Re: BBC sends cops to arrest nonviewer for refusing to pay the licensing fee

Rhino <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:

. . .

I'm not clear to me how the TV signal is delivered in the UK. Is it over
the air, via cable, via satellite, via cell towers or some other method?

It's broadcast over the air. There are also apps for streaming a live
signal. I assume there's also a satellite uplink/downlink to big dish,
then cable distribution too, but I don't know how many subscribe. They've
got some small-dish satellite too.

Receive a signal via any method that is live, then the license fee is
owed.

In any case, it seems to me that they need to take the same approach
they take to other utilities: if you fail to pay for what you use, they
cut off the supply of the service. If you don't pay your water bill,
they can turn off the water. Therefore, if you don't pay your license
fee, cut off the supply of TV to your house or apartment.

This isn't comparable to a public utility. If you receive any live tv,
like the broadcast of a commercial station, never watching a BBC
channel, you owe the license fee. It is not related to watching BBC
channels.

By analogy with water, you can still use your sink or bathtub if your
water is cut off, you just have to come up with your own water, via
jugs, a backyard well or whatever. By the same token, you're not getting
live TV in the house any more if you've had your TV feed shut off but
you can still watch DVDs or other pre-recorded media.

That approach should solve the problem nicely WITHOUT the police needing
to be involved at all unless perhaps you somehow interfere with the guy
turning off the TV feed to your house or you pirate the feed somehow by
tapping into the neighbour's feed.

How do you cut off broadcast signal?