4.6 • 851 Ratings
🗓️ 9 March 2021
⏱️ 84 minutes
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0:00.0 | Welcome to BBC Indiana. |
0:11.7 | There's a long-standing tradition in British culture. |
0:14.7 | An entire generation of people believe that the TV licensing authority can determine if you've paid your TV license or not |
0:22.6 | using only a radar-equipped van. |
0:25.6 | But how did that van come into existence? |
0:27.6 | And can it really detect illegal TV reception? |
0:31.6 | The science is clear. Emphatically no, you cannot. |
0:36.6 | But why did it lead to a profoundly bizarre moment in |
0:40.7 | British music history? In order to learn more, we traveled to London and spoke with record |
0:46.0 | producer and music executive, Crispin Highsmith, brother of famous British rock musician |
0:51.7 | and Tori Peer, Sir Richard Highsmith. |
0:56.1 | So, what actually is a TV license? |
1:00.8 | Well, I know it sounds a bit crazy to you, Yanks, |
1:03.4 | but what it basically is is a license you have to pay to watch television. |
1:08.3 | It funds the BBC. |
1:10.6 | But as far as I understand it, there's no real authority for TV licensing inspectors |
1:16.9 | to gain entry to someone's home in order to determine whether they have or have not |
1:20.9 | paid their license. |
1:22.8 | Well, it's very British. It basically functions on awkwardness. |
1:25.4 | They have no power to enter your home or to make |
1:29.0 | you tell them whether you've got a TV or not. All they're hoping is if they come and say, |
1:34.5 | we know you haven't got a TV license and we think you've got a TV, you'll be embarrassed enough to |
... |
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