Latest news with #TVlicence
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
BBC TV licence fee: How much is it and who needs to have one?
The licence fee raised £3.8bn for the BBC in the year ending March 2025, according to the corporation's latest annual report. That was an increase of £183m on the previous 12-month period, and represented 65% of the the BBC's total income of £5.90bn. However, the number of households paying for the licence fee fell by 359,000 to 22.8 takes top spot on BBC earnings for eighth year running How much is the BBC TV licence fee and what does it pay for? The TV licence fee is currently £174.50 a year, up from £169.50 in 2024. It costs £58.50 for black and white TV sets. Money raised from the licence fee pays for BBC shows and services, including:eight TV channelsmultiple national and local radio stations, BBC iPlayerthe BBC website podcastsapps including those covering news, sports, CBeebies and weather The BBC's remaining income comes from commercial and other activities - such as programme sales, grants, royalties and rental exchange for licence fee money, the BBC is required to provide public service to its Royal Charter, this means its mission is "to act in the public interest" by providing "impartial, high-quality and distinctive" content, which will "inform, educate and entertain" everyone who pays the licence fee. Who needs to pay for a TV licence? By law, each household in the UK - with some exceptions - has to pay the licence fee if they:watch or record programmes as they're being shown live on any TV channelwatch programmes live on streaming servicesdownload or watch programmes on BBC iPlayerThe rules apply to any device on which a programme is viewed, including a TV, desktop or laptop computer, mobile phone, tablet or set-top most cases, people with second homes need to pay for a separate TV are responsible for ensuring they have a TV licence unless their tenancy agreement says their landlord will provide it. In 2020, the BBC became responsible for paying the licence fee for all over-75s. The cost was previously covered by the government. Since then, it has only funded free licences for households where someone of that age also receives the means-tested pension credit. The BBC funded more than a million free licences in 2024-25. Anyone who is registered blind can get a 50% discount. Customers who struggling to pay can spread the cost across 12 months. How many people are prosecuted for not paying the licence fee? If you do not pay the licence fee, you can be taken to court, and fined up to £1,000 plus legal costs and/or compensation. The most recent figures show there were 25,550 convictions for licence fee evasion in 2024. You cannot be sent to prison for licence fee evasion, but you can be jailed for failing to pay the resulting March 2025, the TV licensing body estimated that around 88% of households which need a TV licence had one. It said officers visited more than 1.9 million addresses over the previous 12 months, and found more than 64,000 people watching live TV without a said £166m had been spent collecting the licence fee during the period. What do critics of the licence fee say? The licence fee was introduced in 1946, when the BBC was the sole UK it now competes not only with advertising-funded TV channels, but also online content such as YouTube and subscription streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+ and Now people ask why they should be forced to pay for the BBC if it is a service they do not licence fee is also a flat-rate payment, which means that the poorest households pay as much as the have been raised about whether non-payment of the licence fee is a serious enough issue to merit criminal prosecution. How could the licence fee change in the future? The licence fee's existence is guaranteed until 31 December government will begin a review exploring how the BBC might be funded after that point later in 2025. It follows an earlier review launched by the previous Conservative government in December a speech in May 2025, BBC director general Tim Davie said the system for funding the BBC should be reformed and said he was not asking for the "status quo" to continue, but would "keep an open mind" about the future of the licence fee or what could replace it.A number of alternative funding models have been suggested:a tax on broadband connectionsa government grant funded out of general taxationpart-funding through advertisinga subscription modelIn January 2025, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy ruled out funding the BBC from general taxation, and said that she was thinking "quite radically and creatively" about alternatives.
Irish Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
O'Donovan has ‘no notion' of abolishing TV licence fee or replacing it with tax on tech companies
Minister for Communications Patrick O'Donovan has insisted he has 'no notion' of abolishing the TV licence fee or replacing it with a tax on big tech companies. Mr O'Donovan was responding in the Dáil to People Before Profit (PBP) TD Paul Murphy , who described the licence fee as a 'regressive, unjust tax' where the richest and poorest households pay the same €160 fee. Mr Murphy said increasing numbers are 'boycotting' the licence as he asked the Minister to instead tax the social media and technology giants to fund public service broadcasting. 'No, I won't, so that's the end of that,' said Mr O'Donovan. 'I have no notion of doing it. This is a fund that's in place to support RTÉ and public service broadcasters.' READ MORE It also supports the 'sound and vision' sectors, he said. 'I have no intention of replacing it and I have no intention of going down a cul-de-sac that Deputy Murphy would like us to do, which is a road to nowhere for RTÉ and everybody associated with broadcasting,' the Minister said. 'So the short answer is no.' Mr Murphy said the 'tax is deeply unpopular and licence sales have plummeted '. He said 950,000 paid in 2022. That figure dropped to 825,000 in 2023 and to 790,000 in 2024. Mr Murphy said that was a fall of more than 155,000 households 'who are refusing to pay either in protest or because they cannot afford to pay this regressive flat tax, which takes no account of ability to pay'. [ Why I stopped paying my TV licence fee: 'The whole model is broken' Opens in new window ] The Minister replied that 'the licence fee is not a tax. I don't see references to that anywhere in the legislation'. Describing it as an 'important funding mechanism for RTÉ,' Mr O'Donovan said Mr Murphy seems 'to think that there's a phantom entity out there that can pay for everything'. Mr Murphy said the licence accounted for just more than a third of funding for public service broadcasting. He said his party's proposals included a 'radical plan' to increase funding for public service broadcasting by taxing big tech corporations. Mr Murphy said they had a 'parasitical role' in journalism, not creating content but getting most of the advertising from it and it 'clearly makes sense to allow them to pay'. 'I'll continue to support those who refuse to pay the TV licence, and I warn you that that number is increasing,' he said, adding that the number of prosecutions was also dropping. 'You're entitled to start whatever campaign it is you want to start to undermine another public service,' Mr O'Donovan replied. 'I don't support it… and I don't think most people do either.' He said if Mr Murphy gets an opportunity to be in government, he will 'actually see that there's more to running a public service than a megaphone'.
Telegraph
17-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Channel migrants ‘given free TV licences'
Illegal migrants have been given free TV licences funded by the taxpayer, a Reform UK 'Doge' audit has found. The Reform waste-busting team found that in 2022 at least £1,000 was spent by Kent County Council on paying small boat arrivals' TV licence fees. They were also funded for visits to go trampolining, bowling and to the cinema, according to an audit of the finances of the council which Reform now controls. Reform estimates that the activities, alongside spending at JD Sports and PC World, have cost more than £24,000 of taxpayer cash. It comes as the number of migrants crossing the Channel have passed 16,000, more than 50 per cent of the same point last year. Some 1,500 have arrived so far this month including the second highest daily total of 919 on Friday. 'Reform will fight for taxpayers' Zia Yusuf, Reform's Doge leader, said: 'For too long, British citizens have been prosecuted for not paying for a TV licence, yet asylum seekers are having theirs paid for by taxpayers. 'The old Tory regime at Kent County Council has a lot to answer for. Reform will fight for taxpayers.' Reform won control of Kent County Council, and 11 others across the country, from the Tories in May's local elections. Since then they have begun sending in auditors to identify and end waste in an Elon Musk-style cost-cutting drive. It comes as town halls are set to hike rates by the maximum five per cent or £14 to meet Sir Keir Starmer's plan for more police funding. He said: 'Council tax rises are obviously for councils to decide, year on year, which is what they all do.' The Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned that council tax is set to rise at the fastest rate for two decades. Local councils have the power to raise their bills by five per cent a year to pay for their services. They can raise taxes by more than 5 per cent – but to do that they would have to hold a local referendum to force through the changes.
Irish Times
16-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Numbers prosecuted for not having TV licence down despite wave of evasion set off by RTÉ scandal
The number of people being taken to court for not holding a TV licence has dropped sharply, despite the wave of evasion set off by the RTÉ payments controversy . Raising fresh questions over the effectiveness of the TV funding regime, new figures show enforcement reduced after licence sales collapsed in the wake of the affair. An Post , the collector of the annual €160 charge, changed procedures at the height of the controversy because licence inspectors were being subjected to 'abuse and harassment'. The process has since returned to normal. The revelation of undeclared payments to host Ryan Tubridy two years ago this week triggered a full-blown crisis for RTÉ over lavish corporate hospitality, a failed musical and large exit payments for departing executives. READ MORE This led to more than 100,000 people refusing to renew their TV licence, prompting a cash crunch at RTÉ that necessitated a government bailout for the broadcaster to avoid insolvency. There were 947,924 licence sales in 2022, the year before controversy. But renewals collapsed once the disclosures started, with only 824,278 sales in 2023. There was another drop last year, to 792,243 sales. Under the system set up to increase enforcement and deter non-compliance, An Post can bring people to court for licence fee evasion. The latest figures show a decline in enforcement in the year of the scandal and the following year. In 2022, the company made 13,709 summons applications for non-payment and pursued 7,263 court cases. There were 13,198 summons applications and 6,555 court cases in 2023. This fell to 12,229 summons applications and 5,392 court cases last year. 'It was the case that inspectors on the doors were taking quite an amount of abuse and harassment,' An Post said. 'Certainly we had to amend inspection activity during the period of the RTÉ issue – and there was a cohort of the customer base that was unwilling to take out or renew TV licences for that same reason. 'But we have seen that change and many of those customers have returned to being fully complaint and the inspection campaign has returned to normal.' Asked whether Minister for Communications Patrick O'Donovan believed the licence and enforcement system was working, his department said it was 'critically important' that households pay the fee. 'It is not only required by law. It underpins availability of public service content which is of great importance to our democracy and society,' a department spokesperson said. The then government last year resolved to retain the licence fee but asked officials to examine 'potential enhancements'. The drop in licence sales continues this year, with 329,956 sold as of the week ending June 6th, down from 335,400 in the comparable a year earlier period. An Post did not provide enforcement data for this year, but it said the drop in prosecutions 'from 2023, through 2024 to 2025' followed procedural changes allowing inspectors to leave cards rather than calling into addresses. Prosecution was always a last resort, the company said. 'The emphasis is on encouraging and reminding householders and business people to pay their fair share and of their legal and civic duty to do so. Only when a long series of postal reminders and house calls fail to result in a purchase or renewal does a case move to prosecution.' More than 43 per cent of the An Post database comprises 'addresses entitled to free TV licences and addresses listed as having 'No TV'.'
The Sun
29-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Warning to all UK Netflix users over £1k fine for watching new show this weekend
NETFLIX users in the UK could be faced with fines of up to £1,000 for watching a new show this weekend. An update to the streaming platform means viewers will be required to pay an additional fee to watch certain programmes. 1 Netflix has recently branched into showing live content, which will have a major effect on UK viewers. UK households are legally required to have a TV licence when watching or recording live TV, regardless of what channel it is on. However, if you do not watch or record live television, or use BBC iPlayer, then you do not need a TV licence. Previously, this has meant that those who solely watch television through Netflix or other streaming platforms do not need a TV licence. However, with the new Netflix live streaming feature, which includes the upcoming Tudum Live event this weekend, that could now change. UK viewers wishing to watch the live event will require a TV licence to do so legally. Legal experts previously warned about this issue when Netflix first began live streaming content in 2023. Now, the BBC has confirmed to Cord Busters that viewers will be required to purchase a TV Licence if they plan to watch live events on Netflix. However, the majority of Netflix's content remains exempt from the TV licence fee, so long as it is not broadcast live. Daniel McAfee, Head of Legal Operations at Lawhive, confirmed: "Under UK law, any live television broadcast requires a valid TV Licence, regardless of the streaming platform." Inside the horrendous Tylenol massacre that left seven dead Netflix users who violate the licensing law could face fines of up to £1,000. While you cannot be imprisoned for evading the TV licence, court -imposed fines resulting from non-payment could see you facing jail time. Daniel advised viewers to "stay informed on licensing changes as streaming platforms expand live broadcast offerings." While enforcement officers for the licence can carry out checks to ensure compliance, occupiers have "no legal obligation" to let them into their home. The licence fee raises around £3.7 billion a year which is around 65 per cent of the corporation's funding. Do I need a TV licence? IF you want to watch or record live TV then, yes, you need a licence. This includes recording it live and watching it later. Live TV includes all programmes on any channel, including soaps, series, documentaries and even movies. In addition, the rules apply even if you don't watch the shows on an actual TV - for example, if you watch programmes that are being broadcast live on a PC, laptop, tablet or phone. A colour TV licence currently costs £169.50 a year. A licence for watching a black and white TV costs £57. You'll need to apply for a free licence on the TV licensing website or call 0300 790 6117. Around 80 per cent of homes pay the fee but evasion is up to more than 10 per cent. If you are over 75 and receive Pension Credit, or live with a partner who does, you are entitled to a free TV Licence. Those living in care homes or sheltered accommodation who are retired and over 60, or disabled, can grab their licence for just £7.50. A 50 per cent discount is offered to anyone who is registered blind or lives with someone who is.
