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Letters from BBC Television
Licensing
From the beginning of 2006, I decided not to renew my television
licence. I found that my television viewing consisted almost entirely of tapes
of old programmes purchased off Ebay, and that my watching of broadcast
television was less than an hour a week. I therefore decided to stop watching
broadcast television, and I now spend the £145.50 saved from the TV
licence fee on video tapes and DVDs. It is a good decision; I now pay for what
I watch, and not for what I don't watch.
The only fly in the ointment has been aggressive letters from TV
Licensing (TVL), which collects the licence fee on behalf of the BBC. TVL/BBC
sends millions of letters every year to people who do not watch broadcast
television, demanding payment. For many people, these letters can be very
frightening.
But the letters are a bluff; they are computer-generated.
TVL/BBC have none of the powers their letters imply and, with a little
knowledge, people can stand up to the bullies. The purpose of this website is
to share my TVL/BBC letters as I receive them, and to provide useful
information for people who have no time for the BBC.
January 2016
This is my eleventh year as someone
who does not pay the BBC. I have saved £1,548 and, assuming 50p a letter,
cost the BBC a further £51 in
postage.
Brown envelope
and leaflet
February 2016
Brown
envelope
"February" 2016 (received
March)
White
envelope
March 2016
Brown envelope
and leaflet
April 2016
White
envelope
May 2016
White
envelope
June 2016
Brown envelope and
leaflet
July 2016
White
envelope
August 2016
White envelope and leaflet saying
"Change in the law. You need a TV licence for BBC
iPlayer"
This is a new
design of letter.
The "enforcement visit approved" stamp in the
bottom-left is not a real ink stamp; it is pre-printed. The date underneath, 15
August 2016, also pretends to be stamp by being placed at an
angle.
It reminds me of the secret agent or
detective identity cards I used to get from comics, such as Action and Warlord.
Here is one, with a similar red stamp, again in the bottom left, even tilted at
the same angle, assuring me that I am a registered Warlord Secret Agent - cool!
Thank you TVL/BBC for this little trip down memory
lane.
September 2016
White 9 by 4 envelope and
leaflet.
Stay tuned for another TVL/BBC letter,
next month.
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