TV licensing is a form of taxation which is used to raise revenue that funds the BBC.

The money raised from the licence fee pays for BBC shows and services – including TV, radio, the BBC website, podcasts, iPlayer, local journalism and apps.

The annual payment for a having a T.V License is £159 and it’s expected to be kept at that rate until April 2024.

With 26.8 million homes having a TV and millions more paying for T.V license, specifically when you watch BBC broadcasting TV as that’s what the license is for; the Gov.uk website states:

You must (“must” being the operative word) have a TV Licence if you:

• watch or record programmes on a TV, computer, or other device as they’re broadcast
• download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer – live, catch up or on demand

“Must have a TV License” is not a legal requirement as there’s no licensing agreement: The term licensing agreement refers to a legal, written contract between two parties wherein the property owner gives permission to another party to use their brand, patent, or trademark. The agreement, which is set between the licensor (the property owner) and the licensee (the permitted party), contains details on the type of licensing agreement, the terms of usage, and how the licensor is to be compensated.

Allow us to rewind the clock back to the 1939 when the public first had moving pictures on their screens and homes only had one BBC channel to watch and was therefore required to pay for such a privilege, but with the likes of Netflix, Sky, and Disney to name but a few subscription services where you have to sign a legal agreement and bind yourself into either a monthly or yearly contract to use their streaming services compared to holding a T.V License where there is no such agreement in place.

It appears that the public have been duped and it has become public norm paying for a service that may or may not even be used. There’s also a misconception that you need a TV licence when you own a TV or streaming device which is also false.

The public have been caused undue stress with threats when homes don’t pay the said TV licence and to quote Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries: “The days of the elderly being threatened with prison sentences and bailiffs knocking on doors are over.”

It’s heart-breaking to read that the elderly, or low income households are suffering, and having to go through Bailiffs illegally knocking on doors threatening the public to pay for something there is no legal standing for.

The licence fee is expected to exist until 31 December 2027, after which the government is considering introducing a subscription model to the television fee.

Here’s how you can deal with a TV Licence Inspector

Know your rights!

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