In this country you have to have two types of special liscence to have a tv in a communal area or to play music in them. (this is pants!) So If I want to have the radio on quietly in the background I can't grrr.
We had to have a commercial account with the cable TV company which covers the licensing fees for broadcasting to 'groups' and not just your family. The same applied for music. Now, however, we have satellite and the their rules are different. You have to have 20 rooms or more or sell alcohol to be considered a 'commercial' property. So, I can turn the satellite radio on and be ok as far as the laws are concerned. And pay 'homeowner' rates instead of commercial rates.
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These liscences are to do with performing rights and making sure that musicians who wrote music get their dues in case on a tv program they play a tune in the background. We already have to have a TV liscence to have any tv's which is $300 a year then it would be another $300 a year to use it in public areas and then if I wanted to have SKY in the rooms it would be another $50 per room so $600 a month total. We are also going completely digital this year so I am going to buy new tv's (some are old and crappy so its about time left over from the pervious owners) so I will get all the digital channels for free then so would have to have a really good incentive to add sky to the stable.
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Yup, it's that same sort of license here. BUT, we don't have to pay for the TV's themselves the way you do. If I wanted to add the premium channels (I'm guessing that's what you're calling 'SKY' then that would be an additional fee as well.)
Sorry, no way I would pay $600/month for TELEVISION!
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