What is the legal status of TV Licensing?

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 has been a very useful tool in bringing certain facts out into the open which organisations like the BBC would rather keep hidden. You can very easily ask public bodies for information via the WhatDoTheyKnow? Website, or you can search for answers to questions already asked. For example, questions asked of the BBC can be found on this page.

The TV Licensing™ Website also has a FoI section, and there is one particular question which has caught your humble correspondents eye. So much so that it forms the heading for this post - "What is the legal status of TV Licensing?" To save you the bother of following the link I'll reproduce the answer here - though you should, of course, confirm this and anything else published in this log for yourself.

The answer to the question "What is the legal status of TV Licensing?" is short and sweet, though an attempt has been made to obscure it with a lot of unnecessary appended waffle. Here it is: ‘TV Licensing’ is a trade mark of the BBC .... That's the nub, heart and kernel of the answer.

Now isn't that what Watchkeeper has been telling you all along? There is NO organisation called TV Licensing™ - it's a BBC trademark like Mr Blobby™. In fact, if you want a bit of harmless fun you can substitute Mr Blobby™ for TV Licensing™ wherever you see it. That'll give you some idea of the weight it carries. The letters sent out by TV Licensing™ actually originate with other firms like Capita Business Services and Proximity London. There are NO TV Licensing™ spokesmen, only PR people from firms like Fishburn Hedges and Smarts. There are NO TV Licensing™ "Enforcement Officers", only salesmen from Capita Business Services Ltd who earn commission on the licences they sell and direct debits they set up at the door. And so it goes on.

You should also remember that, just as ‘TV Licensing’ is a trade mark of the BBC, so the BBC ... retains overall responsibility, as pointed out in an earlier post.

Please, don't be deceived any longer.