TV Licensing

TV Licensing launches radio trails aimed at students

Voiced by BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra DJs Matt Edmondson and Yasmin Evans.

TV Licensing will launch a series of new radio trails on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra on Saturday 30 August. The trails are part of a wider campaign encouraging students to make sure they are covered by a TV Licence in their student accommodation if they plan to watch programmes as they are being broadcast.

Students need to be covered by a licence if they are watching or recording TV programmes live on any device including a laptop, tablet or mobile phone.

The trails, ‘What can you get for 40p’ were created by marketing agency Proximity London in partnership with TV Licensing. The creative highlights the value of a TV Licence at the equivalent of just 40p a day and uses examples taken from students of what else they could buy for 40p. The trails are voiced by key BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra talent, Matt Edmondson and Yasmin Evans.

Recent research* shows on average students own three devices which are capable of showing live TV, so it’s important students understand licensing requirements when heading to university or college for the first time.

Catriona Ferguson, Head of Marketing for TV Licensing, said:

This campaign is targeted at students who may be paying their own bills for the first time as they move into student accommodation. Focusing on Radio 1 and 1Xtra’s demographic of younger listeners, the campaign aims to encourage students to recognise the value of a TV Licence and reinforces the need to be licensed, whatever device they are using.

Sam Pickett, Senior Account Manager at Proximity London added:

Students are always looking to get as much value for their money as possible. The campaign creative highlights that the licence fee costs the equivalent of 40p a day and demonstrates the value it gives them in terms of breadth and depth of live TV content.

The trails begin on Saturday 30 August and will run on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra for two weeks. The trails will go live on the TV Licensing AudioBoo channel on Saturday 30 August at: https://audioboo.fm/TVLicensing

Development: the campaign was developed by TV Licensing, with creative development by Proximity London and production by Neil Cowling, Fresh Air Production.

-ENDS-

Editor's Notes

* Research was conducted by Harris Interactive among 220 students spread across universities in the UK in May 2014.

A high-resolution image (300 dpi) is available for download via Flickr https://bit.ly/1n150zg Caption: A TV Licence covers you to watch or record live TV, whatever device you’re watching on.

For more information or to arrange an interview please call the TV Licensing press office on 020 8752 6606 or email media.enquiries@tvlicensing.co.uk.

Follow @TVLicensingNews on Twitter for media and stakeholder updates, visit the official TV Licensing YouTube channel to see our latest films and download images for media from the TV Licensing Flickr account.

When do students need a TV Licence?

You need to be covered by a TV Licence to watch or record programmes at the same time as they are shown on TV, regardless of which channel you're watching, which device you are using (TV, computer, laptop, tablet, mobile phone or any other), and how you receive them (terrestrial, satellite, cable, via the internet or any other way).

• If you live in halls of residence and use a device to watch or record TV in your own room, you may need to be covered by your own separate TV Licence.
• You also may need to be covered by your own licence if you are sharing a house with other students and use a device to watch/record TV in your room, and your room is a separately occupied place (a separate tenancy agreement would normally indicate that this is the case).
• If you have a separate tenancy agreement but a television is only being used in a communal area, then only one licence is required.
• If you are sharing a house with other students and you use a device to watch/record TV in your own room, but the house can be treated as one place shared by all, then only one TV Licence is required (a joint tenancy agreement would usually be evidence that the house is a single licensable place for this purpose).
• A device powered by its own internal batteries - a pocket sized TV or a mobile phone for example - may be covered by a licence at the student’s parents' address. However, you must not install the device (plug it into the mains) when using it to receive television. If there is no TV Licence at your parents’ address, you will need to obtain one to watch TV.

Costs and refunds

A colour TV Licence currently costs £145.50, and a black and white licence is £49. The licence fee is frozen at its 2012 level of £145.50 until March 2017, three months after the current charter period. If students buy a TV licence at the beginning of term in October they may qualify for a three month refund amounting to £36.67, if they move home for the summer.

‘TV Licensing’ is a trade mark of the BBC and is used under licence by companies contracted by the BBC to administer the collection of television licence fees and enforcement of the television licensing system. The majority of administration is contracted to Capita Business Services Ltd. (‘Capita’). Over-the counter services are provided by PayPoint plc (‘PayPoint’) in the UK mainland and Northern Ireland, and by the Post Office in the Isle of Man and Channel Islands. Marketing and printing services are contracted to Proximity London Ltd. Media services are contracted to Mediaedge: CIA International Limited ("MEC"). The BBC is a public authority in respect of its television licensing functions and retains overall responsibility.