NRK license hatred!

Two days ago, a letter adressed to me was dumped in my mailbox with this logo in front of it:

I had gotten THE licence...

Some general info: In norway, we have a governmental tv-channel called NRK. NRK is the only norwegian produced channel that offers advertising-free viewing 24/7. NRK also offers "a wider and more different content than the commerical channels." The drawback? Our politicians decided as early as in 1980 that every individual that buys, borrows, or rents(?) a TV has to pay something called a NRK-licence. This is the money that keeps our governmental channel running.

But Marius, what is wrong with taking our money like this?

Hell, there is too many bloody points!

1. This licence costs 1019,52 NOK each termin, two termins a year. Young, old, gay, straight, poor, rich...Doesn't matter. This price is the same whoever you are.

   STUDENTS, ELDERLY AND POEPLE WHO ARE ALREADY STRAPPED FOR MONEY HAS TO PAY THE SAME AS MR. RICH GUY!

2. It doesn't even matter if your TV don't have a digital reciver! If you buy a TV from a store you are automaticlly registered by NRK and has to pay the licence. This means that if you are just using your TV to play, watch DVD's and stuff like that, you still have to pay the licence!

   DO I EVEN HAVE TO SAY HOW STUPID THIS IS? WE ARE FORCED TO PAY FOR SOMETHING WE DON'T RECIVE!

3. As more and more households get more channels, we get a more wider "viewing" horizon. What I mean by this is that we get a lot of different programs from different sources. NRK has a problem now that it isnt UNIQUE ANYMORE! They have some good entertainment programs in the weekends, and thats it. Football bordering to overdose, some nature- and consumerprograms and news. However, all of this is available from everywhere else. Now that we have started using the new digital ground network NRK really has something to prove if everyone is to pay their licence with a smile on their face....Yeah right!

   NRK IS NOTHING UNIQUE PROGRAMWISE ANYMORE! SO WHY PAY?

4. Analogue broadcasting signals are no more available! Antennas is out! No more! In order to get TV signals you HAVE to buy a decoder!

   WHICH TAKES ME BACK TO THE SECOND POINT! IT IS NOT POSSIBLE ANYMORE TO JUST BUY A TV AND WATCH NRK ON A ANTENNA

This article here really much sums up how extremly ass the old rules is nowadays. This lady has a useless TV that no longer recives analogue TV signals, and she decided to take a "TV-free" year by not buying a new decoder and instead just use it for DVD's. She sends in a letter to NRK explaining her situation, that her TV doesnt recive a signal anymore, and that she wishes to cancel her "subscription" to NRK. NRK replies that she still has to pay her licence, because the rules state that "as long as she has her TV in her house with her DVD player connected she has to pay". In order to solve this she has to put away here old TV and buy A NEW ONE without any remote chance of getting a TV signal. Makes sense right?

NO IT DOESN'T!

These rules are outdated! They don't apply today! This lady just want to watch her DVD's, but NRK is still charging her money for a channel she doesn't recive. Here is a newsflash for NRK:

There are people that buy TV's and dont care jack about watching you! Many students (as myself) bought it to watch DVD's, play SNES emulator game (at least I did!) or use it as a PC monitor. I mean, seriously. Change the rules to reflect the change in society. Start register people who are buying a decoder(NOT A TV!), and let some groups of people pay LESS than that horrific sum we have to pay today.

I know I repeated myself sometimes, but I don't care. This is my article and not yours!