science

History of television licensing in the United Kingdom

History of television licensing in the United Kingdom is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand History of television licensing in the United Kingdom rather than just read about it. In short: The first broadcasting receiving licence was introduced in 1904 to cover the reception of radio broadcasts. It is paid annually.

Key takeaways

History of television licensing in the United Kingdom belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
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Connect History of television licensing in the United Kingdom to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
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Reference excerpt

The first broadcasting receiving licence was introduced in 1904 to cover the reception of radio broadcasts. It is paid annually.

Historical timeline

Amateur radio reception licensing The introduction of receiving licences was implemented by the General Post Office (GPO) using powers within the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1904. Section 2 of the act allowed the Postmaster General to charge for the issuing of licenses permitting the "experimental" receipt of radio transmissions. The Wireless Telegraphy Act 1904 was introduced as a temporary measure, and required annual extensions by Parliament until replaced by the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949. A return made to Parliament in June 1906 showed that in the first two years of operation only sixty eight receiving licences were issued. By April 1913 the number had, according to figures then released by the GPO, risen to two thousand. The First World War resulted in all licence holders receiving notice on 1 August 1914 from the Postmaster General that they were required to dismantle their receiving equipment, their broadcast receiving licences having been suspended. In 1920, the Post Office licensed a small number of experimental transmitting stations, making general broadcasts.

BBC At the instigation of the Post Office, the British Broadcasting Company was established in October 1922 by a group of radio manufacturers to produce radio programmes for the users of their products. Initially the broadcasts were funded by the sale of radio receiving sets, and carried sponsored programmes. As part of the agreement with the Post Office, the Postmaster General, Neville Chamberlain, started to apply a condition to broadcast receiving licences that the equipment used be "Type Approved by Postmaster General" and marked with the BBC logo. Initially, the fee for receiving licences was 10 shillings, and remained at that rate until after the Second World War. With the forming of the public British Broadcasting Corporation in 1927, the Post Office dedicated nearly the entirety of licence fee income to the funding of the BBC.

Television The standard broadcast receiving licences covered reception of the BBC's 405-line television service between November 1936 and September 1939 at no additional cost. The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 led to the suspension of television broadcasts in the UK. The television licence was introduced in June 1946 to coincide with the post-war resumption of the BBC service the same month. Television licences always included a licence to receive radio broadcasts. From 1971, only the reception of television transmissions required a licence, and radio-only licences ceased to be issued.

Colour television 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.

Changing cost of the licence fee

Cost of a colour TV licence

Cost of a colour TV licence (inflation adjusted)

Number of licences issued The number of licences on issue at 31 March or 1 April by year is as follows:

1927-1985

1997-present

See also Television licence Television licensing in the United Kingdom

References

Sources Figures for 1927–1955: The British Broadcasting Corporation 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) Rounded figures for 1999 & 2000 (at 31 March): BBC Annual Report and Accounts 1999/2000 (BBC 2000) Rounded figures for 2001 & 2002 (at 31 March): BBC Annual Report and Accounts 2001/2002 (BBC 2002) Rounded figures for 2003 & 2004 (at 31 March): BBC Annual Report and Accounts 2003/2004 (BBC 2004) Rounded figures for 2005 & 2006 (at 31 March): BBC Annual Report and Accounts 2005/2006 (BBC 2006) Rounded figures for 2007: BBC Annual Report and Accounts 2006/2007 (BBC 2007) Rounded figures for 2008: BBC Annual Report and Accounts 2008/2009 (BBC 2009) Rounded figures for 2009: BBC Annual Report and Accounts 2009/2010 (BBC 2010) Rounded figures for 2010: BBC Annual Report and Accounts 2010/2011 (BBC 2011)

External links The history of the UK radio licence

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with History of television licensing in the United Kingdom

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what History of television licensing in the United Kingdom claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to History of television licensing in the United Kingdom before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about History of television licensing in the United Kingdom ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of History of television licensing in the United Kingdom

In research: History of television licensing in the United Kingdom appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses History of television licensing in the United Kingdom in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: History of television licensing in the United Kingdom is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics BBC, History of taxation in the United Kingdom, Television terminology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for History of television licensing in the United Kingdom outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study History of television licensing in the United Kingdom in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is History of television licensing in the United Kingdom in simple terms?

The first broadcasting receiving licence was introduced in 1904 to cover the reception of radio broadcasts. It is paid annually.

Why does History of television licensing in the United Kingdom matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study History of television licensing in the United Kingdom?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on History of television licensing in the United Kingdom.