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BBC probes TV licence after "heavy-handed" complaints

08/09/2008

The BBC is to investigate the advertisement and collection of the television licence fee following complaints of "intimidating" methods.

A consultation group has been established by the corporation's governing body the BBC Trust after viewers and MPs criticised 'heavy-handed' tactics used by TV Licensing.

Conservative MP Gary Streeter tabled an early-day motion in parliament in 2007 which attacked the approach taken to ensuring that the one million Britons who do not own a TV prove their "non-use".

And fellow Tory David MacLean criticised advertisement methods for the licence - which recently featured a helicopter bearing down on a street, followed by the legend: "Your town, your street, your home... it is all in our database."

In response, Sir Michael Lyons, chairman of the BBC Trust, has said the governing body will assess the "tone of the marketing and advertising about the TV licence" and the "enforcement methods used... including letters, visits and detection".

"The BBC has a duty to be efficient in collecting the licence fee and to keep evasion rates as low as possible so that those people who pay are not disadvantaged by those who do not," he continued.

"This is an issue which arouses strong emotions, because the right balance needs to be struck between ensuring compliance with the law and avoiding any disproportionate heavy-handedness.

"On behalf of licence fee payers, the trust will consider whether that balance is being struck through the processes used to collect the licence and, if there is room for improvement, we will ensure they are made."