What kind of person pays NHK fees?

[GuyJean]

I think if you watch it, you should have to pay for it. Nothing is free.

Including movies and software? Ever downloaded any MPsans?

Maybe I have you mixed up with someone else.. which is entirely possible.. I thought you and GG had a great dialogue about pirated shareware, at one point..

GJ

[GomiGirl]

Maybe I have you mixed up with someone else.. which is entirely possible.. I thought you and GG had a great dialogue about pirated shareware, at one point..

That was with Kots...

[GuyJean]

That was with Kots...

DOH!

Nevermind, BB..

GJ

[Taro Toporific]

I think if you watch it, you should have to pay for it. Nothing is free.

Including movies and software? Ever downloaded any MPsans?

Ok, ok, as an embarrassing counter example, the 20-year NON-payer of NHK fees, Taro, has quoted NHK as THE Authority in more the two dozen posts.

I guess in the future I will pay the NHK fee when IC cards are required to access. I pay a PBS pledge in the States now. (Besides, I'm "special" and the ku/ward will pay my fees anyway.)

[Big Booger]

The counter example brought me to the search function?

And I think I should rephrase, if you find value and you use it, then pay. If not, don't use it.

Why use something that you don't find value in. Unless of course you cannot afford it, and I am certain that nearly every one of you can afford the 1300 yen per month or whatever...


now if it were say 3000 yen per month, that would definitely be a different story.. I'd never pay it, even if I used it

[Taro Toporific]

The counter example brought me to the search function?

That search was supposed to show me quoting NHK as a primary source in 48+ FG posts. Oh well. I was trying to show my own inconsistency on the topic of the value of NHK. Dang, I can't even insult myself correctly.

[Shibuya Me]

So, then you have NHK who demands money and the Japanese Gov. or any Yakuza staff member is NOT behind all this?

mmmmm.....

Sound odd.

[Taro Toporific]

NHK tried to hide this from Gaijins!!

Hey they are trying to hide this "A farce on a national scale" from everybody, NHK and private boadcasting.

(IHT/Asahi: September 15, 2003)
... NHK says it has no plans to scramble its BS digital broadcasts and does not plan to use the new system to force nonpayers to cough up.
But a 2001 government report on plans for broadcast deregulation says, ``Scrambling of NHK's BS digital broadcasts should be considered.''

Plans for digital TV lagging
japantoday.com / 18 Sept
"There's no way we can phase out analog broadcasting by 2011," proclaims the article. "It's time for the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications; the TV networks; and the electronics manufacturers to come out and tell the truth!"

This December, digital TV broadcasts via terrestrial, as opposed to satellite, relays, will commence in Japan's three major metropolitan areas. But can Japan switch over to the new technology nationwide by December 2011, at which time analog broadcasting will cease forever?

...broadcasting magazine GALAC, which went on sale from Sept 6. Shukan Shincho (Sept 25) reports ... a "farce on a national scale."

....The special feature in GALAC purports to outline 10 reasons why the current plan to introduce digital broadcasting is doomed to failure.

"Japan currently has an estimated 100 million TV receivers," it points out. "For people to switch over to digital in the less than eight years remaining, they will have to replace existing sets at the rate of 13 million a year. But the current domestic market only moves about 10 million units per year, so it appears mathematically impossible for all households to be ready for digital by Dec 24, 2011."...

[Reddeville]

AssKissinger - congrats, you join the `bitches` according to the little spewman Hakuboy who drones the Japanese Party line about us being happy to roll over for the Japanese who want us to be Japanese when they want our cash.

Great post, man, about not paying NHK and not paying the old witch who rocked up on your doorstep ready to use you up for your money that supports these asobijin of housewives and old women. Not to mention the kids who go on trips with my money in inaka. Not to mention the free food and drink these parasites buy with my `block fee`, sitting in their `community halls` bitching about Gaijin Criminals. Then they come with their two faces smiling for my money to put on all these activities that only they can go to.

Question - how do you get away with it in inaka? From my experience these people are the nastiest little pieces of work I have ever met in my life. No lives so they live off others` lives. How did you get rid of them from coming and grabbing your money?

[Andocrates]

Calm down dude, it's not that bad. That kind of negitive thinking will turn you sour from now on. When you get back to the world you'll start seeing the same shit and that bitterness will carry over. Just roll with it.

[Mels]

My mom never paid the NHK fee. She felt they were bogus.....she said she never asked for NHK, so stop broadcasting LOLOLOL. I would have loved to see the expression on the persons face who was trying to collect the fee. Matter of fact, non of my relatives pay for NHK.

In the US, mom pays for her satelite and now pays NHK...ironic..but it is a premium service and she is happy to pay ...some of the programs are interesting and great, some are boring....

[Andocrates]

It's not NHK it's TV Japan :P So you get one movie on the third Saturday of the month.

[Taro Toporific]

Let's NHK Limbo Rock! "How loooooow can you go?"

Support for NHK reaches new low
Yomiuri, June 27
Nearly 20 percent of Japanese consider NHK unnecessary, a survey conducted by the NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute has found.....viewers' opinions of the broadcaster have dropped from previous levels.....scandals, such as a row over program content ...drop in support....more.....

[AssKissinger]

Question - how do you get away with it in inaka? From my experience these people are the nastiest little pieces of work I have ever met in my life. No lives so they live off others` lives. How did you get rid of them fro m coming and grabbing your money?

They haven't been by since I was so rude from the get go. I just make the experience of knocking on my door so unpleasant nobody does it twice. I even cussed out the mayor, and that's the truth. How to do it in inaka? Just don't care what they think of you.

[Greji]

I now live in the mountains in the outskirts of Tokyo and the only way we can get TV is from a neighborhood group purchasing satellite and then cable to the houses. Really the boonies, but NHK is included. I don't know if we pay them or not, although I assume it was included. However, when new people move in, or old neighbors move out, the fee does not change.

But I do miss the old guy who came around each month in downtown Tokyo to collect. Each month I would tell him to get hosed, and he would say thank you see you next month. He was as regular as a clock

[FG Lurker]

I don't pay for NHK nor do I plan to start.

Either fund it through taxes or fund it through advertising, but having armies of collectors come door-to-door to get money every month is ridiculous. It's not like NHK needs human delivery services for their content like a newspaper does, so why do they have human-based payment collection? Bizarre.

[Mels]

It's not NHK it's TV Japan :P So you get one movie on the third Saturday of the month.

Yes, I miss wrote that. She pays tv japan, which includes NHK. But NHK runs a lot of programming on tv japan. I like the Fuji news that has a one hour program on the International channel (cable) the best though.

[Taro Toporific]

Let's NHK Limbo Rock! "How loooooow can you go?"
Support for NHK reaches new low
Yomiuri, June 27

NHK---Just say no.

1.17 million subscribers refuse to pay NHK fee
The Daily Yomiuri---August 2, 2005
According to NHK, there were a total of 201,000 new cases of refusal to pay or suspension of payment of the fee in the June-July period....
An increasing number of viewers say they do not want to pay the fee because it is unfair that they pay while many others do not, rather than because of the scandals. There is no penalty for not paying the fee.
..."The figure--more than 1 million--has a great impact. This figure indicates that it's no longer a matter of whether NHK can make good television programs," broadcast critic Mitsuo Sanuka said. "NHK's subscription system is plagued with institutional fatigue. I think it's time to review the system of NHK itself, the subscription system and the Broadcast Law."....more...

Oh noooooo. I don't like the sound of "time to review the system of NHK itself, the subscription system and the Broadcast Law." I think this a trial balloon for manditory fees

[Big Booger]

Meanwhile, NHK's management committee decided Tuesday to pay its eight executive board members, who resigned in April, and three auditors whose terms have expired, a total of 95 million yen in retirement bonuses, 35 percent less than the amount stipulated in its guidelines.

They are complaining that 1.1 million people are not paying and yet they pya 95 million yen in retirement bonuses... WTF???

Am I missing something here?

[sludge]

1.17 million subscribers refuse to pay NHK fee
The Daily Yomiuri---August 2, 2005


I love how they call them "Subscribers".

[Greji]

They are complaining that 1.1 million people are not paying and yet they pya 95 million yen in retirement bonuses... WTF???

Am I missing something here?

Only if you don't work for NHK!

[Mulboyne]

Adjusting for the differences in total population size, the number of households evading the Japanese NHK fee is well below the number of UK BBC television licence evaders where the penalties are much higher. According to a BBC report, 5.7% of households liable for the fee do not pay which translates into lost revenue of about 160 million pounds (the cost of an annual colour TV licence is 121 pounds - around 24,000 yen).

Evading the licence is a criminal offence carrying a fine of 1,000 pounds and, if the fine is unpaid, the possibility of imprsonment. Around 500,000 evaders are detected each year and just under 100,000 are convicted (evaders have options before court proceedings). In the case of a couple, the man was originally liable for payment but this was changed to include whichever spouse was interviewed by the detection teams. This change, combined with the growth of later marriage and single parent households, has made licence evasion one of the largest sources of female crime in Britain since the teams generally find the mother at home.

I don't pay for NHK nor do I plan to start.

If there was a criminal penalty for evasion in Japan, FGs would have to pay up or risk their visa status. It certainly has that effect in the UK.

[oyajikun]

I might consider paying if late night TV was as entertaining as it was 10 years ago.

[Taro Toporific]

NHK bars fee-balkers from show audience
8/15/2005
The Asahi Shimbun
Those protesting the spate of embezzlement scandals at Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) by not paying their mandatory viewer fees won't be allowed to attend a popular music program, NHK officials said during the weekend.
"NHK Kayo Concert" is broadcast on Tuesday nights.
The audience of about 3,000 for each week's program is chosen by lottery. Fans who want to attend send in postcards hoping to be awarded two tickets.
For the program to be aired Sept. 27, however, only people who have paid their fees can be selected for the audience.
NHK says it is taking the action because it has received complaints from viewers about non-payers attending the programs.....more...