UK - TV licence fee rises from 1 April

[BGonaSTICK]

From 1 April a colour television licence will cost £135.50 and a black
and white licence will cost £45.50, Broadcasting Minister Shaun Woodward has
confirmed.

The increase, to be brought into effect by an order laid in the House of
Commons, follows the latest BBC licence fee settlement announced
in January.

The licence fee will increase annually by three per cent for the first
two years and two per cent in years three, four and five. There will be an
increase in the sixth year (2012-13) of up to two per cent, depending on a
further review nearer the time.

Shaun Woodward said:

"The licence fee enables the BBC to deliver the very best quality TV
programmes. But it isn't just about entertainment. The BBC will support
digital switchover and will widen its geographical reach as it begins a
major move to the North West.

"We have delivered a fair settlement for the BBC and provided it with certainty
that no other broadcaster has. It is now the job of the BBC Trust to ensure
that licence fee payers get value for money."

The regulations laid before Parliament today also contain a number of
additional amendments to the licence fee system. These include:

* Viewers who use a digital set top box with a black and white TV will now
only have to pay for a black and white licence (this will not apply to set
top boxes that are able to record television programmes).

* Listeners who use a digital set top box solely to listen to the radio will
not require a licence (this will not apply to set top boxes that are able
to record television programmes).

* The cost of a television licence for residential and nursing homes and
sheltered housing under the Accommodation for Residential Care (ARC) scheme
will rise from £5.00 to £7.50 a year per unit of accommodation. This is
the first rise since 1988 and will simply cover the cost of administering
the concession.

* Retired people aged 60 or over and disabled people on short term respite
care visits to nursing and residential homes will be able to benefit from
the ARC concessionary scheme, previously available only to full time residents.

Notes to Editors

1. The fee for a basic black and white only TV licence is increased from
£44.00 to £45.50, and a basic colour TV licence from £131.50 to £135.50.

2. The settlement enables the BBC to:

* implement the vision of last year's White Paper and new Charter and
Agreement, maintaining relevance and impact in a period of rapid change;

* support digital switchover, including funding and delivery of a help scheme
for vulnerable people;

* widen the geographical spread of its production facilities and make better
use of the creativity and talent that exists across the UK, including by
moving significant production to the North West of England - bringing an
estimated £1.5 billion and 15,500 jobs to the area;

* maximise value for money to the licence fee payer.

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Interesting amendment regarding listening to radio only via digital STB.

[Gav]

Lol, the one about radio only is stupid, how are they gonna prove it?

& I didn't know you could still get b&w tv licenses!

[diapason]

How do you find what radio channel you're on, if you can't use the TV to see where you are?