Television licensing in the United Kingdom (historical)
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The Broadcasting Receiving Licence of 10 shillings was introduced in November 1922 to cover existing BBC radio broadcasts, as well as the BBC's 405-line television service between November 1936 and September 1939. The Television Licence was introduced in June 1946 to coincide with the post-war resumption of the BBC service the same month. The Colour Television Licence (actually a "colour supplementary fee" of £5 on top of the existing Monochrome Licence) was introduced in 1968, following the commencement of BBC2 colour transmissions the previous July.
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[edit] Changing cost of the Licence Fee
The costs of the various Licence Fees have been increased over the years, and while this is now done annually, previously there were gaps of varying length, which will have resulted in an overall lowering of income in real terms to the BBC at times of high inflation.
| Date | Radio only | Radio + B/W TV | Radio + Col. TV (2005 equivalent) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1922 | 10s | ||
| Jun 1946 | £1 | £2 | |
| Jun 1954 | £1 | £3 | |
| Aug 1957 | £1 | £3 + £1 Excise Duty |
|
| Oct 1963 | £1 | £4 | |
| Aug 1965 | £1 5s | £5 | |
| Jan 1968 | £1 5s | £5 | £10 (£120.13) |
| Jan 1969 | £1 5s | £6 | £11 (£125.25) |
| Jul 1971 | £7 | £12 (£116.31) | |
| Apr 1975 | £8 | £18 (£116.31) | |
| Jul 1977 | £9 | £21 (£91.72) | |
| Nov 1978 | £10 | £25 (£97.79) | |
| Nov 1979 | £12 | £34 (£116.14) | |
| Dec 1981 | £15 | £46 (£118.21) | |
| Mar 1985 | £18 | £58 (£118.94) | |
| Apr 1988 | £21 | £62.50 (£110.70) | |
| Apr 1989 | £22 | £66 (£108.78) | |
| Apr 1990 | £24 | £71 (£108.71) | |
| Apr 1991 | £25.50 | £77 (£110.57) | |
| Apr 1992 | £26.50 | £80 (£110.45) | |
| Apr 1993 | £27.50 | £83 (£111.62) | |
| Apr 1994 | £28 | £84.50 (£111.86) | |
| Apr 1995 | £28.50 | £86.50 (£111.51) | |
| Apr 1996 | £30 | £89.50 (£111.51) | |
| Apr 1997 | £30.50 | £91.50 (£110.80) | |
| Apr 1998 | £32.50 | £97.50 (£114.99) | |
| Apr 1999 | £33.50 | £101 (£116.52) | |
| Apr 2000 | £34.50 | £104 (£118.46) | |
| Apr 2001 | £36.50 | £109 (£121.49) | |
| Apr 2002 | £37.50 | £112 (£121.10) | |
| Apr 2003 | £38.50 | £116 (£121.65) | |
| Apr 2004 | £40.50 | £121 (£123.65) | |
| Apr 2005 | £42 | £126.50 | |
| Apr 2006 | £44 | £131.50 | |
| Apr 2007 | £135.50 | ||
| 2008 | £47 | £139.50 |
Historical currency conversion as per [1].
[edit] Number of Licences issued
The number of Licences on issue at 31 March or 1 April by year is as follows:
| Year | Total | Issued free to blind persons |
Radio only | Radio + B/W TV | Radio + Col. TV | Over 75s | Concessionary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | 2,269,644 | 5,750 | 2,263,894 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1928 | 2,482,873 | 12,234 | 2,470,639 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1929 | 2,731,872 | 14,505 | 2,717,367 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1930 | 3,092,324 | 16,496 | 3,075,828 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1931 | 3,647,722 | 21,304 | 3,626,418 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1932 | 4,621,805 | 31,513 | 4,590,292 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1933 | 5,497,217 | 35,850 | 5,461,367 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1934 | 6,259,653 | 39,224 | 6,220,429 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1935 | 7,011,753 | 41,868 | 6,969,885 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1936 | 7,616,822 | 44,380 | 7,572,442 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1937 | 8,127,636 | 46,475 | 8,081,161 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1938 | 8,588,676 | 49,730 | 8,538,946 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1939 | 8,968,338 | 52,621 | 8,915,717 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1940 | 8,951,045 | 53,427 | 8,897,618 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1941 | 8,752,454 | 50,555 | 8,701,899 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1942 | 8,683,098 | 47,456 | 8,635,642 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1943 | 9,242,040 | 48,399 | 9,193,641 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1944 | 9,554,838 | 48,124 | 9,506,714 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1945 | 9,710,230 | 46,861 | 9,663,369 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1946 | 10,395,551 | 47,720 | 10,347,831 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1947 | 10,777,704 | 49,846 | 10,713,298 | 14,560 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1948 | 11,179,676 | 52,135 | 11,081,977 | 45,564 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1949 | 11,747,448 | 53,654 | 11,567,227 | 126,567 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1950 | 12,219,448 | 56,376 | 11,819,190 | 343,882 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1951 | 12,369,027 | 58,161 | 11,546,925 | 763,941 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1952 | 12,753,506 | 60,105 | 11,244,141 | 1,449,260 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1953 | 12,892,231 | 61,095 | 10,688,684 | 2,142,452 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1954 | 13,436,793 | 62,389 | 10,125,512 | 3,248,892 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1955 | 13,980,496 | 62,506 | 9,414,224 | 4,503,766 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1956 | 14,261,551 | 62,745 | 8,459,213 | 5,739,593 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1957 | 14,525,099 | 62,453 | 7,496,390 | 6,966,256 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1958 | 14,646,350 | 61,387 | 6,494,960 | 8,090,003 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1959 | 14,736,413 | 57,784 | 5,423,207 | 9,255,422 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1960 | 15,005,011 | 54,958 | 4,480,300 | 10,469,753 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1961 | 15,176,725 | 50,852 | 3,858,132 | 11,267,741 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1962 | 15,372,219 | 46,782 | 3,491,725 | 11,833,712 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1963 | 15,698,991 | 43,371 | 3,212,814 | 12,442,806 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1964 | 15,884,679 | 40,337 | 2,959,011 | 12,885,331 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1965 | 16,046,603 | 34,355 | 2,759,203 | 13,253,045 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1966 | 16,178,156 | 31,499 | 2,579,567 | 13,567,090 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1967 | 16,773,205 | 29,662 | 2,476,272 | 14,267,271 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1968 | 17,645,821 | 27,564 | 2,529,750 | 15,068,079 | 20,428 | N/A | N/A |
| 1969 | 17,959,933 | 24,966 | 2,438,906 | 15,396,642 | 99,419 | N/A | N/A |
| 1970 | 18,183,719 | 22,174 | 2,279,017 | 15,609,131 | 273,397 | N/A | N/A |
| 1971 (1) (2) | 15,943,190 | N/A | N/A | 15,333,221 | 609,969 | N/A | N/A |
| 1972 (1) | 16,658,451 | N/A | N/A | 15,023,691 | 1,634,760 | N/A | N/A |
| 1973 | 17,124,619 | N/A | N/A | 13,792,623 | 3,331,996 | N/A | N/A |
| 1974 | 17,324,570 | N/A | N/A | 11,766,424 | 5,558,146 | N/A | N/A |
| 1975 | 17,700,815 | N/A | N/A | 10,120,493 | 7,580,322 | N/A | N/A |
| 1976 | 17,787,984 | N/A | N/A | 9,148,732 | 8,639,252 | N/A | N/A |
| 1977 | 18,056,058 | N/A | N/A | 8,098,386 | 9,957,672 | N/A | N/A |
| 1978 | 18,148,918 | N/A | N/A | 7,099,726 | 11,049,192 | N/A | N/A |
| 1979 | 18,381,161 | N/A | N/A | 6,249,716 | 12,131,445 | N/A | N/A |
| 1980 | 18,284,865 | N/A | N/A | 5,383,125 | 12,901,740 | N/A | N/A |
| 1981 | 18,667,211 | N/A | N/A | 4,887,663 | 13,779,548 | N/A | N/A |
| 1982 | 18,554,220 | N/A | N/A | 4,293,668 | 14,260,552 | N/A | N/A |
| 1983 | 18,494,235 | N/A | N/A | 3,795,587 | 14,698,648 | N/A | N/A |
| 1984 | 18,631,753 | N/A | N/A | 3,261,272 | 15,370,481 | N/A | N/A |
| 1985 | 18,715,937 | N/A | N/A | 2,896,263 | 15,819,674 | N/A | N/A |
| 1986 | 18,704,732 | N/A | N/A | 2,679,396 | 16,025,336 | N/A | N/A |
| 1997 | 22,000,000 | N/A | N/A | 500,000 | 20,800,000 | N/A | 700,000 |
| 1998 | 22,300,000 | N/A | N/A | 400,000 | 21,300,000 | N/A | 600,000 |
| 1999 | 22,800,000 | N/A | N/A | 300,000 | 21,900,000 | N/A | 600,000 |
| 2000 | 23,300,000 | N/A | N/A | 200,000 | 22,400,000 | N/A | 700,000 |
| 2001 | 23,400,000 | N/A | N/A | 100,000 | 19,700,000 | 3,100,000 | 500,000 |
| 2002 | 23,800,000 | N/A | N/A | 100,000 | 19,900,000 | 3,600,000 | 200,000 |
| 2003 | 24,100,000 | N/A | N/A | 100,000 | 20,100,000 | 3,700,000 | 200,000 |
| 2004 | 24,500,000 | N/A | N/A | 100,000 | 20,400,000 | 3,800,000 | 200,000 |
| 2005 | 24,700,000 | N/A | N/A | 100,000 | 20,600,000 | 3,800,000 | 200,000 |
| 2006 | 25,000,000 | N/A | N/A | 100,000 | 20,800,000 | 3,900,000 | 200,000 |
(1) Owing to industrial action within the Post Office the figures for licences in force (at these dates) do not reflect the true licensing position on those dates.
(2) Radio only and combined radio & television licences were abolished on 1 February 1971. From this date television only licences have been issued.
[edit] References
Figures for 1927-1955: The British Broadcasting Coorporation Annual Report and Accounts for the Year 1954-55 (HMSO 1955)
Figures for 1956-1986: BBC Annual Report and Handbook 1987 (BBC 1986)
Rounded figure for 1997 & 1998 (at 31 March): BBC Annual Report and Accounts 1997/1998 (BBC 2000) [2]
Rounded figures for 1999 & 2000 (at 31 March): BBC Annual Report and Accounts 1999/2000 (BBC 2000) [3]
Rounded figures for 2001 & 2002 (at 31 March): BBC Annual Report and Accounts 2001/2002 (BBC 2002) [4]
Rounded figures for 2003 & 2004 (at 31 March): BBC Annual Report and Accounts 2003/2004 (BBC 2004) [5]
Rounded figures for 2005 & 2006 (at 31 March): BBC Annual Report and Accounts 2005/2006 (BBC 2006) [6]
