NEWS: BBC given the go-ahead to end free viewing on iPlayer

[Macca]

We've just acquired a 38" TV, free of charge from my daughter's partner, who's upgraded to a better set. We acquired a TV licence at the same time because we're boring, law-abiding people who can easily afford one and don't feel the need to whine on about the cost. Having said that, we've only watched a couple of programmes and have mostly used the TV to watch DVDs on.

It's my view that paying for something also buys you the right to complain about the cost of it, for entertainment if nothing else.

[Joe]

He was dead broke at the time. I suspect that he does now pay for a license although I've not asked him.

I'll get the licensing bods to drop round and ask him.

[Joe]

It' my view that paying for something also buys you the right to complain about the cost of it, for entertainment if nothing else.

I've never watched much TV anyway. It was great when the girls were small, as they and my wife would watch all sorts of shite and I could listen to music for hours on end without feeling like I was being unsociable.

When we got the TV the other day, and I'd connected everything up and switched on, the first programme that was on was Coronation Street. I sat hypnotised for a few minutes, because the screen was about twice the size of our last TV, and the picture was so much clearer. Then I came to my senses and thought, 'it's fucking Coronation fucking Street!' and switched it off again.

Actually the whole thing, licence apart, has turned out to be a bit of a bargain. The set was free, and when I went into the Virgin Media shop (having learnt long ago that there's no point phoning or emailing the company), the bloke offered me the basic TV package, plus better broadband, plus a new modem/wifi router, for less than we'd previously been paying just for phone and broadband.