TV License avoidance

[Dom Tuk]

Do you still have to pay TV license if you can adapt your TV so that it cannot receive BBC1 and 2 and can prove that you only receive terrestrial channels that do not depend on public funding.

[archbishop]

Yes you do. The licence covers the receiver even if it only receives satelite channels.

[nicola_red]

There has been a test case a few years ago where a chap proved in court that his TV was modified to only receive satellite channels and he got out of paying the licence fee. I'm not sure of the dates etc but a web search might find the details. It sounded like his legal costs probably ended up being more than the cost of a licence though...

[londondave]

i emember that case, and at same time the licence said that battery tvs were exempt, meaning those casio ones you can get, but the licence was badly written, so lots of folk connected their tv to a car battery till the licence was re written they got away with it

[stoo_pid]

Sorry, simply installing television receiving equipment means you have to have a licence - even if you claim you never use it. This includes video recorders, set-top boxes & PCs with broadcast cards as well as TV's.