Nearly everyone has a television nowadays and I was wondering how many people do not have one? How many people here have one and would like to bin it? You need a television "licence" in Britain that weighs in at around £126.50 per annum and this allows you to own a television and watch public broadcasting. If you do not have a "licence" and own a television then you are breaking the law, you can be prosecuted in the court of law and receive a massive fine. Its not really a "license" as you will not get refused and it is not based on your personal circumstances, its a TAX. What is the licensing system in your country? Do you need a license?
The art os having a telly is, how you USE it. many people seem to think that not having one or binning it is the answer to defeating media spin shit--though i can understand if you dont want to pay the dosh for licence but....for example, i saw this documentary the other night about volunteers who had volunteerd to experience a bit of what detainees were experiencing in Quetano Bay! The experience of seeing it--where else could i have gotten it? a book maybe, but actually seeing the people, their reactions etc etc was only what TV could offer......dont demonize the image. TV's an image box. much of it is defo exploitative and grossen. but through all the crap is Amazing shit
In America we have a free TV and the content of it is , for the most part, CRAP! Then we also have PAY TV and for the most part it to is full of CRAP! Americans have to pay sometimes over 100.00 US per month to watch PAY TV. On the pay TV you are shown many commercials that only sell you stuff 24 hours a day. They also repeat much of their daily programming so that you'll see the same movie at least 60 times during the month. Americans once had great TV to watch but alas today they can't even buy anything worth viewing.
I like the free TV viewing idea. In Britain as I mentioned we have to pay for the licence and thats basically to fund the British Broadcasting Corporation. They use the licence fee to operate BBC 1, 2, 3, 4, News 24, CBeebies etc etc and BBC Radio 1, 2, 3, 4, World Service & regional broadcast stations without advertisements. Operating without advertisments would be a good idea if the content were great which it is not. The BBC news content is totally biased now because they are scared to say anything against the government. Besides from the radio channels which some are decent all the television channels are full of crap. The basically dont need to worry about viewers because they cannot go bust, being a government run venture and all. Satellite and cable have their own monthly costs above the television licence.
