed to others...?



Why the need for it at all when people are able to easily record live broadcasts of what they want to see for viewing at later date themselves?

Streams exist everywhere for every channel. They aren't legal (I think), so not relevant to the point. But sure people can and do watch things that way.

When you talk about recording and watching later do you mean like on Sky+?

I suppose if people are out and about or don't have recording abilities iplayer is very useful. As it currently is for those who don't pay the license too.

Irn Bru wrote:The government makes a policy that over 75s get a free TV licence and then later states that the BBC will have to fund it. That puts a huge dent in the BBC's budget which will no doubt result in reduced services or withdrawl of some services provided by the BBC.

Part of Osborne's thank you to Murdoch for his support in the election. No doubt they all had a champagne dinner to celebrate it all.

yes the whole thing is a logical fallacy
over 75s get a free TV licence
there is no extra cost for providing over 75s a tv signal they are exempt from the charge and there fore does not need funded in any way

this is just a dirty underhanded way to decrease the BBC budget

Tommy Monk wrote:Considering all this talk of 'an ageing population' etc... more people living longer in old age etc... if they were dead as expected then they already wouldn't be paying anything... the fact they are still alive and able to tune in to a signal that is broadcast to everyone and their reception of this signal isn't costing anyone any extra anyway... I'm confused as to how it is a "cost" at all...!?



BBC online allows anyone anywhere in the world access to our tax payer funded tv for nothing... how can we sell our tv productions on to other countries if they can see for free...!?

absolutely bang on Tommy as i said above before getting to your post
although the second bit is incorrect use a proxy and try and watch Iplayer it doesn`t work

Eilzel wrote:Streams exist everywhere for every channel. They aren't legal (I think), so not relevant to the point. But sure people can and do watch things that way.

When you talk about recording and watching later do you mean like on Sky+?

I suppose if people are out and about or don't have recording abilities iplayer is very useful. As it currently is for those who don't pay the license too.

yes they are illegal if its a paid for service
from time to time i watch fox via
http://www.playlivenew.com/2010/07/watch-fox-news-live/

As its a paid for cable service i should pay to watch like you have to do on sky to watch fox
but free to air programs are not illegal to stream i don`t think other than country restrictions
or thing like the world service on the bbc

Tommy Monk wrote:What about if using proxy server?


Or content accessed from UK and then streamed to others...?



Why the need for it at all when people are able to easily record live broadcasts of what they want to see for viewing at later date themselves?

i use this

http://www.gingadaddy.com/latestnzbs.php?b=2&c=67

mostly all the programs you want and i pay £6 a month to use a Usenet service to download them even topgear and humans (running over hear at the moment  

if they start charging to use iplayer it doesn`t really affect me but iplayer revenue will crash as people find other ways to watch programs

This is why i don`t have sky tv any more or have had it for 7 years  
especially as the only sky content i watch, is sky news and that has to be free to view by law same as the BBC

Eilzel wrote:In fairness if they are facing cuts then why not. In the UK at least the BBC produces some of the best British TV, far better than ITV, 4 or 5. And people who use it without paying the License Fee are basically getting something for nothing. Although as Sass says it isn't really fair on those who do pay- but there again Sly + means you never really need to miss anything.

But then again, they are facing cuts from those who have money, and have chosen to react to this by charging those who have less.

Creeping Americanism if you ask me

korban dallas wrote:

Tommy Monk wrote:Considering all this talk of 'an ageing population' etc... more people living longer in old age etc... if they were dead as expected then they already wouldn't be paying anything... the fact they are still alive and able to tune in to a signal that is broadcast to everyone and their reception of this signal isn't costing anyone any extra anyway... I'm confused as to how it is a "cost" at all...!?



BBC online allows anyone anywhere in the world access to our tax payer funded tv for nothing... how can we sell our tv productions on to other countries if they can see for free...!?

absolutely bang on Tommy as i said above before getting to your post
although the second bit is incorrect use a proxy and try and watch Iplayer it doesn`t work

I believe that is correct and that you can't watch BBC IPlayer outside the UK.

Not without a hack, which is why I'm a good year or so behind Doctor Who, dammit!

Ben_Reilly wrote:Not without a hack, which is why I'm a good year or so behind Doctor Who, dammit!

Ben, I put up a thread that is from BBC IPLayer here abour Britains productivity puzzle.

http://www.newsfixboard.com/t10405-britain-s-productivity-puzzle

Are you able to watch it?

Irn Bru wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:Not without a hack, which is why I'm a good year or so behind Doctor Who, dammit!

Ben, I put up a thread that is from BBC IPLayer here abour Britains productivity puzzle.

http://www.newsfixboard.com/t10405-britain-s-productivity-puzzle

Are you able to watch it?

It did play for me. Apparently the Beeb loves to preach to the whole world while charging us to watch wacky space-time adventures

Ben_Reilly wrote:

Irn Bru wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:Not without a hack, which is why I'm a good year or so behind Doctor Who, dammit!

Ben, I put up a thread that is from BBC IPLayer here abour Britains productivity puzzle.

http://www.newsfixboard.com/t10405-britain-s-productivity-puzzle

Are you able to watch it?

It did play for me. Apparently the Beeb loves to preach to the whole world while charging us to watch wacky space-time adventures

Well that's surprise because I just didn't think you would be able to.

Irn Bru wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:

Irn Bru wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:Not without a hack, which is why I'm a good year or so behind Doctor Who, dammit!

Ben, I put up a thread that is from BBC IPLayer here abour Britains productivity puzzle.

http://www.newsfixboard.com/t10405-britain-s-productivity-puzzle

Are you able to watch it?

It did play for me. Apparently the Beeb loves to preach to the whole world while charging us to watch wacky space-time adventures

Well that's surprise because I just didn't think you would be able to.

Yeah, but I was thinking about it and that's fine. I never really got over Tennant as The Doctor, I mean Smith was OK, but now I can keep it that way ...

Not many people know that if you don't watch BBC - or you only watch BBC catch-up - you don't have to buy a TV license.

Ben_Reilly wrote:Not without a hack, which is why I'm a good year or so behind Doctor Who, dammit!

you need to use usenet ben never be behind again
i see all the new stuff from the states well before most of it is available in the uk £6 a month wouldn`t do without it

David Tennant was the best doctor!

eddie wrote:Not many people know that if you don't watch BBC - or you only watch BBC  catch-up - you don't have to buy a TV license.

Not quite Eddie. If you only watch catch up tv then you don't need a licence, but if you watch ANY channel as it is being shown, then you do:

A TV Licence is a legal permission to install or use television receiving equipment (e.g. TVs, computers, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, games consoles, digital boxes and DVD/VHS recorders) to watch or record television programmes, as they are being shown on TV. This applies regardless of which television channels a person receives or how those channels are received. The licence fee is not a payment for BBC services (or any other television service), although licence fee revenue is used to fund the BBC.

The requirement to hold a TV Licence and to pay a fee for it is mandated by law under the Communications Act 2003 and Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004 (as amended). It is an offence to watch or record television programmes as they are being shown on any channel and on any broadcast platform (terrestrial, satellite, cable and the internet) without a valid TV Licence.

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/about/foi-legal-framework-AB16

Tom baker was the best Dr...

John Pertwee

I'm a bit non-conformist here- I loved McCoy from the 80s and Eccleston was my favourite doctor, loved the darker side.

i think they where all great in there own way,
my personal favourite having watched all of them is Matt smith he seemed to embody "the nutty time travelling professor " completely
however the new one i have to admit i haven`t warmed to as quickly as i did the others but he had very big shoes to fill

Tommy Monk wrote:Tom baker was the best Dr...

top 3 certainly Imo

sassy wrote:

eddie wrote:Not many people know that if you don't watch BBC - or you only watch BBC  catch-up - you don't have to buy a TV license.

Not quite Eddie.  If you only watch catch up tv then you don't need a licence, but if you watch ANY channel as it is being shown, then you do:

A TV Licence is a legal permission to install or use television receiving equipment (e.g. TVs, computers, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, games consoles, digital boxes and DVD/VHS recorders) to watch or record television programmes, as they are being shown on TV. This applies regardless of which television channels a person receives or how those channels are received. The licence fee is not a payment for BBC services (or any other television service), although licence fee revenue is used to fund the BBC.

The requirement to hold a TV Licence and to pay a fee for it is mandated by law under the Communications Act 2003 and Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004 (as amended). It is an offence to watch or record television programmes as they are being shown on any channel and on any broadcast platform (terrestrial, satellite, cable and the internet) without a valid TV Licence.

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/about/foi-legal-framework-AB16

Okay, then I'm confused??
I was there when my friend rang the licensing people and told them she only watched catchup TV and asked them if she needed a licence if she NEVER watched BBC?
They said no. Categorically the woman told her they couldn't make her buy a license if she didn't watch their channel?!!

Now I heard this myself.!
I'm not saying that you're wring at all sassy because I'd said all of the same things to her after I'd looked it up.

The reason she rang to "prove" it to me is this:
Her cousin works for the licensing (she never told the women on the phone this) and her cousin told her that they cannot even come to your door and prove you've been watching BBC and they can't make you pay.

So now I'm very confused lo,

eddie wrote:

sassy wrote:

Not quite Eddie.  If you only watch catch up tv then you don't need a licence, but if you watch ANY channel as it is being shown, then you do:

A TV Licence is a legal permission to install or use television receiving equipment (e.g. TVs, computers, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, games consoles, digital boxes and DVD/VHS recorders) to watch or record television programmes, as they are being shown on TV. This applies regardless of which television channels a person receives or how those channels are received. The licence fee is not a payment for BBC services (or any other television service), although licence fee revenue is used to fund the BBC.

The requirement to hold a TV Licence and to pay a fee for it is mandated by law under the Communications Act 2003 and Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004 (as amended). It is an offence to watch or record television programmes as they are being shown on any channel and on any broadcast platform (terrestrial, satellite, cable and the internet) without a valid TV Licence.

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/about/foi-legal-framework-AB16

Okay, then I'm confused??
I was there when my friend rang the licensing people and told them she only watched catchup TV and asked them if she needed a licence if she NEVER watched BBC?
They said no. Categorically the woman told her they couldn't make her buy a license if she didn't watch their channel?!!

Now I heard this myself.!
I'm not saying that you're wring at all sassy because I'd said all of the same things to her after I'd looked it up.

The reason she rang to "prove" it to me is this:
Her cousin works for the licensing (she never told the women on the phone this) and her cousin told her that they cannot even come to your door and prove you've been watching BBC and they can't make you pay.

So now I'm very confused lo,

they where bullshitting your cousin

Declaring that you don't need a TV Licence at your address

https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/cs/no-licence-needed/about.app

NEVER watched BBC? is not a reason by the way
Any live transmission regardless of transmitting station means you need a TV Licence