Shropshire Star

Shropshire residents caught watching TV without licence

Nearly 200 young people between the ages of 18 and 25 were caught watching live TV or the BBC iPlayer without a licence in Shropshire, new figures have revealed.

Published
Nearly 200 young people in Shropshire were caught watching TV without a licence

In Telford, 108 people between 18 and 25 were found to be watching live television or using the BBC catch-up service without having paid for a TV Licence.

And in the wider county, another 89 were found to have watched a live broadcast or the iPlayer illegally.

The figures, which cover the last year, were released by TV Licensing, and revealed that the number of students going to university with a television has risen from 23 per cent to 27 per cent since last year.

However, for those watching BBC iPlayer, most are using a laptop, with 65 per cent watching on their portable computer and 28% watching on their smartphone.

Agreement

Awareness of knowing when a licence needed is high, with 92 per cent of students clear that a TV Licence is needed to watch BBC iPlayer on a TV set. If students live in halls of residence and watch live TV or BBC iPlayer programmes in their room, they will need to be covered by a TV Licence. Students in shared houses will also require their own licence if they use a TV or device in their room and have a separate tenancy agreement.

Mark Binnersley, spokesman for TV Licensing, said: “Every year there are myths which circulate around campus about when you do and don’t need a licence.

"As most students own at least one device capable of showing live TV or watching BBC iPlayer - such as a laptop, smartphone or tablet computer – it’s important they know the law around being correctly licensed. If you’re watching live TV on any device, including mobiles and tablets, or watch catch up programmes on BBC iPlayer, you need to be covered by a TV Licence.”

For more information about when a TV Licence is needed visit tvlicensing.co.uk/studentinfo