@gpowerf Yes, but only because in Italy it's easier to have it (and pay a tax for TV set *possession*, *not* for the service) than not have it (having to send some sort of legal letter *every year* declaring that you don't have any equipment capable of receiving any on-air TV signals, with the possibility of having someone at your place so that they can verify what you claimed).
I barely switch my TV to the on-air channels every once in a while, just to see if the reception still works :)