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Doctor Who
pwhodges:
Some people view the licence fee as a "tax" on TV viewing, as it is required to be paid for any viewing, whether of the BBC or not (specifically, for operating TV viewing equipment). However, it does go directly to the BBC (from the collecting agency) without going through government coffers, so they get the exact amount paid (less a minimal collection fee, I believe); but the government determines how big the fee is (for five years at a time, I think, so budgeting is not so hard).
When I was young, there was a radio licence as well, for people without a TV! At one time you needed a separate radio licence for a car radio as well.
(later) I discover from that link that from 1957 to 1963 there was an additional "duty" of £1 added to TV (not radio) licences, which was a tax on the licence that went to the government. No such tax has been applied since then. Note also that to this day there is a much cheaper licence for receiving in B/W only.
Thrillho:
I discovered at university that some other channels actually get TV Licence funding as well granted to them, including Channel 4 and ITV.
Barmymoo:
My impression was that all the "terrestrial" TV channels (I don't know if that's the right term any more, since the digital switchover, if indeed it ever was) get licence funding and none of the satellite ones do.
pwhodges:
The licence money is paid to the BBC alone. No other broadcaster gets a penny from it.
The licence fee must be paid in order to watch any live TV service from any broadcaster by any synchronous means. If you watch over the Internet, you need a licence for watching in real time, but not for watching solely via catchup services such as iPlayer.
People easily get confused because of the difference between the first statement relating to the BBC only and the second relating to all broadcasters. Also, the BBC paid Channel 4's (but only their's) share of the costs of changing transmitters as part of the digital change-over, which was sometimes stated in terms of Channel 4 getting licence fee money; this did not translate into a continuing commitment or affect program funding.
ev4n:
I assume all that government/license money goes to maintaining the fleets of old cars you see in Downton, Poirot, Marple, DW.
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