[Veen]

> in the UK you have to pay a TV license

You have to only if you watch broadcast TV, live TV, or use iPlayer. If you're not doing any of those things, then not paying isn't really a boycott. On the other hand, if you are doing them, then you're likely to get fined for it eventually.

[billpg]

Just to underline the point, in the UK, you need to pay a TV License fee to watch any broadcast TV, including Channel 4. They (C4) don't get any funding from this fee.

[gadders]

And let's not forget that almost 1/3 of all criminal convictions for women in the UK are due to the BBC TV license [1] which is disgusting. TV License non-payment needs to be de-criminalised.

[1] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/tv-licence-f...

[Veen]

Why is that disgusting? No one forces those women watch TV without a license.

[gadders]

I don't know, man. I think a criminal record for the moral equivalent of sharing a Netflix login is a bit harsh.

[doublerabbit]

> You have to only if you watch broadcast TV, live TV, or use iPlayer. If you're not doing any of those things, then not paying isn't really a boycott.

I disagree by not paying the yearly TV sub, they are not getting my yearly sum of money via protest. No, I don't do any of that, if the content was worth watching I would be paying for it.

[Veen]

The result of lots of people "boycotting" the BBC is that it won't be funded and will end up being sold like Channel 4. Many in the current government would love to break up and sell off the BBC. I agree that the Beeb is largely garbage at the moment, but I hope that it can recover from it's current malaise in the future.