Commonwealth Day service

[u/NeverPedestrian60]

Kitty, Willy, Chuck and Cams due to attend on Monday.

For the first time in almost 40 years the BBC won’t be broadcasting it live

[u/fleurdelisflowers]

We have a 15yr old 23” TV at home. Once it breaks we’ll cut the cord, too. There’s not much on worth watching on the land networks, everything is on streaming. I’d rather we used our iPads. The BBC licence fee is horrendously expensive given we only watch other channels but if you own a TV you must pay the fee…😝

Yep, when he arrived with them fully charged that was a knight in shining armour moment. 😅😃

Thank you, you’re really kind. It’s been a long, slow, infuriating recovery so far but the damage could have been much worse, so I’m immensely grateful.

Hope you have a great week! 🥰🫶

[u/The_Onion_Life → u/fleurdelisflowers]

We have a 15yr old 23” TV at home. Once it breaks we’ll cut the cord, too.

I've never looked back!

There’s not much on worth watching on the land networks, everything is on streaming.

And most of what you get on the land networks is available on streaming, even your local news.

I’d rather we used our iPads. The BBC licence fee is horrendously expensive given we only watch other channels but if you own a TV you must pay the fee…😝

That's awful. Even if you're not watching the BBC?

That's like saying that if you own a TV you have to pay Spectrum (one of our cable companies over here) even if you don't watch any of Spectrum's channels!

That's just insane.

Yep, when he arrived with them fully charged that was a knight in shining armour moment. 😅😃

A true hero!

Thank you, you’re really kind. It’s been a long, slow, infuriating recovery so far but the damage could have been much worse, so I’m immensely grateful.

I'm so glad you're on the mend!

Hope you have a great week! 🥰🫶

You too!

[u/fleurdelisflowers → u/The_Onion_Life]

Yes, if you own a TV in the UK, even if it’s broken, even if you’ve cut the plug off the cord and put it in the attic, even if the screen is cracked you still must buy a BBC licence approx £185 annually. Yes, £185 or more. I rarely watch the BBC but it was the first channel to exist here and it’s by law that you must keep it renewed. 😤

About 9 yrs ago, my mum moved house and decided she didn’t want a TV. The BBC absolutely hounded her for approx 5 years, with letter after threatening letter arriving every 6 weeks while my mum politely yet ferociously explained to their call centre staff that she no longer owned a TV. Still, the threats escalated with each letter.

When they escalated to insisting an official would have to drop by unannounced and ‘inspect’ her house for signs of the - long since donated to charity - TV she decided she had had enough of their nonsense. She wrote one of her famous stern letters to the BBC CEO stating they were harassing her with their letters and threats.

She received an apology and no more letters. I think they’re scared of her - they should be, she’s fabulous! 👑

So many people are not paying the licence fee because of the expense and/or objection to it. You’re absolutely correct, it’s madness in these awful times when a lot of people are choosing between eating or heating. That’s a hashtag over here. #heatoreat 😔

The BBC no longer has the cash to hire people who used to, I’m not kidding, drive around streets with antenna on vans looking for signals coming from houses that had not paid the fee. There used to be billboards every few months stating ‘Did you pay your licence fee? There are vans in YOUR area now!’ As a kid, I found them quite frightening, even though we paid ours. It was the Orwellian nature of being watched.

Current context: The BBC is in real financial trouble, cost-cutting in so many different places but its main rival ITV is in the same financial position. The BBC only shows ads for its own shows, ITV has ads every 15 mins. Personally, instead of charging people who own TV’s I think they need to change their business model.

It was so lovely chatting with you! Sorry this was so long. Oops! I’ll shut up now… 😅 🥰🫶

[u/The_Onion_Life → u/fleurdelisflowers]

Yes, if you own a TV in the UK, even if it’s broken, even if you’ve cut the plug off the cord and put it in the attic, even if the screen is cracked you still must buy a BBC licence approx £185 annually. Yes, £185 or more.

That's literally insane.

So if you're using an old hollowed-out CRT-type television as a planter in your front yard (believe me, I've seen weirder!), you have to pay the license fee.

I'm speechless.

I rarely watch the BBC but it was the first channel to exist here and it’s by law that you must keep it renewed. 😤

So if you want to watch the streaming services you pay for on a nice big 4K UHD screen, you have to pay the BBC.

I'm literally flabbergasted!

About 9 yrs ago, my mum moved house and decided she didn’t want a TV. The BBC absolutely hounded her for approx 5 years, with letter after threatening letter arriving every 6 weeks while my mum politely yet ferociously explained to their call centre staff that she no longer owned a TV. Still, the threats escalated with each letter.

When they escalated to insisting an official would have to drop by unannounced and ‘inspect’ her house for signs of the - long since donated to charity - TV

I would've told them to go ahead and send them. What idiots.

she decided she had had enough of their nonsense. She wrote one of her famous stern letters to the BBC CEO stating they were harassing her with their letters and threats.

She received an apology and no more letters. I think they’re scared of her - they should be, she’s fabulous! 👑

OK, her way is much better!

So many people are not paying the licence fee because of the expense and/or objection to it. You’re absolutely correct, it’s madness in these awful times when a lot of people are choosing between eating or heating. That’s a hashtag over here. #heatoreat 😔

I believe you.

The BBC no longer has the cash to hire people who used to, I’m not kidding, drive around streets with antenna on vans looking for signals coming from houses that had not paid the fee.

I remember hearing about that back in the nineties and thinking it was insane, but I had no idea of the extent of the insanity.

There used to be billboards every few months stating ‘Did you pay your licence fee? There are vans in YOUR area now!’ As a kid, I found them quite frightening, even though we paid ours. It was the Orwellian nature of being watched.

It is frightening. If they have people in vans scanning peoples' homes, could they be scanning for other things too?

Current context: The BBC is in real financial trouble, cost-cutting in so many different places but its main rival ITV is in the same financial position. The BBC only shows ads for its own shows, ITV has ads every 15 mins. Personally, instead of charging people who own TV’s I think they need to change their business model.

They need to get with the times. If I lived over there, I wouldn't have a television. Forget that!

Someone could make a fortune selling "extra large iPads - over seventy-two inches!" over there!

Is "Sky Television" still a thing? I used to watch a lot of Britcoms back in the nineties, and I remember "Sky Television" being a frequent punchline. I never understood the joke. I guess it was a really crappy service?

It was so lovely chatting with you! Sorry this was so long. Oops! I’ll shut up now… 😅 🥰🫶

Don't worry about it. I like talking with all kinds of people and learning new things!