TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: British TV License (was America the Worst For Cell Rates)

Re: British TV License (was America the Worst For Cell Rates)

Paul Coxwell (paulcoxwell@tiscali.co.uk)
Sun, 30 Jan 2005 22:00:05 -0000

> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I believe the BBC World Service is
> a decent, rather good programming effort, which is one reason why I
> offer it here on the 'Feed Sweep' URL
> http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/bbc.html . At that URL you get the
> BBC World Service audio and the Associated Press headlines as they
> come across the wires. If you prefer, swap the 'bbc.html' ending for
> 'AP.html'. I'll be adding some other audio feeds soon.

Another point to ponder is that all the BBC radio services are funded
by the TV license. As there has been no requirement for a separate
radio license since 1971, this means that anybody who listens to BBC
radio but does not watch BBC TV is effectively being subsidized by
those who buy a TV license. Now if this were a privately arranged
subscription, you could argue that if you don't like it you don't have
to agree to the terms and don't have to subscribe to the TV service.
But according to the law, you are forced to subsidize the BBC even if
you object to this arrangement and watch purely commercial stations.

> And regards the esteem shown British police officers, I seem to recall
> at one time they did not routinely carry or use fire arms; in a confron-
> tation with a citizen, the citizen's respect for the law was sufficient.
> Is that still the case? PAT]

There are lot more armed response teams and special officers carrying
guns these days, but yes, it is still the case that most officers are
not routinely armed.

> I wasn't aware that BBC was also broadcasting in system M. In case you
> weren't aware, NTSC TVs are system M by definition.

They don't use system M, of course. All regular UHF broadcasts from
both BBC and independent TV are system I. The old system A was also
used up until 1985.

> That isn't democracy; democracy entails respect for the rights of the
> minority. It's called "checks and balances"; and without that, you just
> have a dictatorship of the majority.

As I've seen quoted elsewhere, a pure democracy is a sheep and two
wolves voting on what's for dinner. In a Constitutional Republic such
as the United States, they still vote but the sheep has a Colt 45.

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