h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I should explain that *everyone* with a TV (with the exception of the registered blind) has to pay for a TV licence. Proceeds are used to fund the BBC. It's not quite as simple as a subscription to the BBC. Note that the BBC is (currently!) non-commercial. Think of it as PBS/ NPR with attitude!

Our licence fees are paying for this site!

Good move, BC! Not having a TV must save a lot of time.

And yes, you will - from past experience - have difficulty persuading the licensing authorities. They didn't even believe me when I showed them an unconnected aerial socket and still wanted to do a thorough search. The powers these people have are thoroughly unconstitutional (according to at least two provisions of the Human Rights Act), and it is disgraceful that many people are imprisoned for non-payment.

Hi Cat Eyes. In America corporate donations account for much. That kind of free enterprise, competitive market sort of thinking (like so much else in America) traces its breadcrumbs back to the Revolution.

In Canada, we do not (officially) have that kind of Revolution mind set. Government has a big role in the running of the country (especially since Trudeau in the 70s). So we have the CBC. Now the CBC is ridiculously underfunded -- and biassed. But luckily we have other networks. Government a while back had to force media to broadcast Canadian content in order to compete for the minds and hearts of Canadians against our wealthier cousins to the south.

Many of the border states like to watch our parliamentary sessions because our politicians are really rude and outrageous. Mostly I watch CSI. But you might want to catch Corner Gas which is a Canadian show about a small town. There is nothing on the planet more hilarious than a Canadian small town. You guys had sturm and drang on Peyton Place. Our minds just don't work like that. Or the Red Green show which is about another small town where all the do-it-yourself projects are held together with duct tape.

In the best of all possible continents (which is our btw) there would be a CSI Wawa.

Caramba Eduardo! Your licensing folk are draconian. Sort of a marauding band of British Cable Guys. I must say though that I have taken a liking to those British home deco shows. Last night (after a harrowing day with the union) I saw one from Wales. The house (before and after) was appauling. (Sorry to Aunty Julia who sewed the forest green curtains with gold trim)

But the view of the bluffs in South Wales was breathtaking. I think you should give Wales to Canada in exchange for selling us junk subs. We will take very good care of Wales, even make Welsh our third official language. Our first one is Newfie. Our second one (of course) is Quebecois. I think we could ski on those bluffs. And as for Penscynor Wood: we could add no end of endangered species!

They'll have to give up those deviant versions of football though. And learn to skate and wield a hockey stick as if their lives depended on it (because they do).

Ah! Imperial aspirations! Life is sweet.

I used to live near CBC in Ottawa.

Actually - technically there aren't so many people in jail for non-payment of TV licence fees. They're in jail for non-payment of *fines* for non-payment TV licence fees! After all, if you can't afford the licence, you can't afford the fine. It's all just a ploy to marginalise working-class women.

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Quite astute and one of many ploys. One eyebrow up. Ani.

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But that's like bringing back debtors' prisons! I am shocked.

"Hi Cat Eyes. In America corporate donations account for much."

Oh, um, should have mentioned, the ABC I was talking about is the Australian Broadcasting Company, not the American one... The ABC over here doesn't have ads and stuff like that...

Cat

Oh sorry about the ABC. Ani.

The Aussie ABC has some of the best shows on telly, in my opinion...unfortunately my concrete box (aka "home sweet home") gets lousy reception and I can only watch it while holding the antenna with my toes and standing on my head...

Have you tried putting it through the VCR? Or getting an Antenna on your roof?

Xat

I'm on the bottom of a 2 storey block of flats, so I can't put up an external antenna...and I have it through the VCR normally, though trying to tune it for either the TV or the VCR is pretty useless

I presume the Australian ABC is funded through taxation
The licence fee has always seemed a good system to me but it is ridiculous that the inspectors can conduct searches without warrents
Must make the police really jealous
As for Wales and football we play both the proper types (Association and Rugby Union), just not very well