As one of those pensioners who previously had a free licence, I've finally had my ten page letter, telling me I have to pay for one, as from 31st July. They give you several ways to pay for it, which are most convenient for them. Of those offered, I've elected to pay monthly, but i've told them I'll be paying by cheque, ( not a published option). I've been perfectly fair, I've sent them two months payments, so I'm up to date. I've told them I'll be sending further cheques for £13.13 on the 1st of every month. They asked for a phone number in case they need to contact me. I've told them to write. That'll teach them to renege on an agreement.
TV license... We abandoned those decades ago! But seeing your post sure beings back some memories. So thanks for sharing. At least now it's confirmed that we too were only copying UK laws and regulations - But as always, failing to implement. End result was that the government, (instead of facing much embarrassment of failing to collect any revenue by this). Instead decided to one day just abandon the entire concept - And started pretending that such a thing never ever happened. Because they just didn't have the resources to go into every home and confiscate any TV which wasn't licensed, (they were actually too scared to try, as majority of the homes here are very well armed).
If you are not one that has to have hundreds of channels,,there are some antennas that you can buy ! My brother has one and they are happy with it !
I use to build TV antennas myself, from the mid 80s to the early 90s, (attaching different types of electronic signal boosters to them also). Both VHF and UHF too! It was really a lot of fun, and the best part was making all the neighbors jealous! As in those days Pakistan only had one single mind numbing government owned and operated TV channel - Called PTV... So catching TV transmission from different countries was often a great adventure! Therefore living at the coast, I could easily catch 2 to 3 Indian channels. But since they too were all state owned as well, meant that they also were totally void of good entertainment... But UAE channels were very enjoyable. As they showed all the popular Western TV shows and movies. If I remember correctly, I think I had caught 4 channels from UAE, (2 of Dubai, 1 of Abu Dhabi, and 1 from Sharjah). And 1 from Oman. As well as 1 from Saudi Arabia. This Saudi Arabia channel was a big mystery at first. Because I was sure that I would never catch anything from them. Because their official TV channels broadcasted on NTSC system. While Pakistan, India, UAE, and Oman all broadcasted on PAL system, (which my television was meant to catch). So it took a lot of digging to find out what I was catching. My antenna was highly directional. So I knew it was from somewhere in the Middle East. Broadcasting was in PAL, on VHF channel 3. And the signal was very strong. But all I could see was the logo HZ22-TV... They showed all the latest Western cartoons, TV shows, sitcoms, plus movies too... Now keep in mind that the internet didn't exist at the time. So I had no way to look up who owned HZ22-TV, or from which country it was originating from. Iran I think broadcasted on SECAM, which was neither PAL nor NTSC, so it couldn't have been them, (as my TV would never be able to make any sense of their signal). Also, Iran hated everything about Western culture, which they all still do - So it was downright impossible that they would be showing sitcoms and TV shows from Hollywood. Mystery was eventually solved when someone visiting from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia told me that HZ22-TV was a privately owned TV channel of an American oil company. Situated in the Saudi city of Dammam - Approximately 1709 kilometers (1062 miles) away from my home in Karachi, Pakistan! They were broadcasting it on PAL, so that regular Saudi citizens couldn't receive it, (as they were on NTSC). I'm not sure but there was some regulation in Saudi Arabia. That all Western TV programs had to be heavily edited, in accordance with Saudi standards of "morality", (take whatever meaning you like from this). But on HZ22-TV, since it was broadcasting on PAL, there was no need for any censorship. Anyway I was the happiest kid around, when I realized that I was perhaps the only one in Karachi, who could receive a TV signal from over a thousand miles away! It really was a most amazing time of my childhood. Which I will cherish forever. As it taught me so much about how weather conditions effected the quality of broadcast I was catching from over the ocean. I also learned a lot about the upper atmosphere conditions as well, and how sunspots too influenced my receptions. My partner in crime was my Dog, but she hardly ever assisted in any construction of a new design of antenna, (that was something only my father and brother assisted me with). While she would just sit on the sofa and watch. See? Even Dogs in my country felt the need to escape the one and only mind numbing state owned TV channel... But by 1992, everything changed. As now satellite dish antennas had become popular. So that became my next adventure - Until the arrival of breadboard internet.
Even I haven't watched much TV in the last 15 years. As whatever I want to see - Either I tune into a live stream over the internet. Or download a torrent of it.
This Pay-TV reminds me of my visit to the UK several years ago. My niece, her husband and their children were living there while he served in the U.S. Navy and she working her Govt job. One evening I heard a horn-like noise. Quickly the TV was either turned off or unplugged. That's when I was educated in the pitfalls of Pay-TV.
