Thousands in UK still watching black-and-white TV

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Scotsman, Nov 8, 2018.

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  1. andybeau

    andybeau Forum Resident

    Location:
    Coventry, UK
    Don't think so. I know its a public broadcaster but its funded by commercials. S4C gets some tho, see What does your licence fee pay for? - TV Licensing ™
     
  2. Ahem, Germany has a licence fee for the PBS stations, too.
     
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  3. Jack Lord

    Jack Lord Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Ja und? I never said Germany did not have one.

    I was studying at the Uni and was exempt. Or maybe I was supposed to pay and never did.

    Feel free to present a bill. I am at the Iolani Palace. Most days.
     
  4. beccabear67

    beccabear67 Musical omnivore.

    Location:
    Victoria, Canada
    It's funny there are still people in the U.S. who haven't heard of the license model which has been around since the early days of radio almost 90 years ago. England for quite awhile had the best of both, the BBC and ITV which was independent and commercial. Then the Satellite services launched and the government went too far in forcing austerity or streamlining for the ITV regions (until it was down to Compass Catering Inc. and another group owing the entire thing) and attacking both systems directly producing programmes. Now there is an industry employing a bare minimum mostly and a lot of temp work and cheap students getting 'experience' which was used against people in the past made redundant.

    I've read too much, sorry. :laugh:

    My family in Canada were still on b&w for the main set up to around 1976-77. I expect a lot of people held on to b&w for a second or bedroom/guest room set for ages.
     
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  5. No need to get agitated. You probably were exempt, but didn't say so in your post. I only remarked on your "voila, free TV", because the German PBS stations aren't free.
     
  6. phil1db

    phil1db Senior Member

    Everything is black and white -no fake news .Perfect sets for these times ;)
     
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  7. Jack Lord

    Jack Lord Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Doch. The TV itself was free. It came from the Sparmuell.
     
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  8. Siegmund

    Siegmund Vinyl Sceptic

    Location:
    Britain, Europe
    Yes. This has always been the case.


    I support the licence fee, though I also resent it (I barely watch any television at all) as it does still - just about - ensure a higher quality of programme-making, particularly in news programmes and documentaries. A lot of British television series that have gone on to become classics would have been cancelled after one series or would never have reached production at all if an entirely private enterprise-style ethic had prevailed in British broadcasting.

    That said, I'm sure there are many people who don't watch many BBC programmes and only watch the commercial channels, or pay subs to satellite companies like Sky, etc.

    Personally, BBC4 is the only channel I watch with any regularity. If it wasn't there, I'd probably miss it.
     
  9. Siegmund

    Siegmund Vinyl Sceptic

    Location:
    Britain, Europe
    Not sure about the detector vans but I DO know people who have been challenged for not having a licence. One threw his tv out of the window, so that it crashed onto the flagstones outside. 'Try taking me to court now!', he screamed. :)
     
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  10. Siegmund

    Siegmund Vinyl Sceptic

    Location:
    Britain, Europe
    My Gran got rid of her b&w tv in 1983, for a colour model. People I was at university with in the 80s had portable b&w tvs.

    Afaia, you can't actually buy 'new' b&2 TV sets anymore, can you?
     
  11. Dave S

    Dave S Forum Resident

    It wasn't always the case. You could watch on demand without a license. They changed the rules a few years back.
     
  12. Jack Lord

    Jack Lord Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington, DC

    LOL!

    I have some friends there and they have a few stories about people not paying. Officials go to homes and look in the windows to see if there is a TV or not. One old timer never watched TV at all but they kept billing him and he finally lost his temper and read them the riot act.

    No idea if any of this is true. They might be pulling my leg.
     
  13. Pastafarian

    Pastafarian Forum Resident

    The title should have been: Are the British the most dishonest people in the world?
     
  14. Pastafarian

    Pastafarian Forum Resident

    I remember the TV Detector van ads, brilliant idea, everyone was shaking on their sofa.
    TV detector van - Wikipedia
     
    Jack Lord likes this.
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