# what's the deal with the "TV detector van" in Britain? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 31, 2000, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-tv-detector-van-in-britain/21047 "2000-05-31T22:31:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![JoeyBlades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@JoeyBlades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyBlades)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2000, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-tv-detector-van-in-britain/21047/41 "2000-06-02T23:48:08Z")
> [@](#): > > First off, I don’t see how the BBC and PBS differ that much. The biggest difference is the way they are funded. PBS through voluntary donations - BBC through TV licensing. Beyond that, the programming is quite a bit different. First off, the Brittish TV programs that make it on to PBS tend to be less current than on the BBC. Also, the BBC looks a lot like a cross between PBS, ESPN, CNN, HBO, and TLC/Discovery. ---
**Author:** ![Iguana\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@Iguana\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iguana_Boy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2000, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-tv-detector-van-in-britain/21047/42 "2000-06-03T10:09:59Z")
> [@](#): > > **When you purchase a TV from a store, they apply for the initial license for you. If you buy a TV from an individual, they’ve got a license that they want to make sure the license bureau know they don’t have a TV for anymore, so they are gonna tell the TV license bureau that they sold their old TV to you.** The store do not apply for a license for you, but they do inform the authorities that you have bought a TV, and records will be checked to see if you already have a license. If you buy a TV privately, then there is no duty on the person selling it to inform anyone of the identity of the buyer. If the seller does not have another TV (unlikely) then they can inform the license fee collectors that they no longer have a TV, but that’s is all they need do. BTW, the license fee is a fee to operate a TV, to operate a machine that receives signals - it is not a fee to watch the BBC (although the money does go to the BBC) so you need a license even if your TV cannot receive BBC channels. Also, although the maximum fine for not having a license is pretty steep (a fact which the “Get a license” TV ‘adverts’ stress heavily) the actual fines imposed are pretty minimal. If anyone is that bothered, the relevant legislation is \*\* The Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 \*\* as amended. ---
**Author:** ![DVous\_Means](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@DVous\_Means](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DVous_Means)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2000, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-tv-detector-van-in-britain/21047/43 "2000-06-03T15:30:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > The current TV licence fee in the UK is a whopping 101 pounds per year. This basically is to help pay for BBC 1 & 2 programs, as these channels are commercial-free (or were last time I was in the UK). > > I think Australia and Ireland also have annual licences for TV… > \*\* Not true!! Australia does not have a licensing system for TV usage. That was ditched almost 30 years ago by a progressive and enlightened government of the day. Given the majority of the shit dished out to the mindless masses by our networks, you wouldn’t want to pay for it! ---
**Author:** ![Suspicious\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Suspicious\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suspicious_mind)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2000, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-tv-detector-van-in-britain/21047/44 "2000-06-03T17:11:08Z")
Two questions about the TV secret service. 1. If they can triangulate your signal using one van, does that imply that every TV has a different signature to whatever it is they’re detecting? Given the number of TV’s in say, a block of flats, it’s sounds like a bit of a tall story to me. 2. Whether or not they can reliably locate a TV, can’t you just tell them to bugger off if they come round, then either pay the 100 quid or put your TV in storage before they can get any authority to enter your house? ---
**Author:** ![TomH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/90db22/32.png) [@TomH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TomH)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2000, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-tv-detector-van-in-britain/21047/45 "2000-06-03T20:42:35Z")
1. As others have said, they use hand-held detectors for blocks of flats, etc. 2. Yes, but the object of the exercise is to get people to pay the licence fee, not to fine them, so the former outcome would count as a “victory” for the licensing people. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2000, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-tv-detector-van-in-britain/21047/46 "2000-06-03T20:57:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > sailor wrote: > > > [@](#): > > > > I think you have to be British to find this system reasonable. I mean, Can’t I avoid paying if I swear I never watch those channels? > > Can you avoid paying school taxes if you swear that you’re never going to have kids? See, we have tax laws like this in the U.S. too. > > \*\* Most laws of are this variety, but this isn’t that fair of a comparison because the US has found that they don’t have to have a specific TV tax when they can rely simply on donations and sponsors. To an American it’s pretty silly, to an Brit its the status quo. If I moved to England I’d be pretty pissed about it. As to the guy who wants to bring his TV to England, you’ll probably need a PAL to NTSC converter. I think they use PAL encoding there, at least its the standard in Europe. ---
**Author:** ![QirQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/848f3c/32.png) [@QirQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QirQ)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2000, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-tv-detector-van-in-britain/21047/47 "2000-06-03T21:03:03Z")
In answer to SUSPICIOUS MIND’S question #1 go to [http://www.motron.com/TransmitterID.html](http://www.motron.com/TransmitterID.html) . This is a product available to the public for fingerprinting and identifying oscillators/transmitters. Works real well too. It was designed by an engineer at Boeing up in Seattle and is used by the F.C.C. ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2000, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-tv-detector-van-in-britain/21047/48 "2000-06-03T22:29:23Z")
**DVous Means** said: > [@](#): > > Australia does not have a licensing system for TV usage. That was ditched almost 30 years ago by a progressive and enlightened government of the day. So _that’s_ what happened to **Skippy the Bush Kangaroo**!! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-tv-detector-van-in-britain/21047.md?page=2)