How to Get Off TV/Licience

Nostradamus

I have decided to get rid of my TV. It's all rubbish or propaganda. I have already canceled my SKY digital service and my main aim is to not be subject to the tax which RTE imposes upon us in the form of a licience fee so they can spend it on British soccer and keep otherwise total unemployables with no talent such as Marty Whealen and that blond moron chick who can't read nor speak on the RTE 6 o'clock news.

Ok the question is this. I get my old TV and I dump it in the recycling center. What happens next?

Do I contact them and let them know I have no TV anymore
What about the old SKY dish and old aireals on my roof?
Do I have to allow their goons into my house to check for a TV?

Will I be totally free of this RTE tax forever?

Cheers

flogen

Nostradamus wrote: »

I have decided to get rid of my TV. It's all rubbish or propaganda. I have already canceled my SKY digital service and my main aim is to not be subject to the tax which RTE imposes upon us in the form of a licience fee so they can spend it on British soccer and keep otherwise total unemployables with no talent such as Marty Whealen and that blond moron chick who can't read nor speak on the RTE 6 o'clock news.

Ok the question is this. I get my old TV and I dump it in the recycling center. What happens next?

Do I contact them and let them know I have no TV anymore

I'm not sure about contacting them - you might just have to see out the licence you currently have and then just not renew once it expires. Your best bet is to ring An Post and ask.

Do I have to allow their goons into my house to check for a TV?

You don't have to let licence inspectors into your home (they can only come in if invited) however it might be easiest to do this if you genuinely don't have a TV.

The rumour is that their method of detecting licence evaders is a mixture of guess-work and hocus-pocus. They allegedly just call to houses without licences and lead the occupant to believe that they know (as a result of some fancy gadgetry that doesn't exist) they have a TV but no licence. 99.9 times out of 100 the house is evading the licence and caves; it's much rarer for them to actually be a TV-less house. Of course I could be wrong and they could actually have a genuine detection device - they're not going to give their secret away and tell me, though, so the mystery remains.

If it is just guess work, however, my point is that you may be accused of being a licence evader even when you have no TV, so proving them wrong at the source may save you the hassle of having to prove them wrong at the courthouse. That said my assumption would be that the burden of proof is on their shoulders, so they'd have to prove you had a TV rather than you have to prove you don't. Whether they can get a search warrant from a judge if it goes that far is beyond me - would seem a bit excessive but if no fancy detection gadgetry exists then I'm not sure how else they could prove their case.

What about the old SKY dish and old aireals on my roof?

If I were you I'd get rid of the aerials and sky dish for the sake of making this easier for you - if they're there it's a fair question for the inspector to ask why (you'd only have aerials if you wanted to pick up TV and even without an active Sky subscription you can pick up loads of FTA satellite channels with the dish). If they're not they can't use their existence as circumstantial evidence of you still having a TV.

Will I be totally free of this RTE tax forever?

Probably not - the wheels are in motion to expand the remit of the TV licence to computers too and not just TVs with ATT or DTT aerials in them; to any computer that can connect to the internet. Simple reason being there is more and more RTÉ content being broadcast live online within the island of Ireland and this is paid for in part by the licence fee. It doesn't matter if you watch it, just like it doesn't matter if you watch RTÉ on your TV now, if you can theoretically access it you'll be expected to contribute.

Overdraft

Nostradamus wrote: »

How to Get Off TV/Licience....I have already canceled my SKY digital service....a licience fee....such as Marty Whealen...recycling center. What happens next?....old aireals on my roof?

You wouldn't think of subscribing to a spelling channel, would you? :rolleyes:

Your main objections are "British soccer" and the "blond (sic) moron chick"?

I've a feeling the national broadcaster will cope without your absence....perhaps Bravo is your natural TV home?

flogen

Overdraft wrote: »

You wouldn't think of subscribing to a spelling channel, would you? :rolleyes:

Your main objections are "British soccer" and the "blond (sic) moron chick"?

There seems to be an increasing trend on this forum for people to slag off others because their spelling isn't spot on.

Unless their spelling is so bad that their message is incomprehensible - or they're being hypocritical by criticising the grammar/spelling of others while lacking in that area themselves - such a response will be considered off-topic from now on and will be dealt with as such. I'm amending the charter to make that clear.

I've a feeling the national broadcaster will cope without your absence....perhaps Bravo is your natural TV home?

The problem being he needs a TV to watch it - and a licence fee as a result.