any news regarding TV License fee ???

[roger_roger]

I read somewhere that tv license fee would be revised by this new formed government, and when the government was formed few months ago they said they would consider the decision about tv license fee in coming year, so, shall we expect them to eliminate the tv fees ? or will they come up with same old previous stupid idea of media (YLE) fee ? forcing everyone residing in the country to pay for it. Have anyone heard of the progress in this case recently ?

though I never watch tv and own one just to play ps3, it is painful to pay the license fee, instead I could utilize the money to buy new games he he

I am hopeful this newly formed govt will eliminate the tv fees and suggest yle to air more advertisement to cover their costs like other commercial tv:s

[Kutittaa]

I don't know anyone who pays that to be honest, except my wife's grandmother. A few of my friends say that they look for apartments on the top floor with a door code or entrance door that is always locked and needs a key just to get into the lobby. That way the tv mies won't be able to peek into your window and scare the s#!7¤!% out of you.

I'm only being semi-serious. Hopefully they will drop the fee altogether, I have never heard of any country that forces people to pay for regular television... though I am sure there are some others. I just find that pretty stupid. The variety of pay television here is pretty 'weak' as well... I only have a TV to play Wii with my wife and Xbox by myself which I seldom do nowadays because of work...

I mean seriously, with the stupidly ridiculous amount of advertising on all the channels how can anyone expect us to pay for television channels when the stations themselves are making a killing through advertisements...?

[interleukin]

I mean seriously, with the stupidly ridiculous amount of advertising on all the channels how can anyone expect us to pay for television channels when the stations themselves are making a killing through advertisements...?

The fee is paid to support the non-commercial channels (and radio), they don´t have advertising.

[Upphew]

I mean seriously, with the stupidly ridiculous amount of advertising on all the channels how can anyone expect us to pay for television channels when the stations themselves are making a killing through advertisements...?

The fee is paid to support the non-commercial channels (and radio), they don´t have advertising.

The commercial channels pay something to YLE too. And I'm starting to prefer YLE as a source, now that the commercial channels have been able to put extra commercial brake to one hour slot.

I'm only being semi-serious. Hopefully they will drop the fee altogether, I have never heard of any country that forces people to pay for regular television... though I am sure there are some others. I just find that pretty stupid. The variety of pay television here is pretty 'weak' as well... I only have a TV to play Wii with my wife and Xbox by myself which I seldom do nowadays because of work...

UK comes to my mind instantly. BBC's documentaries <3<3<3 Top Gear!!! <3<3<3<3

Ditch the tuner from the TV and shove the certificate to the inspectors face. He'll probably still will want to see the TV to verify it is the same as is stated in the certificate and to look that there are no external tuners. Video projector would work too, but it's usability during summer is crap*.

*I almost bitched about the prices too, but the prices seem to fallen to reasonable levels since I last looked. And there seems to be more lumens available too, so the summer's light problem might be solved too...

[interleukin]

We are also paying for infrastructure so that there is an official way to get information across to people if there is a crisis (eg war). Although we all hope that will not really be needed.
They have been putting out messages on tv sometimes if there is something special going on (a dangerous convict has escaped, some chemicals have been released by accident). Most people may never see those messages, but if there is something big going on, one should expect to get reliable info through those channels.

[Jukka Aho]

I have never heard of any country that forces people to pay for regular television... though I am sure there are some others.

“The Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago[2] notes that two-thirds of the countries in Europe and half of the countries in Asia and Africa use television licences to fund public television. TV licensing is rare in the Americas, largely being confined to French overseas departments and British territories.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licence

[Rick1]

Nowadays always those comercials where they thank you for paying the license fee. Since I live here (forever it seems) I have been saying put it in the taxes and it saves a whole organisation. Throwing billions to Greece happened in one evening but changing tv payment takes forever here. The comitee of Yle found however enough money to pay the new boss 25k a month instead of the 16k the other one got. Ok the new one was of the same party Kokoomus as Mr .Sasi.

[riku2]

We are also paying for infrastructure so that there is an official way to get information across to people if there is a crisis (eg war). Although we all hope that will not really be needed.

That would seem to account for a tiny % of the revenue from the licence fee, i'm sure the majority of it goes towards programmes on YLE which the high minded think would not survive commercially (what happened to 'society gets what society wants').

Much better for emergency notification would be something based on text messages to mobile phones since I would think most finns have those that would give much better targetting (based on geographic location) and you don't have to assume that those with a tv actually turn it on every day to watch finnish broadcast TV.

To the OP - why don't you play your games on a monitor and not a tv? i would think you are using hdmi anyway so why the need to use a TV for that?

[Kutittaa]

I don't have a tuner. We had a really really old one, but it's been in a box in the storage for the last 8 or 9 months same with the old tv. Our 'new' tv has a built in tuner, it's digital so I don't have to worry about tuners and whatnot. I wouldn't bother with a tuner unless it was better than the one in my tv. 42" Inches of LED goodness, got it on special from Prisma last Christmas.

I've been sent 2 letters so far (since we moved 9 months ago or so) to pay the television bill. The first one was for about 450€ because they wanted me to pay the last guy who lived here's bill. I just sent that bill to the recycling while laughing.

I then got another one that stated "Maybe you didn't get the first letter blah blah you need to pay if you use tv etc." This one was only 236€ or something. Maybe they thought they would try first time to make me pay both of them lol, worth a shot I guess they though.

I just put that to recycling also. Wife got the same thing in the mail too, 2 letters. That's it, then they started to harass me after. It was actually the first 2 letters I'd gotten from the tv company. My wife said that it signifies me becoming 'a recognised resident of Finland when you start to be billed by the tv company'.

Please tell me exactly what 'non-commercial' channels that we are paying for? Maybe I don't get those channels... so why should I have to pay for them..? [/sarcasm]
No seriously.. what non-commercial channels? I don't watch YLE anyway, can't they just take that from my television or encrypt it or something? Hahahahahaha turn it into a 'paid' channel and then see how many people would watch it Leave the rest of us who 'pay' to watch TV by sitting through 45% of our 'tv lives' watching advertising that pays 10x what the station costs. Seriously, you wan't 225€ a year for YLE? You can't be serious, I'd rather them just stick advertising on the channel and then stop harassing me for money all the time...

I can block channels for my TV, can I just block channel 4 (which is currently YLE) and then I'm basically not breaking the law? Technically all other stations are paid for by advertising...

[roger_roger]

The fee is paid to support the non-commercial channels (and radio), they don´t have advertising.

I cannot say for sure, cause I haven't viewed the channels, but seriously, is it possible to run tv companies without airing ads ? I guess YLE channels also air ads frequently.

Ditch the tuner from the TV and shove the certificate to the inspectors face.

nice idea, but I'm not sure if it is feasible, given the govt may eliminate the fee from next year (mere hope )


I cannot refer the exact site but I read that since the introduction of Digital system most Finns have given up watching tv at all and the fees are hiked every year, as now it is almost 250 euros per year.

http://www.tv-maksu.fi/en/index/tietoa/tilastot.html this link shows, that decrement in tv viewers from 1997 to 2010 decreased by approx 55000 households or viewers. This is huge disappointment given the rise in population. Just In case, if the viewers decrease to 10000 only then how will yle support their channels ? So, YLE should not play ignorant and embrace the fact that tv fee is ridiculous (given the decrement in tv viewers), instead airing ads would be best option for all the parties (just my opinion).

[interleukin]

roger x2: you need to have a better look at how you use those quote codes, you´re quoting someone else than me. sloppy sloppy.

[sujitsu]

Is there a fine if you are caught watching TV without a license?

[roger_roger]

To the OP - why don't you play your games on a monitor and not a tv? i would think you are using hdmi anyway so why the need to use a TV for that?

should have googled about tv rules in Finland before getting one, as the term "tv license fee" never ever existed in my life before. I don't own a monitor just a 42" tv which is lovely to play games.

[roger_roger]

roger x2: you need to have a better look at how you use those quote codes, you´re quoting someone else than me. sloppy sloppy.

he he he I'm still learning the trade... will sharpen the skills soon

[Upphew]

Is there a fine if you are caught watching TV without a license?

No. But owning tv that is capable to receive a channel...
http://www.tv-maksu.fi/en/index/tietoa/ ... ukset.html