The licence management is dealt with by TV Licensing which is separate to the BBC. If you *don't* have a licence they send vaguely threatening letters every now and then.

The attached letter was sent to our office a few weeks ago - I just retrieved it from the bin. You do not have to tell them if you don't have a TV and you do not need to let an inspector if they do not have a warrant. If they visit or call I will tell them that our rates are £60/hr + VAT!

The letters sent to private residences are quite a bit more forceful because they find it impossible to believe that some people can't live without a TV! I know of one personwho arrived home to find an inspector in their garden with their face pressed to the window. Needless to say they were ejected from the premises and told to go to court for a warrant if they wanted to have a look around!

Also, the law states that you need a licence if you own equipment capable of receiving television broadcasts and if it is ever used for that purpose. It has been ruled that a television that is not tuned to a broadcast signal and is used for other purposes (eg. prerecorded casettes or as a computer mointor) does not need a licence. Also, a TV card that is not set up to view TV broadcasts but is used as a webcam would also not require one.

Gareth