"The average evasion rate is currently just over five per cent, meaning that almost 95 per cent of properties are correctly licensed."

So 100% of households have a TV do they? Oddly enough it is possible to live without a TV.

£142.50 for the cr*p the bbc produces.Its a rip off but then this is the uk so what else can we expect.

when you watch Look North the presenters look like they are about to keel over and we have to sit nealy 150 a year to watch it.

We watch all last year's programmes so why can't we use last year's licence

I must admit that I have a TV and I dont pay for a licence. I havent had a TV licence for over 3yrs now. Every now and then they send me a letter insisting my home needs one. I always call them and say that they are welcome to visit my home and see that whilst having a number of TV's not one of them are tuned in to recieve a broadcast. They are only tuned into my dvd players as i only watch shop bought movies and or programs that where recorded whilst being aired on american TV stations that have either not aired in the uk or will never air in the uk. Therefore under legislation I dont need one. Sometimes the operator argue with me then after looking at their rules they realise Im right they are wrong. So taking that into account you can legally have a tv without needing a licence and im not the only one like this, i know of at least 5 others who do the same as me, so there will NEVER be 100% of uk homes with a licence.

The Tv Licence is a joke. It's about time the Government made BBC self funding like sky, ITV, Channel 4 and all the other stations who achieve their operating cost through advertisement and sponsorships. That way we may get better viewing from the BBC stations which will also give the British public more money in their pocket to spend on other things

What LocalLad1971 says is 100% correct. The TV licence is a licence to RECEIVE broadcasts, not to own a TV.

If you have your TV detuned and only use it to watch prerecorded material such as DVDs and Blu-rays, you do not need a licence. Even the BBC will tell you that on their licence site.

Unfortunately, the TV licence bully boys tend to assume you are guilty until temporarily proven not yet guilty.