Most european countries if not all of them have a tv license fee.
America is one big anomaly in this respect, maybe because tv over there has always been financed by advertising.
But in most countries around the world, someone possessing a tv require a tv license fee because the money goes to finance the public channels (the equivalent of the american PBS).
In italy we pay around 110 € per year for the tv license fee, and its one of the less costly in europe and of course we don't get what we pay for. Only reality shows on the public channels.
Germany now goes even beyond by putting an internet license fee, going into effect from january 2007. 5 € per month if you have a computer connected to the internet and if you don't already pay a regular tv license fee.

Here in Australia, there is no TV tax. There are three major commerical TV channels (7, 9, 10), two government funded channels (ABC [Ch.2] has no ads and there is a extra digital channel for people who have a Set top box, or digital ready TV) and a commuinity channel (Ch.31) which is semi-commercial.

When Digital TV was switiched on in 2001, there was an increase in channels(all free, but could only be picked up using a digital receiver), but they tend to be low quailty things, weather, Feed from state govenment sittings (watching paint dry is better), and so on.

There is cable TV, but only 15% to 20% of Australia has it hooked up. Hours of TV viewing per person is dropping, more people are using computers of watching DVD's instead of watching cheap garbage recycled over and over again on TV.

If they put a tax on TV here in Australia, there would be bloodshed in the streets.

My brother in law is English, since he moved here, he has said we have it better.:up:

Me too!

Well STEED that's revolting (hint :D ). I understand if they demanded money from you if you actually watch the BBC, that's tolerable, you watch it, you pay for it. But since I guess it's impossible to verify this kind of thing they just go for the TV owner taxation wether you tune the TV on the BBC day in and night out or rarely use it to watch just one DVD movie or two.

Does anyone know if these tax-funded TV stations also receive tax money from other Tv Stations, Cable companies, DVD shops and DVD rental stores, etc? That would be a bit more fair too. You use the TV, you pay for it, how do they know you are using it? Well, you are watching some channel, or watching cable or renting/buying DVDs. I have no idea if that would increase or decrease the tax amount and costs though.

Actually the tv license fee is "linked" (i don't know a better word) to the tv set.
It is the possession of the tv set that makes you pay the tv license fee.
It has nothing to do wether you are watching the public broadcast channels or not.
You possess a tv, you get to pay.
At least in italy (which is an anamalous situation) the public broadcasting channels are financed by the license fee and by advertising :damn: :damn:
Yeah we get to see movies interrupted by advertising in the middle of the show, or even more times during the show.
On the other hand the private channels are 100% financed only by advertising.

Thats right. It will be interesting to see the BBC's reaction to the newer generation of mobile phones (3G). Some 3G phone providers are already advertising that you can get Sky TV on your mobile. If this is the case surely the BBC will force people who own these phones to have a TV license. We shall see.

Nemo

I do believe if you have no TV but you own a PC the BBC is trying too make it legal that you need a licence, on the grounds you can watch the BBC on the internet.

That is actually in effect now.
Proof:
http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/information/index.jsp


The Anti TV licence resistance
http://www.tvlicensing.biz/

http://www.marmalade.net/lime/#people