Shamelessly Targeting Students

Unlike TV Licensing proper we have enough balls to admit that we're actively hunting down students.

Students: Please download our latest creation, share it with your friends, tweet the link to your Students' Union and generally spread the word that a TV licence is not obligatory, despite TV Licensing's continual harassment of you and your peers.

We've also designed an information leaflet about laptop/tablet usage, as there is often confusion about when a TV licence is required to watch on portable equipment.

Let the good fight continue.

Guess the Next BBC Paedophile

The Director General's recent observation that Jimmy Savile was a "skillful and successful sexual predator" has sent shock waves rippling through the heart of the BBC.

The Corporation has confirmed it is closely investigating nine more allegations of sexual harassment, assault or inappropriate conduct regarding current staff or contributors. With the police poised to make further arrests it seems only a matter of time before other BBC associates are implicated in the sordid Savile child sex scandal. Some of Savile's victims have claimed that an organised paedophile ring operated at the BBC, which involved the procurement of teenagers for the sexual gratification of thus far unnamed celebrities.

Gary Glitter, a known child sex offender, was arrested yesterday as part of the Metropolitan Police's investigation into Savile's abuse, Operation Yewtree. He was released on bail late last night, to return to Charing Cross Police Station in early December. Of course the police have the option of rearresting the disgraced glam rock performer, real name Paul Gadd, if new evidence comes to light.

On reflection the clues of Savile's depraved sexual obsession were clear for all to see. His arrogant air of superiority allowed him to commit sexual predation on a massive scale. So self-assured of his perverse actions Savile groped a teenager live on Top of the Pops in front of millions of viewers and right under the noses of BBC bosses. When she tried to complain about the Yorkshireman's wandering hands she was told to "get lost" because he was "only messing about".

Today, with the temperature at Portland Place reaching critical levels, we take a look at some fictional BBC characters we have suspicions about:

1. Willy the Dog

Last seen in Albert Square in 1992, Ethel's little Willy was a mainstay of tortuous soap Eastenders for almost a decade. With drooling jowls and a glint in his eye, Willy already possesses some traits that liken him to Jimmy Savile. Some people believe Willy's sudden departure from the Square was brought about by him dry humping a passing child's leg, although the BBC refuse to comment on that speculation.

2. Davros the Dalek

Davros is a deranged scientist who wheels around in the exoskeleton of a dalek. He is horribly scarred and crippled, although we wouldn't wish to portray those as characteristics of sexual predation. Rumour has it that if Davros leaves his seat he will shatter into a thousand pieces. Perhaps the most damning piece of evidence pointing at Davros is his ability to speak with a stupid voice, just like Jimmy Savile did.

3. Edd the Duck

It would be no exaggeration to say that Edd the Duck, sporting his trademark green mohican, had an unnatural obsession with children during his time at the BBC. He spent most of his time in the Broom Cupboard, where he lured impressionable youngsters into watching televisual tripe in the late 1980s. Some say that Edd's subliminal messages, which also appeared on milkshake bottles, turned children into submissive zombies that were glued to the gogglebox.

4. Bob the Builder

Bob the Builder has made it to the list because he was recently implicated in a joke about Jimmy Savile. For those of you that haven't heard it goes something like this:

Joker: "Did you hear that Bob the Builder had been sacked by the BBC?"

Victim: "Really? No, I hadn't heard that"

Joker: "Yes. The BBC said they had no option but to sack him, as they're unable to trust any children's TV star who says he can fix it"

It's a good joke, but not quite as subtle as the one that inadvertently made it to air when some moronic BBC Radio Ulster presenter mistook it for a genuine listener comment the other day.

5. Tinky Winky

Effeminate purple Teletubby with a triangular child detecting aerial on his head, who allegedly carries a handbag full of chloroform and cotton wool balls to subdue his targets. Tinky Winky has previously been the centre of sexual innuendo with the revelation that he was actually gay.

Defending Tinky, as he's known to his special friends, against previous rumours a BBC spokesman said: "This is not the first time that people have read symbolism into a children's TV programme and it probably won't be the last.

"As far as we are concerned Tinky Winky is simply a sweet, technological baby with a magic bag".

That denial just about seals it!

It shouldn't be too much longer before other real names come to the fore.

Edit (10/5/13): Looks like we were wrong with all of the above names, but right that other real names would be outed. Next up is BBC North West and It's A Knockout veteran Stuart Hall. On 2nd May 2013 Hall pleaded guilty to 14 counts of indecent assaulting girls, the youngest of whom was just NINE years old at time. Reading around it appears, quel surprise, that paedo Hall's "wandering hands" were a frequent source of BBC gossip. According to news reports he used to frequently "entertain" women in his BBC Manchester dressing room.

Standing Up to TV Licensing Harassment

Reading the news earlier today our eye was drawn to the story of Richard Herman, who successfully forced a telemarketing firm to pay for the time he wasted talking to them.

STOP PRESS: The strategy described in this article has now been used to successfully sue TV Licensing. Read more about that legal success in our future post, or continue to read the essential background information in this article.

Richard had been pestered by companies saying they could help him claim accident compensation or reclaim money spent on mis-sold payment protection insurance. 

Infuriated at having to endure lengthy conversations with ignorant people in far flung call centres, Richard told PPI Claimline that we would charge them a fee for taking any of their subsequent phone calls. He informed them that he would charge £10 per minute the next time they called.

Only a few days later they were back on the phone badgering him into reclaiming money he hadn't actually spent on a PPI policy that didn't even exist. The call lasted 19.5 minutes, so Richard duly sent them an invoice for £195, which they refused to pay. 

Not to be beaten Richard decided he would force PPI Claimline's hand by opening a case at the Small Claims Court. Wishing to avoid adverse publicity the company paid up before the case was heard, also reimbursing Richard's £25 court fee.

Richard's case sounded familiar to us. He was being pestered by an organisation he had no legal business with and who refused to stop harassing him however much he pleaded. That description is equally applicable to TV Licensing.

Following Richard's lead we suggest the option that legitimate non-TV viewers adopt the same tactics with TV Licensing's aggressive, menacing and legally unjustified correspondence. It is similar to the "setting out your stall" tactic, which we previously described in our free ebook. It could be achieved in the following steps:

1. Write to TV Licensing and lay down the law:

In your letter explain that you have no legal need for a TV licence, as you do not use equipment to watch or record TV programme services. As a result of your compliance with the law, TV Licensing has no evidence against your property and is completely unjustified in sending its intimidatory routine correspondence, which you are under no legal obligation to respond to. You consider that TV Licensing's continued unjustified correspondence constitutes harassment.

Should TV Licensing choose to continue its correspondence with you, even though it has no legal justification to do so, you will charge it a fee for the time and inconvenience of having to process its correspondence. TV Licensing is not obliged to continue its correspondence with you, but if it willingly chooses to do so it is accepting liability to pay the relevant processing fee. TV Licensing is free to send one letter acknowledging receipt of these terms, which will be accepted without charging a processing fee.

An example "TV Licensing Terms" letter is available to download from our Resources page.

2. Wait for TV Licensing to get back in touch then bill them:

As sure as eggs are eggs TV Licensing will be back in touch, at least to acknowledge your earlier letter. Experience tells us that TV Licensing, just like its BBC puppet masters, thinks it can ride roughshod over the law, so it will probably continue its harassment regardless. If that does happen send TV Licensing an invoice for your processing fee, exactly as you said you would.

An example "TV Licensing Invoice" letter is available to download from our Resources page.

3. Wait for TV Licensing's refusal to pay:

An organisation as arrogant as TV Licensing will not consider your invoice to have any standing, so it will undoubtedly refuse to pay. You can expect it to say something like "TV Licensing won't accept an invoice for time and costs. This is because you haven't rendered services on our instruction and no agreement exists between us". TV Licensing is wrong about that. By continuing its legally unjustified correspondence, despite having received your clear terms earlier, it has entered into a contract.

When TV Licensing does refuse to pay you should send it a letter warning that you will proceed to recover the processing fee owed via the Small Claims Court. This letter before action is essential. If you fail to send TV Licensing this final reminder then your case will fail on a technicality, which must be avoided at all costs.

An example "TV Licensing Letter Before Action" is available to download from our Resources page.

4. Submit the case to the Small Claims Court:

It's still unlikely, but TV Licensing may decide to pay up at this stage. If TV Licensing still refuses to pay, submit your claim to the Small Claims Court exactly as you said you would. It'll cost you a small fee (around £25) to do that, but you don't have anything to lose and you can gleefully imagine TV Licensing's annoyance at your continued effrontery. Even if you are unsuccessful the Small Claims Court will not award costs against you.

Submit a money claim to the Small Claims Court here.

Please be sure to check TV Licensing's address and enter it carefully on the claim form.

In all likelihood TV Licensing's arrogance will even extend to its handling of your claim, which they will probably ignore and you will win by default. Even if you don't win, you take some consolation from the fact that you will have inconvenienced and annoyed TV Licensing, just as it has done to you over the years. We consider £25 a small amount for wiping the smirk from TV Licensing's face.

Good luck and be sure to let us know how it goes!

Edit (29/10/14): We have made a few minor amendments to this post to reflect recent developments. This strategy has now been successfully used to sue TV Licensing. Please see this post for more information.

TV Licensing PR Harlots Lying to Students

Our attention was drawn to a TV Licensing press release, which recently featured in the Nottingham Post.

TV Licensing's PR companies churn out these articles at a staggering rate. Most people think they are written by the newspaper they feature in, but they aren't. Bone idle local newspaper editors receive them by email and are only too keen to publish them, particularly on slow news days.

One key extract from the article reads as follows: "Students who use a laptop or a mobile phone to watch must get a licence or face a £1,000 fine".

That is blatant a lie.

It incorrectly states that any student watching on a mobile device "must get a licence", however it omits to mention the fact that a lot of online and mobile viewers are already covered by a TV licence. Anyone watching on an unplugged mobile device is covered by the TV licence of the property where they normally reside (e.g. their home address). This normally means that students can watch on an unplugged device as long as their non-term time address is correctly licensed.

PR harlots, like Mark Whitehouse mentioned in the article, get good mileage from telling only half a story about TV Licensing's sinister and deceitful little operation. TV Licensing, a load of private companies acting on behalf of the BBC, are in the business of selling as many licences as possible. The perverse system, which bankrolls the likes of child sexual predator Jimmy Savile, gives the BBC responsibility for collecting money for the BBC. That pecuniary interest tends of skew TV Licensing's interpretation of the legal facts surrounding enforcement of the fee.

A TV licence is only required for those properties where equipment is used to receive TV programme services (e.g. live broadcast TV programmes). Anyone who doesn't require a TV licence is under no legal obligation to communicate or cooperate with TV Licensing at all. The threats contained in TV Licensing routine letters are meaningless and their doorstep salesmen have no legal powers whatsoever.

There has never been a better time to cancel your TV licence and view by alternative (non-live, non-licensable) means.

If you want the full unedited truth about when a TV licence is required then you should download our free ebook.

TV Licensing: A Picture Paints A Thousand Words

Jimmy Savile committed vile sexual abuse of children when he was on the payroll and property of the BBC.

That much is completely beyond dispute.

BBC employees, who knew all about Savile's crimes, turned a blind eye as he molested some of Britain's most vulnerable children in his BBC Television Centre dressing room.

Today the BBC's Director General, George Entwistle, who described Savile as a "skillful and successful sexual predator", admitted that the Corporation was currently investigating up to 10 serious allegations involving past and present employees over the "Savile period".

A subsequent BBC statement clarified that the Corporation was "aware of nine allegations of sexual harassment, assault or inappropriate conduct regarding current staff or contributors".

There has never been a better time to demonstrate your disgust for the BBC by cancelling your TV licence.

A TV licence is only required for those properties where equipment is used to receive television programme services. Watching non-live TV catchup services does not require a TV licence, so going legally licence free doesn't have to mean a complete cessation to viewing.

Anyone cancelling their TV licence does not need to give TV Licensing a reason, although they like to pretend otherwise. People are under no legal obligation to communicate or cooperate with TV Licensing and should ignore their correspondence completely.

Savile's abuse is the tip of the iceberg as far as BBC corruption and criminality is concerned.

It's time to make a stand and let the BBC hear your disapproval.

High-Visibility TV Licensing Goon

This TV Licensing goon obviously doesn't believe in a covert approach, judging by the colour of his jacket.

If I was a suspicious sort of chap I might think he had stolen it from Royal Mail, but I'm sure his choice of clothing is just coincidental.

The occupier, evidently familiar with TV Licensing's modus operandi, approaches the door with the camera rolling. TV Licensing man begins the conversation with the bizarre opening line: "I've got a new payment card for you".

When pushed the orange clad goon volunteers that he's from TV Licensing. The occupier confirms that he has no TV, to which the TV Licensing vagabond asks to enter and check. The occupier refuses, elaborating slightly: "No, you're not coming in my house. I don't want nothing to do with your paedophile ring mate".

The occupier is, of course, referring to the BBC Jimmy Savile (+ yet to be named others) paedophile ring, which was widely reported in last week's newspapers. Indeed it has even been suggested that the BBC deliberately scrapped a Newsnight programme about Savile's paedophilia in order to make another BBC programme more attractive to viewers.

As the BBC and TV Licensing are one and the same he is expressing his disapproval of the "noncegate" scandal to one of their agents.

The TV Licensing man then scurries away rather sheepishly, demonstrating again the importance of filming this trash when they pay a visit.

A quick reminder of the law for any new visitors to our blog: A TV licence is only needed for those properties where equipment is installed or used to receive television programme services (e.g. live TV channels). Anyone not requiring a licence is under no legal obligation to communicate or co-operate with TV Licensing at all. TV Licensing employees have no more rights than anyone else visiting a property and must leave when asked to. It is perfectly legal, and encouraged, to film TV Licensing employees as they go about their work as some of them are economical with the truth.

TV Licensing Goon: Blink and You'll Miss Him!

A very short post today, highlighting once again the effectiveness of the humble camera as a TV Licensing repellent.

The occupier hears a knock at the door and suspecting it's TV Licensing (fat bloke, cheap leather imitation folder, clutching a PDA) answers with the camera rolling.

TV Licensing man utters the words: "I don't want to be filmed"; the occupier replies with: "Well, you're on private property"; TV Licensing man scuttles away with his tail between his legs and loses his commission.

In the space of two sentences TV Licensing man's ego was fully deflated and he was on the retreat, thanks entirely to the power of the camera.

Diddums.

The 9 second video can be viewed on YouTube, but it's that short we're not bothering to embed it here. We are publishing his photo above. Sadly the cameraman chopped part of his head off.

Anonymous TV Licensing Caller

Another fascinating insight into the visiting patterns of the lesser spotted TV Licensing booby has been uploaded to YouTube over the weekend.

A TV licence is only required by those properties where equipment is used to receive/record live broadcast TV programmes. Despite this unequivocal fact of law the BBC's contractors, TV Licensing, hound the occupiers of every unlicensed property into buying a licence, regardless of their legal need to do so.

For all this visitor doesn't identify himself as being from TV Licensing, there are certain tell tale signs that he's one of them. Indeed the fact that he doesn't volunteer his identity virtually nails it that he's from TV Licensing.

To begin with note the vacant expression on his face, which suggests he's at the stalled evolutionary stage of spelling rude words with his Alphabetti Spaghetti. He also starts the conversation on the offensive with "what are you taking my photograph for? Isn't that illegal?" The answer is no, it isn't illegal, as TV Licensing employees should well know if they've read their own Visiting Procedures. They like to pretend it's illegal to avoid any of their subsequent unscrupulous behaviour being captured on film.

Any remaining doubt about his identity was all but extinguished when he uttered the words "I'm phoning the police". It will come as no surprise that the occupier, who does not legally need a TV licence, is still waiting for the police to visit. I don't suppose it'll be a big priority for them once they've managed to peel themselves off the floor laughing. No unsolicited caller apart from TV Licensing would have the arrogance to turn up on someone's doorstep and threaten them with the police.

This video is a very good example of how to deal with TV Licensing employees. Ignore them completely as they have no more legal rights than any other visitor to your home.

For more information how to deal with TV Licensing please download our free ebook, TV Licensing Laid Bare.

Hounded by TV Licensing Gestapo

TV Licensing continues to harass hundreds of thousands of people across the UK despite having been clearly informed that no TV licence is required.

The BBC, in its role as the statutory Television Licensing Authority, is responsible for all aspects of administering, collecting and enforcing the TV licence fee. They perform this function using the smoke and mirrors of the TV Licensing trading name, which serves to distance the BBC from the heinous and dishonest tactics employed in the name of TV licence enforcement. Several prominent Members of Parliament have criticised TV Licensing's tactics, with John Whittingdale having compared them to those of the Gestapo.

A TV licence is only required by those properties where TV equipment is used to receive/record live broadcast TV programmes. Despite this unequivocal fact of law the BBC's contractors, TV Licensing, hound the occupiers of every unlicensed property into buying a licence, regardless of their legal need to do so. As today's YouTube video perfectly illustrates TV Licensing do not believe anyone claiming not to need a licence. In nearly all no-TV claims TV Licensing continue to send their menacing monthly threatograms and doorstep salesmen despite having no legal basis or authority to do so.

The creator of this video claims to have told TV Licensing no less than FIVE TIMES that he doesn't not require a licence, yet still their noxious correspondence and employees continue to contaminate his lawful existence.

Remember folks: TV Licensing is a group of private companies acting for the BBC. Legitimate non-viewers are under no legal obligation to communicate or co-operate with TV Licensing and we strongly suggest they do not. We are aware of several cases where TV Licensing employees have fabricated evidence in order to secure their commission payment. Give them nothing at all. If TV Licensing call simply say nothing, close the door and send them packing.

More information in our free ebook TV Licensing Laid Bare.

Jimmy Savile Allegations

On Wednesday night ITV broadcast "Exposure - The Other Side of Jimmy Savile", which exposed the former BBC presenter's attraction towards young teenage girls.

The 50-minute programme, which can be legally viewed without a TV licence using ITV Player, includes several interviews with Savile's alleged victims. The women, now in aged in their 40s and 50s, had been wowed by Savile's stardom. Many had attended BBC Television Centre to appear in his programmes or as members of the audience. They claimed to have been lured back to the star's dressing room and sexually assaulted. Only now, with Savile's cold dead body encased in concrete, do they feel brave enough to share their experiences with the wider world.

The programme featured several former media types, some of whom had worked with Savile at the time he was committing these wicked acts, claiming to have observed his deviant behaviour towards young girls. The BBC stands accused that they knew about Savile's disgusting behaviour but turned a blind eye.

Today's Daily Mail leads with the front page headline: "Was there a sex ring inside BBC?"

The lead article continues: "The Mail has been told that a BBC employee was allegedly given the task of procuring girls for the presenter and other men to molest".

A comment piece titled "BBC Shame" in yesterday's The Sun said: "The picture that emerges is one where BBC bosses looked the other way while paedophile Savile used his celebrity to rape and molest young girls in BBC dressing rooms".

Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme former Radio 1 DJ Liz Kershaw, who still works as a presenter for BBC Radio, said: "Round Radio 1 everyone joked about Jimmy Savile and young girls. The main jokes were about his adventures on the Radio 1 Roadshow. It was massive then.

"It was rather like the X Factor going round the country then. Can you imagine the X Factor judges rounding up the contestants and asking for sexual favours after the show?"

The BBC maintains that there is no evidence to suggest that Savile, or anyone else, abused young girls in their employment or on their premises.

A BBC spokesperson said: "We are shocked by allegations that anything of this sort could have been carried out by anyone working for the BBC. They are allegations which the police have the proper powers to investigate. We would encourage anyone with information on such issues to also speak to the police."

If the BBC did know that Jimmy Savile was routinely grooming and molesting young girls then you wouldn't expect them to issue anything but a denial - it would be like turkeys voting for Christmas if they didn't.

The fact that Britain's largest daily newspapers are leading with speculation that Savile's sexual abuse was an open BBC secret makes Zarin Patel's alleged tax advice pale into insignificance. If the whole BBC sex ring allegation is proven then the BBC will be a much worse position than News International were after the phone hacking scandal.

We'd appreciate your opinion, so please complete our poll.

TV Licensing Conviction Overturned

A woman has successfully had her conviction for TV licence evasion overturned at Burton Magistrates Court.

Writing in yesterday's Burton Herald, Rikki Thursfield explains how she was wrongly branded a criminal by TV Licensing when they prosecuted her for an offence she couldn't have committed:

IMAGINE waking up one morning and finding out that you have become a criminal and having no idea why. How would you feel?

My name is Rikki, I am a law-abiding citizen and mother of two small children. My partner and I are hardworking and we want to provide our children with a good upbringing, one which instills right and wrong, giving them a good platform in life.

One day I became a criminal and had absolutely no idea of how this had happened to me.

I woke up one morning and received a few telephone calls from family and friends to say that my name was featured in the court pages of the Herald for TV Licence evasion.

I'd been taken to court in my absence and a judgement had been made against me, resulting in fines, costs and worst of all, a 'criminal record'!

This alleged offence had occurred because in May this year I relinquished a property.

As part of the process, I informed all the necessary organisations, to include South Staffs Water, electricity and gas suppliers and TV Licensing.

Later, I moved into my partner's address, which was already covered by a TV licence. At the date of moving, no monies were owed to TV Licensing whatsoever and as far as I was concerned, I had fulfilled all of my duties and responsibilities prior to leaving the address.

To find out later that I had become a 'criminal' without actually committing a 'criminal act' was not only alarming, but extremely distressing, especially given that my name had come into disrepute for most of my hometown to read.

Being considered a criminal is a serious mark against anyone's name, not something that I was prepared to take lightly.

Due to this, I set about trying to find out how to reverse what had happened and clear my name. I did some research and also contacted Burton Magistrates Court to see what I could do about my predicament.

On Tuesday, September 25, I attended Burton Magistrates Court at my own expense and signed what is known as a 'Statutory Declaration'.

This is a document whereby you swear on oath in front of a magistrate that you have no knowledge and are not guilty of the alleged offence.

TV Licensing were also present at court. All fines and costs were dismissed and I no longer have a 'criminal record'.

According to Burton Magistrates Court what had happened to me is a recurring problem.

However, I feel some people may be paying these fines, costs and accepting a 'criminal record', through fear, or because they don't know how to deal with the situation.

I hope by bringing this to the attention of others, that people will defend themselves in cases such as mine. Also, I want to express how I think it is wrong for TV Licence evasion to carry such a harsh penalty as a 'criminal record', even if a person has truly evaded the TV Licence fee.

Theft of a few hundred pounds and criminal damage for example can carry a fixed penalty notice by the police to the sum of £80 and yet, people are being criminalised for what amounts to a very minor infringement of our laws, one that I feel needs to be addressed.

Rikki Thursfield, via email.

TV Licensing Goon Doesn't Like Being Filmed

Ahh.

During this short encounter one of TV Licensing's visiting officers knocks on the door and is confronted by the switched on occupier brandishing his switched on camera. To his credit he behaves in a polite enough manner. He quickly abandons the visit, exactly as he should according to TV Licensing's Visiting Procedures.

It is noted that this goon knocks on the door, even though a notice clearly indicates that callers are not welcome without an appointment. In other words TV Licensing, as an unsolicited caller, has no legal right of access to that property, but decide to chance their hand anyway. They are effectively trespassing by remaining on the property against the instructions on the notice. A notice on the door is a perfectly valid legal instruction, but TV Licensing often interpret the law in their own mysterious way.

This goon also makes the schoolboy error of parking his car in such a position that the registration number is clearly visible to the camera.

Back to goon school for you my lad!

TV Licensing Covert Surveillance

One of TV Licensing's not so secret detector vans has been captured on camera and uploaded on YouTube.

The white VW Transporter van, bearing the registration number CV09 FFP, was parked no more than 20 feet from the property it was presumably targeting. The occupier, evidently aware his property was under surveillance, approached the van with his camera rolling. The van fled the scene before pleasantries could be exchanged.

Unbeknown to TV Licensing we actually have previous footage of this van, and several others, in operation at a property on the London fringe. On those occasions the vans sat outside the target address for up to an hour, before leaving empty handed.

TV Licensing operate a collection of these rattly-sounding vehicles, bearing consecutive registration numbers of the form CV09 FF?. The people inside these vans love interacting with members of the public, so if you see one please be sure to give them a cheery hello and take some photos.

We're always impressed by the BBC's technology. They have these vans that they claim can detect a TV set within 20 seconds and can distinguished between two TVs either side of a party wall. It's a shame they didn't have equipment that good monitoring Jimmy Savile's Television Centre dressing room.