Image source, BBC Pictures. Episodes of Normal People have been streamed 54 million times. How much is the licence fee and what is it for?
BBC licence decriminalisation consultation opens. Which overs need to pay? Do I have to pay for a TV licence? The law says that you must have a TV licence if you:. What happens if people don't pay the licence fee? Image source, Getty Images. Published 5 February All free at the point of use, on a wide range of platforms and devices. By buying a licence you support the creation of BBC programmes and services, and new ways of bringing them to you. Our purpose is to ensure as much of the fee as possible goes towards funding them.
Even though the ways we watch and listen are changing, the licence fee also allows the BBC's UK services to remain independent and free from commercial advertising. The licence fee also funds the BBC website and many other online services and apps - across web, mobile and TV. The basic rule is that you must have a TV licence if you watch, record or otherwise consume live television. Indeed, recording, capturing and storing live TV also counts as watching live television.
Briefly, if you start streaming a TV programme just before it ends, you need a licence. Logically, it must also include any live television feeds on Facebook or Twitter. I hope this alerts anyone who thought they were within the law because they watched TV programmes on their smartphones or via a Roku stick in the back of a monitor. These services are, after all, paid for by advertising. This exception was only introduced in September , and not everyone knows about it.
The concept of the TV licence was based on households, and has been extended to shops, offices and other business premises. An applicant must file FCC Form for a license. Cable system owners or cooperative enterprises and cable networks with at least 5 million subscribers are eligible to become CARS licensees. A CARS licensee also may serve nonaffiliated cable systems based on a cost-sharing, nonprofit arrangement. These arrangements permit the delivery of cable programming where economies might otherwise prevent a small system from using microwave transmission.
Broadcast microwave facilities, are also permitted to provide signals to cable television systems on a similar nonprofit, cost-sharing basis.
Under this rule, customers may select who will install their home wiring e. In addition, customers may connect additional wiring, splitters or other equipment to the cable operator's wiring, or redirect or reroute the home wiring, so long as no electronic or physical harm is caused to the cable system and the physical integrity of the cable operator's wiring remains intact. Cable subscribers are not permitted to physically cut, improperly terminate, substantially alter or otherwise destroy cable operator-owned inside wiring.
To protect the cable system from signal leakage, electronic and physical harm and other types of degradation, the cable operator may require that any home wiring including passive splitters, connectors and other equipment used in the installation of home wiring meets reasonable technical specifications, not to exceed the technical specifications of such equipment installed by the cable operator. However, if the subscriber's connection to, redirection of or rerouting of the home wiring causes electronic or physical harm to the cable system, the cable operator may impose additional technical specifications to eliminate such harm.
When the subscriber contacts the cable operator to terminate cable service voluntarily, the cable operator, if it owns and intends to remove the home wiring, must inform the subscriber:. If the consumer declines to purchase the wiring, the cable operator must remove the wiring at no charge to the subscriber within seven days of the subscriber's decision. If the cable company fails to remove the wiring, it forfeits its right to remove the wire or restrict its use at any later time. The cable company must pay for any damage done to the subscriber's home while removing the wire.
The cable operator will have 30 days to decide whether it will:. If the operator decides to sell the wiring, the selling price will be negotiated or, failing successful negotiations, be determined by arbitration. The Commission has ruled that home wiring that is behind brick, metal conduit, cinder blocks, and sheet rock is inaccessible and remains home wiring until it reaches an access point such as a door or junction box. Subscribers to a digital cable service usually rent a set-top box from their cable operator.
Purchasers of a television or set-top box that is CableCARD-ready can watch cable television without renting a set-top box from the cable operator. A retail CableCARD-ready device is a television, set-top box, or device that connects to a personal computer, that you can plug directly into your cable system to receive cable channels without having to lease a set-top box from your cable operator. As most cable operators provide some or all of their channels in digital format, old analog cable-ready television sets no longer work for all channels.
Many consumers purchase CableCARD-ready devices because they prefer the convenience and cost savings of being able to receive their cable programming without having to lease a set-top box from their cable operator.
CableCARD-ready devices may have features that the set-top box the cable operator leases does not, such as access to Internet video or advanced searching and recording functions. Cable operators typically provide tuning adapters at no additional charge. A device manufacturer, retailer or cable operator can tell you if video-on-demand is available on a particular device.
CableCARD-ready set-top boxes and devices that connect to a personal computer are currently in retail stores and available for sale on the Internet. Manufacturers that use this label must meet certain technical standards and must complete a testing and verification process. Most cable operators also offer professional installation for a fee. Subscribers who want to file a complaint about CableCARDs or other equipment leased from the cable provider may click on www.
Cable operators must maintain a number of records for Commission inspection. These include a political file, sponsorship identification records, equal employment opportunities "EEO" records, commercial records for children's programming, records demonstrating compliance with the Commission's leased access provisions, ownership records, the designation and location of the cable system's principal headend, and a list of broadcast television stations carried in fulfillment of the Commission's must-carry provisions.
Records required to be maintained primarily for inspection by the Commission or by local franchising authorities include evidence of compliance with the Commission's technical standards, a current list of channels offered to subscribers, proof-of-performance test data, signal leakage logs and repair records, a copy of the Commission's cable television regulations, records of subscribers aggregate information used for assessing fees , and records of subscriber complaints on signal quality.
In addition to the above-listed files, cable systems with subscribers or more must maintain a public inspection file.
This file must contain a copy of records to be maintained as part of the political file, sponsorship identification records, EEO documents, commercial records for children's programming, leased access records, ownership records, required proof-of-performance test data, and required signal leakage and repair logs. The public inspection file must be kept at the office which the system operator maintains for business purposes, such as the place where the operator ordinarily collects subscriber charges, resolves subscriber complaints and conducts other business, or at any accessible place in the community served by the system such as a public registry for documents or an attorney's office.
The public inspection file must be available for public inspection at any time during regular business hours. However, if the cable system serves at least 1, but fewer than 5, subscribers, these records must only be provided upon request. Cable operators have the option of maintaining all or part of the public inspection file in a computer database rather than in a paper file.
If a cable operator chooses to exercise this option, the cable operator must provide a computer terminal for public use and make paper copies available upon request. Cable operators must make copies of any materials in the public inspection file available for photocopying at the time of an in-person request.
Cable operators may charge a reasonable fee for photocopying. Requests for photocopies must be fulfilled at a location specified by the cable operator, within a reasonable time not to exceed seven days. System operators are not required to honor requests for photocopying by mail but may do so at their discretion. Cable operators generally are prohibited from using their cable systems to collect personally identifiable information concerning any subscriber without the prior written or electronic consent of the subscriber.
However, cable operators may collect this information if necessary to render cable television or other service to the subscriber or to detect unauthorized reception of cable communications.
Cable operators generally are also prohibited from disclosing personally identifiable information without the prior written or electronic consent of the subscriber. However, there are certain circumstances where the cable operator may do so. A cable operator may disclose this information if such disclosure is necessary to render, or conduct a legitimate business activity related to, cable television or other service provided to the subscriber.
The operator may also disclose such information pursuant to a court order authorizing the disclosure, however, the subscriber must be notified of such an order by the person to whom the order is directed such as a government agency or the cable operator.
Finally, the cable operator may disclose the names and addresses of subscribers, but the cable operator must provide the subscriber the opportunity to prohibit or limit such disclosure. Moreover, the cable operator must ensure the disclosure does not reveal, directly or indirectly, the extent of any viewing or other use by the subscriber or the nature of any transaction made by the subscriber over the cable system.
At the time of entering into an agreement to provide cable service or any other service to a subscriber, cable operators must notify the subscriber of the following: the nature of any personally identifiable information collected, or that will be collected, regarding the subscriber; the nature of the use of such information; the nature, frequency, and purpose of any possible disclosure of such information; including an identification of the types of persons to whom the disclosure may be made, the period during which such information will be maintained by the cable operator, the times and place at which the subscriber may gain access to such information, and the limitations with respect to collection and disclosure of information by a cable operator and the right of subscribers to enforce these limitations.
Notice to the subscriber must be in the form of a separate, written statement and must be clear and conspicuous. Notice must also be given at least once every year that the agreed upon service is provided.
Cable operators must provide a subscriber access to all personally identifiable information regarding that subscriber. Such information must be made available to the subscriber at reasonable times and at a convenient place designated by the cable operator. The subscriber must be provided a reasonable opportunity to correct any error in such information.
Cable operators must destroy personally identifiable information if such information is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected and there are no pending requests or orders for access to such information.
Any person aggrieved by a cable operator's violation of these provisions may bring a civil action in a United States district court. As a remedy, the court may award actual damages, punitive damages, and reasonable attorneys' fees and other litigation costs reasonably incurred. A government entity may obtain personally identifiable information concerning a cable subscriber pursuant to a court order only if the entity offers clear and convincing evidence that the subject of the information is reasonably suspected of engaging in criminal activity and that the information sought would be material evidence in the case.
In addition, the subject of the information must be afforded the opportunity to appear and contest the entity's claim.
Under the dual jurisdictional approach to cable television regulation, several important areas of regulation are administered by local franchising authorities rather than by the Commission. These include subscriber rates for basic cable service, installation fees, equipment and customer service, where the local franchising authority has chosen to regulate; bills and billing practices; extension of cable service to individual homes and businesses; repairs; improper wiring; theft of service; and false or misleading advertising concerning the cable system's capabilities.
Complainants are urged to make their complaints by letter, directed to local officials responsible for regulation of their cable system. In most cases, the local franchising authority will review the charges for basic cable service and equipment to determine if the charges are justified. Pursuant to the Act, the Commission's authority to regulate the rates charged for cable programming service was terminated on March 31, Therefore, the cable company determines the rate for this service and the Commission does not have the authority to review the rate or to accept complaints about the rate.
Local franchising authorities continue to have authority to regulate basic service tier rates where effective competition has not been shown to exist, if they choose to do so. The Commission is particularly interested in interference problems to cable service generated by citizens band or amateur radio operations. These problems may be addressed to the Commission field office located closest to the affected cable system or to the Commission headquarters in Washington, D.
A cable system operator, broadcaster, franchising authority and, under certain circumstances, individuals, by filing a petition for special relief with a filing fee, may seek special relief or a waiver of any rule relating to cable television. Requests for declaratory orders seeking Commission interpretation of a disputed question about the rules may be treated as petitions for special relief or rulemaking.
Neither complaints related to the mandatory carriage provisions, nor petitions for declaratory ruling are subject to a filing fee. A petitioner may submit the request by letter, accompanied by a certification that all interested parties who may be directly affected by any Commission action have been given a copy of the request.
In addition to stating the relief requested, the petition should contain the facts demonstrating the need for relief and should show how granting the request would serve the public interest. Notification about the filing of petitions for special relief is given to the general public through Public Notices published by the Commission. Any person may submit comments in opposition to or in support of the petition generally within 20 days after it is filed.
These pleadings also must be served on the petitioner and on all persons listed in the petitioner's certificate of service, and an original and two copies should be submitted to the Secretary. The petitioner may then file reply comments within generally 10 days after the submission of comments or oppositions. In response to a petition, or on its own motion, the Commission may issue an order to show cause or initiate a forfeiture proceeding. Such a proceeding may be started by filing an original and two copies of a petition that the Commission subsequently places on public notice.
Comments or oppositions may be submitted within 30 days and replies within 20 days. In the case of a forfeiture, a hearing may be held, but in almost all cases, a decision on a forfeiture is made without a hearing. Such petitions usually seek to remedy an alleged violation of the Commission's rules.
A copy of the petition should be sent to the cable system operator and to other interested parties. It is possible, however, for an individual or group to join a cable system in opposing a request for an order to show cause. Once all the pleadings have been submitted, the Commission reviews the arguments and determines whether an order to show cause should be issued or a forfeiture proceeding should be initiated.
The Commission has the authority to impose monetary forfeitures on cable television systems or CARS licensees found to be in violation of the Commission's Rules, terms or conditions of a certificate or license, any Commission order, or any provision of the Communications Act. The Commission may impose forfeitures on cable systems by issuing either a notice affording an opportunity for hearing or a notice of apparent liability.
Each day of a continuing violation is considered a separate offense. In the case of cable systems, the Commission must issue any such notice within one year of the offense. The Commission is continually in the process of adopting new rules or amending existing ones to ensure its regulations serve the public interest.
Since many of these rules have widespread impact, the public may want to participate in the rulemaking process. Anyone may petition the Commission to adopt a rule at any time. A petition should include the text or substance of the proposed rule and provide supporting arguments, rationale, and data for the proposed new rule. If the Commission initiates a rule making proceeding, it will issue a "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" inviting public comment for a limited time period -- usually 30 days or more.
A summary of the notice is published in the Federal Register which is available in many large libraries. In addition, trade publications also report the issuance of rulemaking notices. The rules require that an original and four copies of all petitions and comments be filed. Participants who want each Commissioner to have a copy may submit 11 copies an original and 10 copies. Members of the public may participate informally in rulemaking proceedings by submitting a single copy of their comments.
The Commission encourages and invites input from the public in all phases of its regulatory proceedings. The Call Center offers Commission information and outreach to individual consumers, public interest and consumer organizations, and other interested persons. Any member of the public may participate in the Commission's regulatory proceedings.
The Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau maintains and disseminates general information bulletins on the functions and organization of the Commission, historical information on Commission actions and policies as they relate to its minority ownership policies, and fact sheets that provide concise information on policy changes and information concerning new telecommunications services. As part of its ongoing outreach activities, the Commission conducts workshops and seminars designed to keep the public informed.
It also conducts briefings for visitors, colleges, and universities with an interest in learning more about the Commission and its regulatory authority. The Commission's Office of Public Affairs issues public notices of the filings of cable TV registration statements, petitions, comments and Commission actions.
Copies of FCC decisions and comments filed may be obtained from the Commission's duplicating contractor. Several commercial distributors will send copies of all, or selected, public notices and news releases on a regular basis for a fee. A list of these distributors is available from the Public Service Division.
The Commission uses a variety of forms for specific purposes. Below is a list of the most frequently requested forms relating to cable television, and those which are required to be filed under our rules. At least once annually, every cable system must file a Form which reports the results of signal leakage tests conducted by the operator. Whenever a change occurs in a system's mailing address, operator legal name or operational status , the operator must notify the Commission of the change within 30 days.
The operator must furnish its legal name and type individual, private association, partnership, or corporation , including the Employment Identity number or the Social Security number if the company is an individual or partnership ; the assumed name, if any; the mailing address; the nature of the operational status change; and the names of the communities affected and their FCC community unit identifier numbers. Form - Cable Television System Report.
MVPDs with less than 20, subscribers are selected to file by sampling. The report shall be completed and filed with returned to the Commission within 60 days after the Commission notifies the operator that the form is due. This form is used by operators the first time they filed any form to calculate maximum permissible rate under the rules.
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