Arguably no country has done more to spread global democracy and personal liberty than Great Britain. However, the whole concept of a TV license and its enforcing authority reeks of indirect, petty, restrictive nanny-government involvement in an area that should be outside of its remit.
It is hard to believe but in the UK, it is mandatory to own a license in order to watch television. In fact, it is a criminal offence if you watch television without a license!
Imagine our surprise when within a week of moving in to our house we received a threatening letter from the TV Licensing Authority stating their records indicated no TV license on file for our address (the letter also emphasised the penalties – 1000 GBP plus costs – if we owned and used an unlicensed TV).
Of course, we own no television set and see no reason to own one if it is going to be taxed at a rate of GBP 140 per annum. So, we wrote back with a short, sharp response indicating we neither own nor plan to own a television. Shortly after, TV Licensing wrote back with another emphatic statement regarding criminal offences and penalties, and that we should expect a call from enforcement officers to determine whether or not we do need a TV license. This was about three months ago now and we have yet to hear from TV Licensing again.
Despite the aggressive, heavy-handed manner in which they are enforced by TV Licensing, it is worth being aware of certain aspects of TV licensing in the UK. Here is some information we have found out recently.
TV Licensing is essentially a subcontractor performing the BBC’s dirty work. They say that you should own a TV license if you watch TV in the UK. There are few exemptions (such as the over 74s). The license is renewable yearly and from April 2009 will cost a whopping GBP 139.50. Even if you do not own a TV but watch programs on the internet as they are being broadcast live on TV, you still need a TV license. If you own a TV but only use it for watching DVDs and videos then you can inform TV Licensing of the arrangement and they may grant an exemption.
We have not been able to find out the answers to these questions:
Do I require a license if I use my TV to watch only non-BBC television programes. (Why should you subsidise the BBC for watching Sky or other services you have already paid for?!)
Surely, it is only a matter of time before the anti-TV licensing brigade gain sufficient momentum to take a case to counter this unfair indirect taxation before the European Court of Justice.
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:16 pm
I can answer your closing question: Yes, you do need a TV licence to receive/record non-BBC programming (and any form of live TV programming for that matter).
No, it’s not fair. Effectively many TV viewers are being taxed for a service they don’t want and in some cases can’t even receive.
The heavy handed way TV Licensing attempt to scare people into compliance is documented further in my blog.
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March 3rd, 2009 at 3:58 pm
One comment on “if you own a TV but only use it for watching DVDs and videos then you can inform TV Licensing of the arrangement and they may grant an exemption”…
You are under no obligation to inform TV Licensing of anything, and there is no exemption that can be granted if you do not require a licence.
The situation is similar to a fishing licence – if you don’t go fishing, you can’t be granted an exemption from the fishing licence (since it does not apply to you). In that situation the licence is a licence to fish, not to own equipment that would let you fish (so you can own as many fishing rods as you like, and don’t a licence to do so).
Similarly the TV licence is a licence to watch/record live television – if you do not do this then you have no need of a licence, and no need to have any interaction with TVL.
More information on when you do/don’t need a licence is available on my site.
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Yank Reply:
March 3rd, 2009 at 11:48 pm
Thanks for the comment.
You may not be under legal obligation to inform TVL, however TVL request you do (from the “official” TV Licensing web site):
“What if I only use a TV to watch videos/DVDs/as a monitor for my games console? Do I still need a licence?
You do not need a TV Licence if you only use your TV to watch videos and DVDs or as a monitor for your games console.
However, please notify us in writing that this is the case. One of our Enforcement Officers may visit you to confirm that you do not need a licence.
Please write to us including your name, address and the reason you believe that you don’t need a licence at: “
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March 4th, 2009 at 2:29 am
[...] is a follow up to a previous post about the peculiarly British phenomenon known as TV licensing. Several readers were decent enough point out answers to questions raised in that post, for which [...]
September 7th, 2009 at 12:38 am
Have you seen the quality TV that is produced in the US, we get the “best” of it shipped over Stargate, Simpson 21/5 men. The TV licensing also insures our TV programs are of a usually higher quality, the BBC service, including the radio and web is paid for through that. It keeps the independent companies at the top of their game as the British public expect decent TV, if only they made more Scifi though.
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November 27th, 2009 at 2:11 am
Welcome to the beginning of Facisim which the goverment puts their reputation higher then what’s best for you or anybody ‘lower’ then them.
You might as well fight it out and risk Jail/Prison for your moral rights as a human being as you will die some how any ways so you might as well die for what is right and what is right is no goverment interfertion with the media.
Your choice.
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January 13th, 2010 at 2:27 am
We have a tv we cannot even watch because the signal is so bad (and we don’t even get digital due to our location) and we’re still required to pay TV license even though we can barely switch it on!
This is theft, plain and simple. What next? A license to own a table so table manufacturers can stay in business?
Utter toss.
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