ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades Radio & Television Tax

We get those intimidating spots on TV here as well every so often. They usually make a big fuss about the £1000 maximum fine, and go out to explain the advantage of setting up a monthly direct debit from your bank.

By the way, a lot of people here have a huge misunderstanding about the TV license inspectors. Your legal obligation is to buy a license if you receive U.K. broadcasts. That's it.

You are under no legal obligation to reply to the threatening letters sent out from TV Licensing ("If you do not watch TV, please tell us..."), neither are you under any obligation to allow a TV inspector to enter your home to check, unless he has obtained a search warrant. And to get that, he needs to show "good cause" to the judge.

I've never not had a TV so I don't know how the Irish system operates if you don't pay.

However, the collecting of licence fees is sub-contracted by RTE to the post office. They use a database of every address in the country to enforce it and seem to work on the basis of gentle reminders followed by threatening letters too.

RTEs ads are less like the BBC's bully-boy approach though. I've always been shocked at some of the UK tv licencing ads.. they're not too far removed from "TV Licencing - We break legs!"..

RTE tends to try and sell the we're doing so much for you please support us or you're doing a disservice to the community approach or pull the nationalistic strings.. by playing on the "we're irish" thing.

Overall it's very similar to the UK approach.

LOL! Yes, their approach isn't exactly subtle!

My family had experience of the threats while living in Cornwall some years ago (this would have been early 1980s). We had two shops, 33 which was rented out and 34 which my parents ran. We lived in the accommodation above, which extended over both shops, although originally there had been two separate flats: 33A and 34A

The address on the license was down as 33A, although the TV was in the living room which was actually located in what used to be 34A. We regularly received threatening letters and eventually a visit from one of the TV tax gestapo (presumably because they still had 34A down as a separate flat in their database and they just assume that everybody must have a TV).

Despite several attempts to explain, they didn't seem able (or willing) to accept that 33A and 34A were now the same premises, so my father just gave up: "Let 'em take me to court if they like." After all, we'd got a license!

The letters threatening prosecution and fines continued. They were ignored, and nothing more ever happened.


[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 02-25-2004).]

I'd say when DVB-T really does take off in a big way they'll just reserve the right to cut you off for non-payment just like cable and satellite operators.

Pay DVB-T that is. The DVB-T in England proper is mostly FTA (unencrypted), and at that the receiver boxes sell for the £60-70 range (I believe anyway).

Slightly off, in Caanda, there is no direct TV tax (Canada's national public broadcaster is funded by general taxes and ad revenue. The regional public broadcasters are funded by their respective regional govdenments and occasional beg-fests), however, Pay TV providers are obligated to pay into one or several prodction funds, and those monies come from the subscriber fees.