TV Licence issues have undoubtedly troubled people at some point. Some say it's simple: if you use it and watch it, pay; if you don't use it and don't watch it, don't pay. Done. However, this explanation is akin to a classmate acting as a coach during a football match back in school, saying, "It's simple, guys. When we have the ball, attack. When we don't have the ball, defend." So, what does it really mean to use and watch, and not use and not watch? In today's age of advanced information and ever-evolving entertainment options, including BBC iPlayer, Blue Viu, Netflix, Disney+, YouTube Live, and Twitch, what exactly requires a licence fee and what doesn't? Let's delve into this topic seriously today.
Table of Contents
The Past and Present of the TV Licence
Before we officially begin, let's take a look at the history of the TV Licence. In the 1920s, the British government introduced it to maintain the credibility of the BBC, a public broadcaster, ensuring it wouldn't be influenced by advertisers for funding. Thus, citizens had to purchase a licence to receive BBC broadcasts. The predecessor to the TV Licence, the Broadcast Receiving Licence (radio licence), was officially established in November 1923 through the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1923, essentially serving as a fee for listening to the radio. At that time, the annual fee for a Broadcast Receiving Licence was £0.5, which, adjusted for inflation, is approximately £24.88 today. By the end of 1923, the UK had issued around 200,000 licences. Five years later, in 1928, the number of licences surged 12.5 times to 2.5 million.
On November 2, 1936, at 3 PM, the BBC officially launched its television broadcast service. However, due to World War II, BBC television broadcasts were suspended in 1939. In the early days of television broadcasting, very few households could afford to buy a television set, and as a result, there wasn't much revenue from licence fees. Therefore, between 1936 and 1939, citizens could watch television without any licence fee.
After World War II, to fund the resumption of television broadcasting, the British government introduced the TV Licence on June 1, 1946. One licence covered both television viewing and radio listening. At that time, only black-and-white television broadcasts were available, and the annual fee was £2, which is approximately £69 today. A year later, about 14,500 Licences had been issued. On January 1, 1968, the UK began charging a licence fee for colour television broadcasts, with an annual fee of £10, roughly £145.56 today. In February 1971, the UK abolished the radio licence fee, and since then, only television viewing requires a licence. That year, approximately 16 million licences were issued in the UK.
Existing Licence fees and waivers
After a brief introduction of the historical background, let's talk about how games are played nowadays. Fees are charged on a household basis, meaning regardless of the number of devices in the house for TV viewing, the fee remains the same. Once you've paid, even if you move house later, you won't need to pay again. As of April 1, 2025, for a 12-month period, the licence fee for color television is £174.5, while for black and white television, it's £58.5. Hey, are there still people using black and white TVs? Surprisingly, yes. According to statistics from March 2022, there were still 4,200 valid licences for black and white TVs in the UK.
Seniors aged 75 or above, who themselves or their partners are receiving State Pension, are exempt from paying the TV licence fee. Additionally, certain individuals are eligible for a reduction in TV licence fees. Retired individuals aged 60 or above or disabled individuals residing in qualified nursing homes, subsidized housing, or sheltered housing only need to pay an annual fee of £7.5. Blind individuals or those living with a blind person can also receive a 50% reduction in fees.
Where does the money collected go?
According to the official financial report for 2020/21, approximately 86.1% of the funds are allocated to operating BBC television channels, radio stations, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sounds, and online services. About 8.4% is used for production costs and other services, while the remaining 5.5% is allocated to administrative expenses related to collecting TV license fees.
What Requires TV Licence?
Some might think that the TV licence is only for funding BBC operations, and therefore only BBC programs require payment. However, is that really the case? The key lies in the phrase "Broadcast Live Television Programme Service." In simpler terms, in the UK, regardless of the device (including TV, computer, phone, iPad, gaming console, etc.) or the method (TV, apps, websites, etc.), viewing or recording any live television program (Broadcast Live Television Programme Service) from any national region requires a TV licence. Since September 1, 2016, watching or downloading any program on BBC iPlayer, regardless of whether it's live or on-demand, also requires a licence fee. To make it easier to understand, here are some examples of when a licence fee is required:
1) Watching live ViuTV programs from Hong Kong via a website or app in the UK.
2) Watching live programs from ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Freeview, Freesat, or Sky in the UK.
3) Watching live TV via YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, ITVX, All 4, or Now TV in the UK, such as Sky News Live and Premier League matches.
4) Watching live football matches from Russian channels online in the UK.
5) Watching on-demand programs on BBC iPlayer.
All the examples above involve watching live television programs, hence requiring a licence. It's worth noting that BBC iPlayer is somewhat special; even if you're not watching live, only watching on-demand, a licence fee is still required.
Exceptions:
1) Watching on-demand programs like Netflix, Disney+, etc.
2) Using apps to watch catch-up programs from ITVX and All 4, meaning programs previously broadcasted on TV and made available online for viewers to catch up.
3) Watching VCDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, etc.
The examples above don't involve watching live TV programs, allowing viewers to watch at their convenience, so these services don't require a licence.
Other Non-Broadcast Live Programs
There are numerous entertainment avenues nowadays. Besides live television broadcasts, people can also watch YouTuber Live, IG Live, Facebook Live, and Twitch, among others. Additionally, many churches now offer live broadcasts of Sunday worship services, making it convenient for congregants to worship from home. Do these types of live broadcasts require a TV Licence? The answer is No. These programs don't have specific schedules, lack continuity, and are generally unedited, which doesn't align with the nature of television broadcasts. Therefore, watching these types of programs doesn't require payment of the Licence fee. As mentioned earlier, only watching Broadcast Live Television Programme Service requires a Licence fee.
Checking for Violations and Penalties
If you don't have a TV Licence, the relevant authorities may send officers for visits. These visits typically occur from Monday to Friday until 6:30 PM. During these visits, officers will present their credentials, but they require the consent of the resident or a search warrant to enter the premises. If residents request the officers to leave and there's no search warrant, the visit will immediately cease.
Moreover, you may have heard about detection vans parked near target addresses, capable of detecting television reception devices' usage within minutes. Is this urban legend true? I researched this rumor and found that detection van fleets do indeed exist,and is documented on the TV Licence websiteand reportedin the press.However, the actual number of detection vans and whether they can detect if someone is watching television in a specific residence remains unclear. Nevertheless, someone attempted to obtain information about detection vans under the Freedom of Information Act, and the authorities' response indicated that the data collected by detection vans has never been used in court to prosecute individuals for non-payment of licence fees.
While some may perceive officer visits or detection van fleets as having little practical use, the numbers speak volumes.According to official figures,there were 49,126 prosecutions related to evading TV Licence payments in 2021, with 45,380 resulting in convictions, yielding an exceptionally high conviction rate of 92.4%. Upon conviction, the maximum fine is £1,000, and the court may also require the defendant to pay legal fees or compensation.
How do I declare that I don't need TV Licence?
After reading my explanation, you should understand the circumstances under which a TV Licence is required. If you don't need a Licence, you can declare it at the following website:
https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/telling-us-you-dont-need-a-tv-licence
The validity period of a declaration is two years. After making a declaration, the relevant department won't send you letters requesting payment, nor will they visit your home. If your circumstances remain unchanged after two years and you still don't need a licence, you'll need to make another declaration.
What can I watch live without TV Licence?
Although theoretically, a license is required to watch any live television program, there are some special events that can be watched without a license. For example:
- The Platinum Jubilee celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne on June 5, 2022.
- The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on December 19, 2022.
- The coronation ceremony of King Charles III on May 7, 2023.
The Future
In 2022, a report from the House of Lords committee suggested incorporating TV licensing into Council Tax by 2027, making it mandatory for everyone. This would eliminate the need for tracking non-payers and reduce associated costs. Whether this proposal will be implemented remains to be seen.
Conclusion
Every family's lifestyle is different, and so is their entertainment through television. It's not as simple as "pay if you watch, don't pay if you don't." Hopefully, after reading this comprehensive overview, readers will have a better understanding of TV licensing, avoiding legal troubles or unnecessary payments.
If you are planning to immigrate to the UK and are considering whether to bring a TV to the UK or not, you may refer to other post – Whether to bring a TV to the UK or not.。
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