Watching the British quiz show The Eggheads last night we were shocked to discover that they still have TV licenses 139.50 pounds.Do other countries still have them.Radio & TV licenses were around in Australia in the 50's &60s

In the USA, you can purchase a TV or radio without any license, you pay a sales tax, but that's a tax on the value of the item, just as if it were a sofa or a chair. You can get tv signals over the air for free, but depending on where you are that may be only a few network channels, and Public Broadcasting, if you're lucky. If you want more choice, you have to have a cable or satellite service, and they can easily run into $70US per month. Our programming is funded by commercial advertising, which can be up to 15, sometimes 20 minutes out of every hour, this is on the on-air networks as well as the cable/pay networks. It's so irritating! Public Broadcasting is funded by donations/subscriptions from it's viewers and listeners (Public Radio is included) and does not have the interruption of commercials. There is a list of funders, private persons, corporations, etc. at the beginning and end of each show, but no commercials. Sometimes, in a 3 hour opera broadcast, one could wish for at least a couple of commercial breaks to go to the bathroom, hee hee hee. As I understand, the license in the UK pays for the BBC channels, which are commercial free, yes? We get BBC World News here, as well as some of the old comedies on our local Public Broadcasting channel, and I love them dearly, much better than almost anything we produce in the USA. Except the original NCIS, and House. Of course, the guy who plays "House" is a British actor, hee hee hee. And quite the jazz pianist, too. Very interesting how different countries handle broadcast funding. As far as radio, we have zillions of stations playing almost any music imaginable on the FM band, all supported by commercial advertising unless they're part of the "Public Broadcasting" system, then they have fundraisers three tmes a year like the TV. On the AM side, most of the stations are what we call "talk" radio. People with political opinions, or news and information, sometimes stocks and "money" stations, and religious stations are usually AM, because the sound quality doesn't lend itself to music. These "talk" stations are also supported by commercial advertising, or sometimes belong to local colleges or universities and are used as training for the communications majors, while still providing programming for the general public.

And yes, I worked in both Public Broadcasting and commercial broadcasting most of my life, hee heehee. Great discussion! Hugs, Marji

My husband and I gave up tv around 4 years ago....we do NOT miss it. We will never live long enough to read all our books...or stitch all my designs or compute. I enjoy reading here every day and learning more and more from all the Cuties around the world. Who needs tv?? Most of what is on is pure garbage. AND with the money we save I can buy more designs...it's win-win!!

In South Africa you still pay for licenses and have a special discount at over 75.

Once you are 75 or over it is free in the UK.

Is your license like our taxes on items we buy in the US? Most of us have to pay taxes on anything we buy - though some states do it a little different then others. We can own a radio without a license, but may have to pay to be able to listen to certain channels. No licenses for TV, but you have to pay to get a majority of the channels you watch, but you can choose who you want to get those channels from. Do you have to have licenses to drive a car?

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by ansalu 20 Sep 2012

Don't know how it is in the US but in Germany you have to pay the regular tax on the TV set (19%). Further you have to pay here every month 17,97€ (13,78$) for watching television and hear radio.

Thank you I got my new TV licence through this morning.. we're told here in the UK that the licence is for BBC tv/radio only.. as we pay to subscribe to sky or cable TV if we want.. however you cannot buy a TV without BBC on it.. so if you own a TV you have to purchase a Licence here in UK
Big hugs from London - Maria xx

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by asterixsew 19 Sep 2012

but you dont need a licence for a radio

by janetedna 20 Sep 2012

The BBC which includes the World Service and public broadcasting is paid for out of the money raised by TV license fees so there are no commercial adverts which interrupt commercial channels' programmes, far too frequently, so that makes it worth it, I think. Jan

by ansalu 20 Sep 2012

We have to pay for the ARD and the ZDF (similar to the BBC) but we still have commercials during the early evening program :o(

I had never heard of this. But we do have to pay to get he signal now. A small fortune for mostly programs you don't care to see anyway.

We have all kinds of taxes and fees. Most counties are on mandatory digital broadcasting, we can still use an antenna, however there is not as much floating around for free.

Very strange to me!! If Saudi Arabia were to charge for TV and radio's we would not have one in EVERY room!!

Yes we have them in Ireland

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by ethan 19 Sep 2012

only for television

Yes we here in South Africa also have TV licences no radio anymore that is linked to TV

If you have a radio (the one in the car also counts!), TV or even a PC (with it you are also able to hear radio and watch tv ;o) you have to pay a charge to the GEZ (> link to wikipedia).
There is no direct translation for GEZ to US American English. The closest translation would probably be: Center of Entertainment Fee Collection or Office of Entertainment Fee Collection?
This is not for the private channels but you are not allowed to skip the official channels and deny the paying.
Greetings, Bettina

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by ansalu 19 Sep 2012

Forgot to say: It's € 17,98 per month (€ 5.76 if you have just a radio)!
How many nice designs I could buy for that money.... :o(

by ansalu 19 Sep 2012

This is Germany if somebody did not guess this ;o)

Yes, we in South Africa still have them. You cannot buy a new tv without having a licence.