Re:The rise and fall of a Halifax man's illegal TV streaming...
by HPsquared on Tuesday March 19, 2024 @11:55AM
(#39757095)
The public-sector situation is even more stark in the UK, with the existence of the licence fee. Broadcast TV has always been an "optional extra".
If anything I'm half-expecting the UK to start taxing individual creators who livestream on Twitch or YouTube (or perhaps to tax the platforms, or require the viewers to have a TV licence). That would indeed be egregious.
Re:The rise and fall of a Halifax man's illegal TV streaming...
by ghaff on Tuesday March 19, 2024 @11:42AM
(#39756934)
We'll have to agree to disagree. It's hard for me to see having access to the nightly news (which I do not personally have) is necessary for the proper functioning of civic society--especially given many people have access to this over the air.
Re:The rise and fall of a Halifax man's illegal TV streaming...
by jobs_throwaway on Tuesday March 19, 2024 @12:11PM
(#39757225)
> I do not need this specific thing, so no one else does either
I don't agree. For many people, it's the only way to access TV. Wide access to broadcast media is a basic right, not a luxury. Some would say (me, for example) that it's neccesary for the proper functioning of civic society.
Meanwhile I note that free-to-air TV has been in decline for over a decade, at least in the UK. Cable and satellite services have been stealing the broadcasters' lunch. BBC News has an ever-shrinking circle of reporters (which they nowadays refer to as "editors").
I have no use for a streaming "package"; I don't watch sports and athletics, vintage sitcoms or new-release movies. I have a Sky dish and DVR, with the basic package. I gather Sky want to move me over to streaming, which would mean I'd have to upgrade my internet service.