There's something Media License in the State of Denmark

[Winston]

Originally posted by Adagio
What the hell is the point of that?

The argument is that such a connection can be used to view TV streams of "adequate quality" from the Net.



The limit of 256 Kbps is a preliminary one, according to the Ministry of Culture, and could be subject to change before the law goes into effect on 1 January 2007.

KrazyHorse,

I thought you weren't supposed to be reading what I post. Will you, or shall I, alert the admins of the broken Ignore feature?

[Kassiopeia]

Wow, that's utterly and completely stupid. This in no way promotes the development of an information society or the internet connectivity of the populace.

[Winston]

That's what one would think, but I'm "afraid" it will have very little effect on overall internet connectivity. That's why it's being done. Politicians estimate it will only affect around 30,000 people (households), the majority of which currently are using the Internet to watch TV, thereby avoiding the license fee.

In reality, it's only a few stubborn people like me with no interest in watching TV at all who will have to bend over as a result of this. And surely, noone will cry any tears over such morons. Why, we're practically asking for it.

[Odin]

Originally posted by Kassiopeia
Wow, that's utterly and completely stupid. This in no way promotes the development of an information society or the internet connectivity of the populace.

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by Winston
I'd melt there.

What do you mean? is this some sort of danish idiom? You can't be referring to the weather given the variety of climates to be had in the US>

[Winston]

Heh. It's the weather alright. When I met with Ozzy in Washington last summer, I was in an almost liquid state.

Both the times I've visited the U.S., I've mostly had to deal with a climate that is either much hotter, much more humid, or a combination of the two, than what I'm used to from home. And those visits have been to a variety of places, ~15 states total.

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by Winston
Heh. It's the weather alright. When I met with Ozzy in Washington last summer, I was in an almost liquid state.

Both the times I've visited the U.S., I've mostly had to deal with a climate that is either much hotter, much more humid, or a combination of the two, than what I'm used to from home. And those visits have been to a variety of places, ~15 states total.

Washington state was too warm for you?? There's always Juneau Alaska just try melting there!

Not only do you have no obnoxious media fees there but inhabitants of alaska enjoy a big oil dividend check each year. It's like reverse taxation.

[VetLegion]

Originally posted by Winston
Haven't had this much happen to me all at once since the days of the Ford administration.

Anyway, we have a similar scheme here in Croatia. It's not extended to the internet yet, but you have to pay the monthly fee if you own a TV, a radio or even a TV tuner card for the PC. We did get rid of the part where the salesman reports the TV sale to the state. It used to be that way in communism, but nowadays you have to report it yourself.

[Frozzy]

"Using a television without an appropriate licence is a criminal offence. Every day we catch an average of 1,200 people using a TV without a licence. There is no valid excuse for using a television and not having a TV Licence, but some people still try - sometimes with the most ridiculous stories ever heard. Our detection equipment will track down your TV. The fact that our enquiry officers are now so well equipped with the latest technology means that there is virtually no way to avoid detection."

[Datajack Franit]

Why don't you just refuse to pay? In Italy the 40% doesn't pay the tv license fee.

[Geronimo]

If people are broke do they confiscate the TV or just prohibit them from using it?

[Frozzy]

Fine them, and then failing the prosecute.

[Dr. A. Cula]

It could be worse. Here, a few years ago, they made the law diabolically simple: you have electricity, you can power a radio or a TV set. Hence, the license fee is included in the electricity bill.
Of course, the license is only 2 or 3 euros per month.

[germanos]

rediculous
You're not the only one...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5060164.stm

[Proteus_MST]

The same thing like in denmark is tried in germany,
GEZ (Gebühreneinzugszentrale [Fee Collection Agency]) which collects all the fees for use of TV and radio (to date you have to pay if you own a TV and or radio and even have to pay additional fees, if you own another Radio/TV at your workplace)
tries to introduce fees or everyxone who has an internet connection, cause, according to their arguments, the channels which are financed by the fees also own homepages and, as you are able to view their homepages and therefore use the services they provide, have to pay for it
(but it doesn´t matter to them if your connection speed is high enough to actually stream their program [and most of the homepages of these channels don´t even let you do so] and so, if they get what they want, even people with low speed internet connections will have to pay)

(To be honest, I wish it would be rather some kind of tax instead of a fee as
1. it would mean that the GEZ gets disbanded, whose only purpose [aside from collecting the TV/Radio fees] is, to spy on the citizens to find out if there´s anyone who owns a tv/radio without paying fees. It would also save a lot of money to disband them, which could result in lower TV/Radio fees
2. More people would pay for TV/Radio as, like every tax, would be directly deducted from you payroll, also resulting in less costs for the individual person
3. You could make it income dependant, with people earning more having to pay more fees (to date it is a fixed amount you have to pay; if you can´t pay for it you can´t legally own a TV or Radio [yes, you pay for the right to own them, it doesn´t matter if you are able to actually receive Radio/TV-Programs with them ]
)