Television Licenses - The Truth Revealed

[alloytoo]

Oh, and a license fee, in my interpretation, does constitute an agreement. But I kinda think we've gone far enough down that road.

It does not.

The Licence is a statutory requirement. There is no INTENT on the part of either party to contract.

 

[alloytoo]

alloytoo, without rehashing the entire rather constructive discussion Toxic and I just had, good luck with that line of defence if you ever need it.

I no longer own a TV in South Africa. I disposed of my TV before the licence period expired. I am therefore not in contravention of the Broadcast act.

 

[alloytoo]

Television license = legal obligation. The cessation of a legal obligation would require a legally acceptable channel, i.e. the requirement for an affidavit. A letter doesn't cut it - writing a letter stating that you've found the cure for cancer doesn't make it so.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but correspondence in writing is a perfectly acceptable channel in the eyes of the law. It's done every day all over the country.

If we went to court the onus would be on the SABC to prove that I lied in writing.

 

[HapticSimian]

*waffle*

I would agree with you, but that would just make both of us wrong. Your letter will not hold up in court if it ever comes to that, no matter how much you want to believe it will.

But please, do carry on leading people to think that they just don't have to care. I'm sure they'll be queuing up to thank you for your valuable advice if they get nailed in the process.

 

[bullfrog]

Point is, don't ever start paying your tv license. If they don't know you exist, they won't sue you for not paying

I don't ever plan on owning a tv until one comes out without a receiver.

 

[HapticSimian]

Point is, don't ever start paying your tv license. If they don't know you exist, they won't sue you for not paying

I don't ever plan on owning a tv until one comes out without a receiver.

See, now that I can't argue with Unless an inspector happens to notice the comforting flicker of said television through your windows at night, you'll be OK. But then, if you do get caught out, man up and take it...

 

[alloytoo]

I would agree with you, but that would just make both of us wrong. Your letter will not hold up in court if it ever comes to that, no matter how much you want to believe it will.

Actually, as the SABC acknowledged it's receipt, it will.

The law makes absolutely no provision for me to provide them with any information, in terms of the law I have extended them a simple courtesy.

But please, do carry on leading people to think that they just don't have to care. I'm sure they'll be queuing up to thank you for your valuable advice if they get nailed in the process.

If you could please refer me to the section of act that says I have to provide them with an affidavit?

It doesn't exist, if anything the SABC are committing fraud by implying it does.

 

[Captain Beer]

So I turned the TV on this morning, SABC1, some kid was playing Flight Simulator 98 at about 5fps. Shame, I thought, maybe the PC was a hand me down or something (must have been a 486). After his plane explodes, he reckons Microsoft is giving away ten copies of this game. The kid is probably 21 years old now, and the PC is probably still in service at the SABC (probably still has FS98 installed).

Only thing worse than a local programme on SABC is one that was made twelve years ago. When I eventually buy me an LCD, will make sure it has no tuner and I buy one of those 933 decoders with NO tuner. No way i'm paying for ancient k@k. BTW, my DStv and MNet signal are maintained by Orbicom, not Sentech.

 

[HapticSimian]

my DStv and MNet signal are maintained by Orbicom, not Sentech.

Irrelevant.

 

[Moses27]

Q: What is a television set, as defined in the Act?

A: Any device designed or adapted to be capable of receiving a broadcast TV signal. In other words, a licence is required for a computer (PC) fitted with a TV tuner or video card

What exactly is this thing about TV licences ?????? Computer fitted with a video card ....?? Really ?? Well ALL computers MUST have a video card, otherwise the computer will NOT be able to show anything on the screen !!!

ANY DEVICE designed to be **capable** of receiving a broadcast TV signal ? Well I watch TV on my laptop through the internet, The reason I use my laptop is because I record the TV programs all the time. I receive about 2000+ TV channels/stations, SABC channels are also on the list, and of course yes I burn a lot of gigs per month on this, nearly 90 gigs+ p/m on uncapped 4mb account with OpenWeb. So my laptop clearly is capable of receiving a broadcast TV signal. Does that mean people who own LAPTOPS and COMPUTERS MUST PAY TV LICENCES because they are clearly in possession of devices that are CAPABLE of receiving broadcast TV signal ???? OR do we leave them alone and say well, they're receiving their signal via the internet, so well, they're ok, they can watch SABC channels for free ???

OR rather let's say that ALL people that have an "internet connection device" must pay a TV licence, because such devices are designed to be capable of receiving a broadcast TV signal.... or better still, let's say anyone who has a telephone line must also pay a TV license a telephone line is a device that designed to be capable of receiving a broadcast TV signal (eg: through the internet) ... a telephone line can turn into a TV receiving device anytime if the owner of such telephone line is found to have activated internet on it ) !

 

[phoneJunky]

What exactly is this thing about TV licences ?????? Computer fitted with a video card ....?? Really ?? Well ALL computers MUST have a video card, otherwise the computer will NOT be able to show anything on the screen !!!

ANY DEVICE designed to be **capable** of receiving a broadcast TV signal ? Well I watch TV on my laptop through the internet, The reason I use my laptop is because I record the TV programs all the time. I receive about 2000+ TV channels/stations, SABC channels are also on the list, and of course yes I burn a lot of gigs per month on this, nearly 90 gigs+ p/m on uncapped 4mb account with OpenWeb. So my laptop clearly is capable of receiving a broadcast TV signal. Does that mean people who own LAPTOPS and COMPUTERS MUST PAY TV LICENCES because they are clearly in possession of devices that are CAPABLE of receiving broadcast TV signal ???? OR do we leave them alone and say well, they're receiving their signal via the internet, so well, they're ok, they can watch SABC channels for free ???

OR rather let's say that ALL people that have an "internet connection device" must pay a TV licence, because such devices are designed to be capable of receiving a broadcast TV signal.... or better still, let's say anyone who has a telephone line must also pay a TV license a telephone line is a device that designed to be capable of receiving a broadcast TV signal (eg: through the internet) ... a telephone line can turn into a TV receiving device anytime if the owner of such telephone line is found to have activated internet on it ) !

Where do you receive the 200+ channels from? Do you subscribe? How much does it cost?

 

[w1z4rd]

I am not going to pay for a TV license. Why would I want to support the ANC propaganda machine?

 

[J0n0]

My landlord pays the TV licence fee. No way am I doing it.

 

[zambussi]

TV Lincenses are just another way of giving more money to an undeserving and completely useless govt to p1$$ away...............................

 

[Cube]

Imagine having to produce a tv license when buying a 3g enabled phone.
Or pay for it when you come into this country with one...

 

[Cube]

Actually, to end all this confusion and define the blurred line, they should rather make it an IT License. Whenever you buy IT related equipment, you must show your license. Just to protect SABC.

Now that WOULD BE A MAJOR step backwards.

 

[Johnag]

What if a buy a new set and scrap the old one

Hope this thread is still open. By the way, my message to all those negative people...fark off. The biggest problem in South Africa today in no respect for the law. Taxi's drive in the yellow line and do U turns anywhere, officials take bribes, unroadworthy busses kill masses etc. Until we respect the law, even if we don't like it, we will never be a great nation. To those who have no respect for the law by not paying your TV licence you are nothing but a common criminal. Respect the law and use your vote to change it.

Nuf said.
Two questions

1) If I buy a new TV set for home use I still only need one licence. If some time in the future I scrap my old set I assume I do not have to tell SABC as I still have a set and a valid licence. So do I only tell SABC that I have no set when the last one is gone and then report what happened to the last one or must I cover the full history of all the sets I have had since 1975?

2) If I have one set and a paying tenant, does he need a separate license to watch my set - after all he does not own a set.

John Agar

 

[davemc]

Dear John Agar,

Please feel free to address your questions to the SABC licensing department.
If you fail to receive any response from them, then feel free to keep paying your TV license and use the word negative more often.

Have an awesome day
Dave

 

[isie]

Hope this thread is still open. By the way, my message to all those negative people...fark off. The biggest problem in South Africa today in no respect for the law. Taxi's drive in the yellow line and do U turns anywhere, officials take bribes, unroadworthy busses kill masses etc. Until we respect the law, even if we don't like it, we will never be a great nation. To those who have no respect for the law by not paying your TV licence you are nothing but a common criminal. Respect the law and use your vote to change it.

Nuf said.
Two questions

1) If I buy a new TV set for home use I still only need one licence. If some time in the future I scrap my old set I assume I do not have to tell SABC as I still have a set and a valid licence. So do I only tell SABC that I have no set when the last one is gone and then report what happened to the last one or must I cover the full history of all the sets I have had since 1975?

2) If I have one set and a paying tenant, does he need a separate license to watch my set - after all he does not own a set.

John Agar

1 - you dont ahve to tell them anything no matter how many new sets you buy the cost is the same.
the only time yuo need to telll them anything i in writing is if you no longer have any tv's and are canceling your licence

2 - if you own the set and the tenant is in the same property as you then 1 license is fine (same plot different houses but address is the same) if the tenant is on a differnet property then a second licence is requred.

 

[davemc]

John, all the questions are answered here: http://www.sabc.co.za/wps/portal/SABC/tvlicquestionanswer