UK TV licence covers - and I quote ....

TV sets, video or dvd recorders, set top boxes, computers and mobile phones used to watch programmes as they are being shown, you need aTV licence.

You only have to pay the licence fee if you have equipment capable of receiving a TV signal. If it's broken or if it's packed away in the attic you don't need a licence.

Unless the law has changed recently, er, no, not quite. If it's broken then it's not capable of receiving a signal, so you don't need a licence. If it's not broken, even if it's packed away in the attic, then you do.

From the TV Licensing website:

"You need a TV Licence to use any television receiving equipment such as a TV set, set-top boxes, video or DVD recorders, computers or mobile phones to watch or record TV programmes as they are being shown on TV.

If you use a set-top box with a hi-fi system or another device that can only be used to produce sounds and can't display TV programmes, and you don't install or use any other TV receiving equipment, you don't need a TV Licence."

If your TV is not capable (ie no antenna, not tuned into channels, packed away in the attic) of receiving TV signals you do not need a license. Nor do you need a license if it is used solely for watching DVDs or playing computer games.

130 pounds (dont know where the funnly L is on my keyboard)  = more than 8k thb

i had no idea that one has to pay for broadcast TV in the UK .. are there many channels?

There are about 30 free to air channels available. The licence fee is used to finance the BBC, both TV & Radio, apart from BBC World Service radio which is financed by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.