If there's one thing even more predictable than barbecues this summer, it's TV Licensing's seasonal threat to members of the camping and caravan community.
One of the major advantages of owning a mobile home, caravan or tent is the freedom to escape from the tedium and technological trappings of everyday life. It would appear that ditching television, even for only a couple of weeks spent in Torquay, is a step too far for some people.
The overwhelming majority of campers, caravanners and mobile home owners are already licensed to receive TV programmes during their travels, by virtue of the fact that their home address is covered by a valid TV licence.
Anyone whose home address is covered by a valid TV licence is also covered to receive TV programmes elsewhere, as long as they use a device powered by its own internal battery and without an external aerial (e.g. an unplugged laptop, tablet or smartphone). Anyone stopping in a static caravan is covered by their home TV licence, as long as no-one is receiving TV programmes in their home at the same time.
TV Licensing PR harlot Richard Chapman, speaking in the Dorset Echo, said: "Being caught watching TV without a licence could put a real dampener on
your holidays – we want people to ensure that they stay on the right
side of the law. The law says that anyone who owns a static caravan or
mobile home, and watches or records TV there, is not covered by their
home licence if TV is simultaneously being viewed by someone else in
their main residence.
"In this case, a separate licence is needed to cover the holiday accommodation."
Stay tuned to the newspapers because we're pretty confident that Chapman's soundbites will be repeated, verbatim, by his scummy TV Licensing PR harlot colleagues elsewhere in the UK.
Edit: Just as predicted, Chapman's soundbites have been repeated verbatim as follows:
Edit: Just as predicted, Chapman's soundbites have been repeated verbatim as follows:
- By Northern Irish TV Licensing PR harlot Mark Sterling, speaking in The (Fermanagh) Impartial Reporter.
- By Northern Irish TV Licensing PR harlot Mark Sterling, speaking in The Ballymoney Times.
- By South East England TV Licensing PR harlot Martin Dyan, speaking on the 96.4 Eagle Radio website.
- By Wales TV Licensing PR harlot Matt Francis, speaking in the Llanelli Star.
So, I'm a Dutch resident, living in Nijmegen who happens to spend two weeks at the Caravan Club site in Blackpool.
ReplyDeleteI watch TV, I'm licensed at home as I pay for Dutch TV through general taxation.
What are the BBC going to do? Take me to court?
Don't give them ideas.
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, we have discussed your situation previously. TV Licensing can't realistically do anything about it.
Christian van Dyken said...
ReplyDeleteSo, I'm a Dutch resident, living in Nijmegen who happens to spend two weeks at the Caravan Club site in Blackpool.
I watch TV, I'm licensed at home as I pay for Dutch TV through general taxation.
What are the BBC going to do? Take me to court?
Well yes they are, and if Camoron signs up to the European Arrest Warrant they will likely come to arrest you and bring you from Holland to face the court for non payment of fines. They are that nasty and stupid.
Ah, but a a EU citizen expressing his right of free movement by travelling to the UK, I can't be prosecuted for the UK failing to acknowledge Dutch reciprocity over TV licensing laws.
ReplyDeleteAs for the European Arrest Warrant, Dutch law requires issuing states to agree that any sentences imposed will be converted into those applicable under Dutch law using the 1995 Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.
This has the effect of re-introducing the double-criminality requirement for Dutch nationals and permanent residents, as the conversion of a sentence imposed in an issuing state could not be converted into a comparable sentence by a Dutch court if the conduct constituting the criminal offence in the issuing state does not constitute a criminal offence in the Netherlands.
You mean you don't have a similar provision in the UK? Isn't that rather foolish?
I can't be arrested on an EAW for something which is not a crime in the Netherlands and watching TV without a license (since none exists as it is paid out of general taxation) cannot be a crime.
Maybe you should move to the Netherlands?
Is there some irony in the fact that Jimmy Saville used to keep a caravan on BBC premises which was used to rape and abuse underage girls?
ReplyDelete