TV Licensing: Finn Communications PR Harlot on BBC Radio Manchester

Newbie TV Licensing PR harlot Matt Thompson took questions on BBC Radio Manchester's In The Hot Seat programme on 29th July 2014.

TV Licensing is the name used by the companies contracted by the BBC to administer and enforce the TV licence system. The BBC, as the statutory Television Licensing Authority, retains overall responsibility for all matters relating to TV Licensing. Radio interviews like this are effectively the BBC promoting methods of funding the BBC, which always makes us laugh!

Thompson is employed by Leeds-based PR outfit Finn Communications Ltd. Finn was recently appointed as the regional TV Licensing PR agency for north of England in a deal worth £300k. Its 4-year contract began on 1st April 2014 (no joke).

Sian Healey, TV Licensing Head of Policy and Communications and avid TV Licensing Blog subscriber, spoke optimistically about Finn's appointment: "Finn will have an important part to play in our work to communicate to the public when they need a licence, and our extensive stakeholder campaign working with a wide range of organisations, including those specialising in money advice."

Originally we had the bright idea of transcribing the entire hour-long programme, but after ten minutes of listening to TV Licensing drivel aimed at the people of Manchester we'd lost the will to continue. Listening to the crap pumped out by your own BBC local radio station is often akin to Chinese water torture, but enduring someone else's local radio is even worse. To his credit Thompson had provided accurate information until the point where we turned off, but let's not be distracted from the fact that people of his ilk are there purely to serve the purposes of the BBC.

Thanks to the marvels of modern technology, you can also experience the same levels of torture by listening to the Sweeney and Thompson show on the BBC iPlayer (available for 6 more days only).