Background to my dispute with the TV Licensing Authority

I've never had a television. Life's too short for hours of reality TV, makeover shows and sport. I am a feature film fan however, and have for many years had the capability to watch videos, and now DVDs, without having equipment capable of receiving a TV signal, and which is therefore no business of the TV Licensing Authority.

These pages are devoted to the correspondence I've had with the TVLA, mostly from the past year, when it has really stepped up its harrassment. Letters from the authority are in PDF format, mine are straightforward web pages. If your browser doesn't display PDF documents, you may need the latest free version of Adobe Acrobat reader.

Despite my TV-free status, it seems as though I've been receiving letters from the TVLA my whole life. They used to drive my stepfather crazy, and he would return the letters with rude notes attached. The TVLA must have been more timid in those days, or maybe the posh address put them off, but I don't believe we were ever visited.

Since moving to my current address in 1992, I've had letters purporting to be final demands; letters printed in red threatening court action; and dozens of letters like the first one below, informing me of an imminent visit by an inspector. An inspector called just once when I wasn't in, but other than that, the TVLA had respected my fiercely worded letters and telephone calls to the effect that there was no TV here, and that I was a private person who would never allow entry into my property.

This was one of the last letters from 2001. It incorrectly informs the reader that "if you use a televison set you must have a TV Licence."

Nonsense. You need a licence to watch or record TV signals, not if the set is used only as the display for a games console, or to watch videos or DVDs.

Letter from TVLA, 22nd April 2001

I wrote or phoned -- I don't remember which -- informing the TVLA that I would not allow the inspector to enter.

It accepted my word that I did not have a TV.

Letter from TVLA, 28th July 2001

I knew I'd hear from it eventually, of course.