Statistics just released from TV Licensing have said 352 18-25 year olds from Swansea, Port Talbot and Neath were caught without a TV license. The statement comes with the warning of students being prosecuted by up to £1,000 if they’re caught without one.
The license covers people watching live televised broadcasts on a television and on the web but excludes pre-recorded content such as iPlayer and 4OD. Normally a license will cover one individual student room due to the legality of it being its own residence with a lock on the door. If the TV or device is located in a communal living space you only need one license.
The statistic also came with research that found 29 per cent of students think they cannot be caught watching live TV on phones, computers and tablets and over half believe that the general populace are unlikely to be in danger of being caught without a license. Legally the inspector cannot enter your house without prior knowledge of you possessing a TV.
More research in the article also states two in three students held a positive view of the BBC and thought a TV License was worth the money. The scope and size of the sample was outlined at 220 students from across the UK.
Catherine Griffith-Williams, spokesperson for TV Licensing in Wales, said: “Every year myths circulate around campus about when you do and don’t need a licence. We want to make sure students know one is needed by law to watch or record live TV, on any device including a laptop, tablet, mobile phone or games console. A TV Licence costs on average £12.13 a month which goes towards services like Radio 1’s Big Weekend, BBC iPlayer, Newsbeat and BBC One Match of the Day.”
One student, choosing to remain anonymous, said: “TV licenses are overpriced for what they are”. Another, Tammy Schuh, stated: “People don’t get enough say in what they’re paying for, it isn’t run by the people”. She went on to say “There should be a student version, it is overpriced for what it is”.
TV licensing has always been a point of contention as many feel it doesn’t offer its value for money, especially with other competing broadcasters like ITV and Channel 4 as well as increasing visual entertainment costs, with a rise in numbers of people watching Netflix and other streaming services for their entertainment dosage.
The BBC has also been at the center of many scandals over the last couple years, Operation Yewtree and Clarkson’s infamous punch has left the BBC in a dark place. The loss of the old Top Gear trio being the fallout from that particular incident.
