A Mockery

The title of our blog post is “A Mockery”.  It is the first in a series of that title.  It is a progress report.  A summing up of 53 years opposition to the BBC TV licence fee and its enforcement.  TV Licensing Watch will try to bring together many strands to make a strong thread to set out the BBC sanctioned structured mockery of civil liberties, investigatory powers  and judicial process that the BBC TV licence fee and its enforcement has become.  Once again, TV Licensing Watch, expresses its everlasting “gratitude” to Capita BBC TV Licensing™’s , Ian Doyle for some of the source material in this blog post.

Since its introduction in 1946, the BBC TV licence fee has from the very start had elements of absurdity.  In the course of 70 plus years the absurdity has grown and grown and grown to such an extent that now absurdity is so magnified that BBC TV licence fee has become a structured mockery in which the BBC itself has become a complete and utter mockery.

Watchkeeper of Watchkeeper’s Log sagely noted: "It's a fact! It seems to me it's the only "crime" where the "criminal" provides the evidence for conviction and the prosecution has no idea whether an offence was committed at all, but they'll take the defendant's word for it."

Which became this: “BBC TV licence evasion, a "crime" so absurd prosecutor and court can't prove it took place so they take a defendant's word for it” one of our best liked Tweets on our Twitter feed.  During the covert Daily Mail video of the TV Licensing Field Sales Officer job interview, Capita BBC TV Licensing™’s, Ian Doyle, unwittingly confirmed it.

So from where does the absurdity, the mockery derive?

TV Licensing Watch will start with the absurdity of the alleged “crime” created by the introduction of the BBC TV licence fee in 1946.  It is a “crime” without proof.  It is a “crime” reliant upon following components:

• absence of a valid BBC TV licence on record for an address
• possessing TV receiving equipment at an address
• existence of an appropriate person to interview at an address
• existence of a prosecution statement volunteered by an appropriate person interviewed at an address

The absence of a valid BBC TV licence on record for an address is not unlawful.  Not having a BBC TV licence is not unlawful.

Possessing audio-visual/TV receiving equipment at an address without a valid BBC TV licence is not unlawful. This was thoroughly tested in “Rudd v Secretary of State for Trade and Industry” in which the word “use” as in “use of TV receiving equipment” was thoroughly tested in respect of the existence of unlicensed audio-visual/TV receiving equipment at an address.  “use” of audio-visual/TV receiving equipment with “capability” to receive for non-licensable purposes in absence of a valid BBC TV licence recorded for an address is not unlawful. “Rudd v Secretary of State” makes clear that testing unlicensed audio-visual/TV receiving equipment with “capability” to receive in absence of a valid BBC TV licence recorded for an address and receiving live signal is not proof that the aforementioned unlicensed audio-visual/TV receiving equipment has been “used” and is in “use” to habitually receive live signal; therefore actual “use” has to be proven beyond reasonable doubt.  If Ian Doyle’s involuntary “you’ve got a TV, so, you’ve got the capability” bragging is to be believed, such considerations do not seem be of any concern to Capita BBC TV Licensing™.

Eyeball prints on TV screens?  The absurdity here is that because of “Rudd v Secretary of State the legislation underpinning the BBC TV licence has actually created a “crime” for which proof can never exist; it seems to be a “crime” established without "beyond reasonable doubt", a “crime” of suspicion alone.  It is therefore a matter of confession alone. Absurd, it is a mockery.

Which is where, as Capita BBC TV Licensing™’s, Ian Doyle, confirmed, the existence of an appropriate person to trick, exploit and interview at an unlicensed address comes in handy.  For without the existence of an appropriate person to interview at an unlicensed address there is no confession.  So, it was very interesting to hear Capita BBC TV Licensing™’s, Ian Doyle brag about exploiting the “first 40 seconds” of conversation to garner an involuntary confession to write as down as “proof” on TVL178 Record of Interview form before formal PACE caution is actually administered.  A TVL178 Record of Interview form upon which to create or fabricate a prosecution statement to present to court for a summons to be issued and presented as proof of habitual “use” which would otherwise be nonexistent.  Absurd, it is a mockery.

However, the existence of a prosecution statement volunteered by an exploited appropriate person interviewed at an unlicensed address is not actual proof that unlicensed audio-visual/TV receiving  equipment has been and is in “use” for licensable purposes.  The existence of a prosecution statement merely proves that an appropriate person at an unlicensed addressed cooperated in the completion of a TVL178 Record of Interview form.  However, because of “Rudd v Secretary of State” it still does not prove habitual “use” of unlicensed audio-visual/TV receiving equipment  for licensable purposes at an address for which no valid BBC TV licence is on record.  On these bases people are being prosecuted.  Absurd, it is a mockery. 

Are you still with TV Licensing Watch?  It has got very circular has not it?  Absurdly circular?  A circle of mockery?  TV Licensing Watch certainly believes so and so do a great many people, both within the anti-licence fee movement and without.  TV Licensing Watch has often speculated that if Joseph Heller had been aware of it he would have included it in “Catch #22”.

What has been described and been confirmed by Capita BBC TV Licensing™s, Ian Doyle, is the ruthless exploitation of UK courts and judicial system for systemised and optimised processes of structured speculative prosecutions carried out for and on behalf of the BBC with serial Government and BBC connivance and collusion coupled with Capita BBC TV Licensing™'s insatiable profit motive.  Serial Government and BBC connivance and collusion tarted up, covered up with infrequent phoney consultation exercises such as “Future of the BBC” inquiry, BBC Charter Renewal and Perry’s “Review into TV licence Enforcement” to bolster a constantly diminishing popular consensus in support of BBC TV licence fee.

“We’re greedy! We’ll drive you hard!” Ian Doyle, Capita BBC TV Licensing™ at the start of describing Capita’s financially incentivised BBC sanctioned BBC TV licence fee pyramid selling scam which underpins BBC TV licence fee enforcement.

When the absurdity is compounded, as it is now, with the profit motivated “commercial approach” with “financial incentives”, as it has been since 2002, with the awarding of a contract for the administration and enforcement of BBC TV licence fee to Capita Business Services, the BBC TV licence fee and its enforcement has indeed become absurd, a mockery.  The consequence is that since the 1946 introduction of the BBC TV licence fee it is safe to deduce that millions of lives have been ruined and will continue to be ruined for as long as BBC TV licence fee exists. For every life ruined there is an equal number of anti-TV licence fee activists created.

Detection?  TV Licensing Watch, made no mention of TV detection, TV detection capability and Capita BBC TV Licensing™ detector vans.  No need to. Absurd, it is a mockery.

Image credit:Daily Mail

The value of domestic cctv surveillance and handheld video camera can prove invaluable in gathering evidence of the serial abuses and misdemeanours perpetrated by employees of Capita Business Services under cover of the BBC TV Licensing™ contract. TV Licensing Watch advise anybody who has the misfortune to have face to face dealings with Capita BBC TV Licensing™ to make an audio-visual record of those dealings in their entirety covertly or overtly with cctv and handheld video cameras.

 

For people who have not exercised their right to remain silent, TV Licensing Watch advise anybody who has had the misfortune to have face to face dealings with Capita BBC TV Licensing™ and have received a summons as a consequence to contact a licensed law practitioner if: there is the slightest discrepancy between the actual situation regarding viewing habits and/or what actually happened during the interview compared with what has been written on the TVL178 Record of Interview self incrimination form.

Never, ever talk to Capita BBC TV Licensing™ 6

For this blog post, TV Licensing Watch, returns to why people who have no BBC TV licence and no legal need of a BBC TV licence should never, ever talk to Capita BBC TV Licensing™.  Allow us to remind you that, TV licensing, in common with just about every other UK licensing regime we can think of, there is absolutely no legal obligation for people to inform Capita BBC TV Licensing™ that a BBC TV licence is not needed.  A response in Parliament by Culture, Media and Sport Minister of State, Matthew Hancock, confirmed it.  Though for some strange reason, the BBC’s TV licence administration and enforcement contractor, Capita, fails to publicise this basic information.

So, having digressed, back to the subject, why people should never, ever talk to Capita BBC TV Licensing™.  This blog post is going to be somewhat different in that TV Licensing Watch is not going explain why people should never, ever talk to Capita BBC TV Licensing™.  It is Capita BBC TV Licensing™ who are going to explain why people should never, ever talk to Capita BBC TV Licensing™.  The person who will be doing the explaining is none other than Capita BBC TV Licensing™’s hapless, Ian Doyle.  Yes, the same, Ian Doyle, involved in Capita BBC TV Licensing™’s vexatious pursuit of Michael Shakespeare.

TV Licensing Watch calls it Ian Doyle’s Big Big Bragfest.  The educational resource, the Daily Mail’s covert video of the TV Licensing™ Field Sales Officer job interview conducted by, Ian Doyle, in which, Doyle went overboard overselling the job to the point of outright bragging to a candidate who turned out to be an undercover reporter for the Daily Mail.  So, why you should never, ever talk to Capita BBC TV Licensing™ by Ian Doyle, Capita BBC TV Licensing™.  Over to you, Mr Ian Doyle.

Compelling No Licence Needed TV viewing was it not?  

So, do you or anybody else think that Capita BBC TV Licensing™ complied with the “enhance the public acceptability of the licence fee” requirement spelled out in the TV Licensing Service Provision Agreement?

No?

 Thought not.

We can all agree then that, arguably, the BBC TV licence fee is no longer acceptable to the public and further, that Capita BBC TV Licensing™’s resort to dirty tricks, enforcement scams and abuses of process is confirmation that the BBC TV licence fee is no longer acceptable to the public. It seems however that the BBC, would prefer to be funded by dirty tactics enforcement and judicial coercion rather than voluntary subscription.  That, to say the least, is a very strange preference for a media organisation always bragging about how much it needs the support of the public it judicially persecutes plus the incongruity of bragging how popular it is.

In fact, when you come to think about it, these videos make a complete and utter mockery of the Perry Review into TV Licence Enforcement.  How the white collar bullies at Crapita BBC TV Licensing™ must have laughed and laughed and laughed at Perry's findings and recommendations contained in the report: but that's a whole different blog post.

Image: Daily Mail     Videos: Daily Mail

The value of domestic cctv surveillance and handheld video camera can prove invaluable in gathering evidence of the serial abuses and misdemeanours perpetrated by employees of Capita Business Services under cover of the BBC TV Licensing™ contract. TV Licensing Watch advise anybody who has the misfortune to have face to face dealings with Capita Business Services TV Licensing™ to make an audio-visual record of those dealings in their entirety covertly or overtly with cctv and handheld video cameras. 

For people who have not exercised their right to remain silent, TV Licensing Watch advise anybody who has had the misfortune to have face to face dealings with Capita Business Services TV Licensing™ and have received a summons as a consequence to contact a licensed law practitioner if: there is the slightest discrepancy between the actual situation regarding viewing habits and/or what actually happened during the interview compared with what has been written on the TVL178 Record of Interview self incrimination form.

BBC & Capita: Rogue Organisations Unfit for Purpose

TV Licensing Watch receive quite a number of comments about how infrequently we publish.  It’s true, we cannot deny it.  We are more than happy to play second fiddle to TV Licensing Blog. 

However, this week's front page expose with supporting video evidence by the  Daily Mail, of the disgusting, bullying con artist tactics deployed by the BBC’s prime TV Licensing™ administration and enforcement contractor, Capita Business Services Ltd, obliges us to add our two penn’orth.

Well, thank you, Daily Mail, you had the resources to do what you did which we do not have and the general public in the UK owes the Daily Mail, something of a debt of gratitude.  It is also very satisfying to see that allegations repeatedly made by us and many others in the anti-licence fee movement for over a decade being confirmed with firm proof.  What took you so long, Daily Mail?

Capita were awarded the contract for BBC TV Licensing™ (now Capita TV Licensing™; please note that) in 2002. Capita have been administering and enforcing the BBC TV licence fee for 15 years. Yes, 15 years!  A 2 year extension of the BBC TV licence fee administration and enforcement contract has been recently, on the nod seemingly, awarded to Capita.  It is expected that Capita will continue to administer and enforce the BBC TV licence fee until 2027, the anticipated expiry of BBC Royal Charter, also seemingly awarded on the nod after the one of the dodgiest BBC Charter renewal consultations in public service history.

If Capita retain BBC TV licence fee administration and enforcement contract until 2027, that will be a total of 25 years and Capita are expected to accrue up to £1.55 billion, plus the fringe benefits of 25 years worth of KPI related bonuses and commissions, courts awarded prosecution costs and compensation, unpaid fines’ inflated bailiff collection fees through Capita owned Akinika, transaction fees, taxpayer subsidised (£66.54 per prosecution; source: MoJ/HMCTS) zero courts fee access to magistrates courts in the UK and the list could go on.

A casual perusal of the titles TV Licensing Blog since 2008 or our blog since 2012 should be sufficient to convince any sensible person that from the very start, Capita’s operation of BBC TV licence fee administration and enforcement seems to have been and is riddled with Capita “canny” profit boosting enforcement and transaction scams and abuses, not least of which is the direct linkage between doorstep sales of TV licences, prosecution statements and the payments of bonus commissions.  An outlawed 18th century Thief-taker model of law enforcement.

As a participant in the anti-licence fee movement, TV Licensing Watch, were not aware of that but suspected it since we blogged “Harassment: A BBC Formula” and we thank the, Daily Mail, for confirming our suspicions.  That is before there is any mention of crooked Capita BBC TV Licensing™ field sales and enforcement staff awarding themselves unofficial bonuses and commissions by various transaction and prosecution statement falsification frauds.

The BBC, BBC TV Licensing Management Team, BBC Monitoring, CSC, BBC’s lawyers and its various TV Licensing™ contractor hangers on have been obsessively monitoring every part of the anti-licence movement they know of and have access to.  The BBC first awarded BBC TV licence fee administration and enforcement contract to Capita in 2002 and has renewed that contract with Capita every fifth year since.  BBC and Capita have been together 15 years and the BBC do not know what misdeeds their prime TV licence fee administration and enforcement contractor have done and are doing? In 15 years! 15 years of connivance and collusion between BBC and Capita.  In 15 years obsessively monitoring the anti-licence fee movement!  15 years of complaints by people in the UK who repeatedly write to BBC Director General "Phoney" Tony Hall.  It's interesting to note that Hall's complaints handling technique seems to consist entirely of redirecting complaints about Capita directly to Capita seemingly unrecorded and unread.  A staggering lack of enquiring corporate nous and initiative in a corporate leader, to say the least.

The Daily Mail, part of the legacy mainstream media have confirmed what the anti-licence fee movement have said all along. To quote, Watchkeeper, if you are reading this Watchkeeper, and we hope you are, here’s a reminder of a Watchkeeper’s Log prescient blog title “BBC and Capita: Rogue organisations not fit for purpose”.

Image credit: Daily Mail 

The value of domestic cctv surveillance and handheld video camera can prove invaluable in gathering evidence of the serial abuses and misdemeanours perpetrated by employees of Capita Business Services under cover of the BBC TV Licensing™ contract. TV Licensing Watch advise anybody who has the misfortune to have face to face dealings with Capita Business Services TV Licensing™ to make an audio-visual record of those dealings in their entirety covertly or overtly with cctv and handheld video cameras.

For people who have not exercised their right to remain silent, TV Licensing Watch advise anybody who has had the misfortune to have face to face dealings with Capita Business Services TV Licensing™ and have received a summons as a consequence to contact a licensed law practitioner if: there is the slightest discrepancy between the actual situation regarding viewing habits and/or what actually happened during the interview compared with what has been written on the TVL178 Record of Interview self incrimination form.