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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 now spend the £142.50 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.
| Click to view letters from
2006,
2007,
2008, and
2009. Stay on
this page for letters in 2010. |
January 2010
I enter my fifth year as an unlicensed
person. I have saved £675.50 by not paying TVL/BBC and, assuming 50p a
letter, cost the BBC a further £22 in postage.
Here is
January's mailing; they claim to have opened an
investigation:
February 2010
The envelope has a red barcode,
running vertically. I leave a small portion
visible.
This is the sixth time I have had this particular
format of letter; can't BBC/TVL send me something
new?
March 2010
At last, a new letter format. Some Enforcement
Officers are going to visit me.
Enclosed is a reminder that says I will save £3
if I pay this month; but I shall be saving £145.50 by not
paying
April 2010
The demand rises to
£145.50.
June 2010
Hello, what's
this?
Juuly 2010
Stay tuned for another TVL/BBC letter next
month.
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