Black and White licences. Again.

[Murphyv310]

Listened to Steve, a reasonable interview, Steve did rightfully say that most mono viewing was done by collectors but he himself doesn't watch a mono set, only during repair!!!!

[Terry]

When our daughter had her first flat she had a monochrome TV and licence to match.

Then someone gave her a VCR and, because it could record programmes in colour although, of course she could only watch them in B & W, she was now supposed to buy a colour licence! (What bureaucratic clown thought that one up?)

I would place the odds of detection in the range of very slight to zero, especially in a block of flats surrounded by lots of - presumably licenced - colour sets but she was still worried. Could I do something? she asked.

So I went over to take a look, wondering what to do. Something simple and easily reversed if required in the future. A short across the subcarrier crystal, perhaps? When I saw the VCR, it was a Ferguson with a B & W/Colour slide switch on the back!

Just for the hell of it, as I just happened to have something suitable with me (no idea, now, what it was) I took the VCR apart, removed one switch securing screw and loosened the other. Then I inserted a shim between the switch and the back panel and pushed it up flush with the knob, bodged a hole in it for the screw, which I then replaced and tightened up the other.

When reassembled, she had a VCR which could record only in B & W and demonstrably could not be switched to record in colour, either by accident or design!

[ppppenguin]

AFAIK, the only time they checked up on you if you had a B&W licence was in the days when retailers had to grass you up to TV licencing and bought a colour set, VCR etc. Otherwise you were safe.

[colly0410]

I remember reading somewhere about "de-colourised TV's: A rental firm disabled the colour gubbins in a standard colour set & rented them out to Mr/Mrs Skint & gave them a certificate to prove it only showed black & white pictures to show to the licence police if they turned up. I presume they were rented out a bit cheaper than proper colour sets..

[peter scott]

A friend and ex-work colleague of mine genuinely had no television for many years and got a lot of harassment from the licencing lot and eventually they took him to court because they were convinced that they had seen a flickering light from an upstairs room. (Possibly from a computer.)

Anyway my friend represented himself at the trial and won quite substantial damages and costs. I don't think he used any of it to buy a television though.

Peter

[ppppenguin]

The licence goons do hassle at addresses without any licence. When Ruth moved out of her flat last year to come and live with me she surrendered her TV licence. While the flat was empty with building works going on TVL sent 2 or 3 nastygrams. They were duly ignored and there was no follow up.

I hope your friend's case received publicity. Standard of proof for a criminal case is "beyond reasonable doubt". The goons were daft to even bring the case as they didn't have any credible evidence.

[Refugee]

I bloke I used to know back in the 1970s bought a Sony TV and paid cash.
Just as the shop keeper was putting the cash in the till he just grabbed it and went home.
He had enough signal to use an indoor aerial and the set was in a mock chest of drawers style cabinet.
He got away with it for as long as I can remember.

[peter scott]

I hope your friend's case received publicity.

I think he got very good publicity because by co-incidence he shared the same names (first and second) with a famous Scottish law lord which amused the judge and the press.

Peter

[ppppenguin]

It's been a hectic day. Heaven knows how many BBC lcoal radio stations have been in touch. I turned down most of them. just doing London this evening. Various papers incuding an Italian one have been in touch. Mostly asking if I knew anyone who used a B&W set for regualr viewing. I referred them to Radio Sussex who had found "Ann in Brighton". Up to them after that.

Quite fancied doing BBC Breakfast but it wasn't to be. If the Today programme want me tomorrow I'd do that. Unlikely.

[ppppenguin]

Nice item from Ulster about B&W TV: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p06r524p