Licence fees

In March 1973 the Government announced its intention to extend the Charter of the BBC (and the period covered by the Television and Sound Broadcasting Acts) from 1976 to 1981. The Minister of Posts and Telecommunications announced that no major inquiry into broadcasting was proposed at the present time, though he did state his intention to set up an independent study group — Crawford Committee — to consider the coverage of existing broadcasting services in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and rural England. The decision not to hold a full-scale inquiry followed advice from the Television Advisory Committee that no major technical developments in broadcasting were likely before the early 1980s and that priority should be given to extending the coverage of the existing UHF 625-line service to the 7–8 per cent of the population unable to receive it. [1]

April 1975 rise

On 29 January 1975, the Home Secretary, Roy Jenkins, announced in the House of Commons that the cost of a colour television licence was to go up from £12 to £18 from April 1 (BBC Annual Report 1974 says July 1971), and of a black-and white one from £7 to £8. He said the BBC must recognise the need for some economies and the public for some limited reduction in the level of services from the previous year. "As a country we face a period of exceptional economic difficulty. No sector of our public life can be exempt from the stringency which this entails." In addition, the Government had to bear in mind the incidence of the fee, particularly on those who lived alone on small incomes. It was hoped the increases would last for three years, but they must last for two, and if an interim review was called for it would be for the BBC to make a case both in regard to their own economies and external circumstances. [2]

The increase was less than the BBC had wanted. It meant a jump of 35 per cent in its income over a full year. However, taking account of inflation at its then figure of 20 per cent a year, the extra cash was unlikely to get the BBC out of its troubles. And so the cuts announced earlier in the year would stay. The number of new licences bought in a year was practically negligible when saturation point had virtually been achieved in coverage. The only hope was for a change in either the rate of inflation or in the number of viewers switching from back-and-white to colour. [3] A further six per cent cut in programme costs was announced by Swann in February.

The BBC's annual report for the year ended 31 March 1975 (incorporated in the BBC Handbook 1976) revealed a deficit of £19m (compared with a £750,000 surplus the previous year), which had been brought about by inflationary pressures "on a scale never before encountered during 55 years of broadcasting". It hoped in the year ended 31 March 1976 that it could keep its deficit down to £10m, but it gave a strong hint that the BBC might well be making an application for a higher licence before 1977. The estimate for the increase in colour licences for the year to 31 March 1976 was less than the previous year.

July 1977 rise

From mid­night on 29 July 1977, the colour licence fee increased from £18 to £21, and the black-and-white fee from £8 to £9. Merlyn Rees, the Home Secretary, said the Government intended that the fees should last for at least a year. When the last rise was announced in 1975 there was a time lag and thousands of people rushed to buy new licence before the old ones had expired. That is why the present rise is an over­ night one.

A BBC spokesman said that the "small­ness" of the one-year rise "not only makes sensible economic planning difficult but threatens the indepen­dence of the BBC".

Late 1978

The BBC faced another looming crisis. They would have reached the limit on the amount they are allowed to borrow by February 1979. The BBC had asked for a £30 colour licence and £12 for black-and-white, which would last them for three years.

From midnight on 24 November 1978, colour TV licence fees went up from £21 to £25 a year, and black-and-white from £9 to £10. But the Home Secretary, Merlyn Rees, indicated there would be another increase in about 12 months.

Rees admitted that the new fees "will not provide for all the improvements in the service which the BBC wished to introduce", but:

The Govern­ment considers that, at a time when the overriding need is to win the battle against inflation, viewers, many of whom have small incomes, will regard it as important that the increases in licence fees should be kept to moderate levels. [4]

1979

Slow rate of growth

In the early days of broadcasting the number of wireless users in Scotland was relatively low compared with some other parts of the country. In 1930 the BBC stated that while only 7,500 licences were issued monthly in Scotland, Ireland (a smaller country) took out 10,000 a month. The totals for August 1930 showed that England took 121,191 licences; Ireland, 9995; Scotland, 7377; Wales, 4991. [5]

Throughout the 1920s a stigma had been attached to Glasgow due to the relatively low number of licences taken out in the city. As a result of visits paid to various districts by the General Post Office, there had been a remarkable increase in the number of licences issued in 1931 and 1932, but the Postmaster-Surveyor, Colonel F. N. Westbury, said he was still not convinced that all the people of Glasgow with wireless sets had paid for licences. [6]

Table of figures

Date Scotland Glasgow Edinburgh Dundee Comments
Jan 1923 9,000 [7] Curiously, it was estimated that there were only 3,000 sets in use. [8]
Oct 1923 6,424 [9] 25,000 [10] This figure included all types of licence.
31 Oct 1923 31,000 [11] Increase as a result of the deadline for purchasing an 'interim' licence.
Jan 1924 50,000 800 This was an estimate of the number of listeners, and therefore not reliable. [12]
Jun 1924 10,000-15,000 This was an estimate of the number of listeners, and therefore not reliable. [13]
Nov 1924 Figures at the opening of the Dundee relay station on 12 Nov 1924.
Jan 1925 8,000 [15] Dramatic increase since opening of Dundee relay.
Feb 1925 10,000 Estimated at least one unlicensed set for every licensed one. [16]
1 Nov 1925 10,200 [17]
1928 57,000 [18]
1929 58,000 [19] Thought that around 70,000 actually using sets in Glasgow.
1930 195,000 [20] 61,000 [21] First year Post Office disclosed full details.
1931 Approx 260,000? 79,000 [22] Scotland-wide yearly increase of 50,000.
1932 354,000 100,000 [23] (12% of population) 10% of population) Yearly increase of nearly 100,000. [24] But still just 6% of Scottish population compared with 11% for England. [25]
19 July 1933 386,000 Melville Dinwiddie set target of reaching 500k by 1 Jan 1935. [26]
1933 412,272 [27]
Sep 1936 651,140 17.54% 17.63% Greatest density: Selkirkshire, then Edinburgh, then Lanarkshire (inc Glasgow) [28]
31 Oct 1937 709,203 [29] 190,000 [30] Glasgow compares very unfavourably with figure for other large UK cities.
30 Jan 1946 981,000 268,000 125,000 Average of every 1 in 5 of the population. Greatest density: Stirling, Peebles, Kelso and Hawick. [31]
1947 1,030,000 [32]
March 1948 1,056,000 [33] This was 20.9% of the Scottish population (5,060,000), compared with a GB average of 22.9%. Dinwiddie wrote that there was a potential listening audience of two-thirds of the whole population. [34]
30 April 1949 1,097,745 [35]

TV licences

Before Kirk o' Shotts opened for test transmissions in December 1951 there had been some 26 licence-holders, all in the Dumfries area. [36]

Year-ending Est. Population (m) [37] Est. No of Families (m) TOTAL licences No. per 100 families [38] TOTAL SOUND licences TOTAL SOUND/TV licences TV no. per 100 families [39] Comments
31 Dec 1950 5.2 1.49 1,120,968 75.23 12
31 Dec 1951 5.10 1.46 1,119,267 76.66 209
30 Jun 1952 21,000 (approx) [40]
30 Sep 1952 26,738 [41]
? 1952 36,390 Scotland now has more viewers than Wales (33,953), but far below London (648,186), Lancashire (189,241), and Yorkshire (148,651). Glasgow=12,280; Edinburgh=5,723. [42]
31 Dec 1952 5.11 1.51 1,181,626 78.39 41,699 [43] 14,195 (Glasgow); 6,390 (Edinburgh) [44]
End of Jan 1953 48,688 Figures for end of January. [45]
31 Mar 1953 1,123,583 [46] 62,444 [47]
31 May 1953 75,854 [48]
30 Sep 1953 98,882 [49]
31 Oct 1953 107,661 [50]
31 Dec 1953 124,723 [51]
31 Mar 1954 5.12 1.51 1,240,352 82.22 144,273 [52] Glasgow: 50,243; Edinburgh: 19,778.
30 Nov 1954 203,230 [53]
31 Dec 1954 215,225 [54]
31 Jan 1955 228,054 [55]
31 Mar 1955 5.12 1.51 1,259,729 83.36 244,020
30 Apr 1955 1,263,501 1,013,003* [56] 250,498 *including 19,964 for sets fitted in cars
30 Jun 1955 256,639 [57]
31 Dec 1955 320,073 [58]
31 Mar 1956 5.13 1.51 1,293,445 85.42 348,152
31 Nov 1956 429,230 [59]
31 Dec 1956 440,401 [60] Glasgow: 136,668; Edinburgh: 57,178. An increase since the end of June of 74,755. [61]
31 Mar 1957 5.14 1.51 1,321,392 87.07 478,432 31.52
30 Jun 1957 500,921 [62] Glasgow: 155,324; Edinburgh: 63,181. An increase of about 22,000 over the March total, according to quarterly review issues by Post Office.
31 Aug 1957 517,276 Launch of STV on this date.
31 Dec 1957 568,329 [63]
31 Mar 1958 5.15 1.52 1,303,702 85.82 703,475 600,227 39.51 Represents 11.7% of Scottish population. [64]
31 Oct 1958 662,118 [65]
31 Dec 1958 703,697 [66]
31 Mar 1959 5.17 1.52 1,329,905 87.22 579,014 750,891 49.25 1958/59 was the year in which television licences overtook the number of sound only licences.
31 Dec 1959 859,839 [67]
31 Mar 1960 5.19 1.53 1,365,199 89.14 462,088 903,111 [68] 58.97
31 Dec 1960 986,290 [69]
31 Mar 1961 5.18 1.60 1,391,095 87.06 1,007,716 63.07 The million mark was passed at this reading.
30 Sep 1960 1,044,836 [70]
31 Mar 1962 5.18 1.60 1,410,830 88.30 1,078,247 67.48
31 Mar 1963 5.20 1.60 1,434,610 89.47 1,138,270 70.99
31 Mar 1964 5.21 1.61 1,447,099 89.88 1,182,176 73.43
31 Mar 1965 5.20 1.61 1,459,879 90.68 1,224,696 76.07
31 Mar 1966 5.20 1.60 1,467,921 91.75 1,253,122 78.32

1952/3 more detailed

Date Licences Glasgow Edinburgh Comments
Before March launch 750
12 March 1952 1,641 211 514 [71]
13 March 1952 2,730 440 654 [72]
14 March 1952 4,330 936 973 [73] Day of official arrival of TV in Scotland.
15 March 1952 5,585 1,316 1,140 [74] Dundee, 285; Paisley, 235; Kilmarnock, 136; Motherwell, 184; Ayr, 176; Greenock, 145; Hamilton, 117; and Falkirk, 145.
18 March 1952 7,000 (approx) [75]
31 March 1952 12,560 [76]
30 April 1952 12,618 [77]
31 May 1952 19,453 [78]
30 June 1952 21,000 (approx) [79]
30 Sep 1952 26,738 [80] 8,815 [81] 4,370 [82] An increase in Glasgow from 8,237 as a result of a two-week tour by the TV detector van.
31 Oct 1952 31,128 [83]

Joint licences

Date Joint Sound-only Comments
31 March 1961 1,007,716 383,379 Joint licences exceeded one million for the first time. [84]

References

  1. ↑BBC Handbook 1974, 13–14.
  2. ↑ 'TV licence up to £18 to avert cuts in service', Glasgow Herald, 30 January 1975, 2.
  3. ↑ 'Can the BBC manage now?', Stage and Television Today, 6 February 1975, 13.
  4. ↑ 'Picture of BBC gloom', Glasgow Herald, 25 November 1978, 1.
  5. ↑ 'Scots and wireless', Daily Record, 15 November 1930.
  6. ↑ 'Glasgow's 100,000th licence', Glasgow Herald, 21 December 1932, 18.
  7. ↑ 'Scotland's First Broadcasting Station', Courier, 25 January 1923, 4.
  8. ↑ 'The Wireless World', Evening Times, 6 March 1923, 3.
  9. ↑Melville Dinwiddie, The Scot and his Radio, 32.
  10. ↑ '31,000 licences issued in Glasgow in October', Glasgow Herald, 3 November 1923, 6.
  11. ↑ '31,000 licences issued in Glasgow in October', Glasgow Herald, 3 November 1923, 6.
  12. ↑ 'Edinburgh Broadcasting Station', Scotsman, 15 Jan 1924, 4.
  13. ↑ 'Edinburgh Wireless: Dangerous Aerials', Edinburgh Evening News, 6 June 1924.
  14. ↑ 'Dundee's Wireless Boom', Evening Telegraph, 8 January 1925, 1.
  15. ↑ 'Dundee's Wireless Boom', Evening Telegraph, 8 January 1925, 1.
  16. ↑ 'Dundee Views on Wireless Bill', Evening Telegraph, 16 February 1925, 4.
  17. ↑ 'Year of Dundee Broadcast', Evening Telegraph, 5 November 1925, 6.
  18. ↑ 'Glasgow's 100,000th licence', Glasgow Herald, 21 December 1932, 18.
  19. ↑ 'Glasgow's 100,000th licence', Glasgow Herald, 21 December 1932, 18. Glasgow Herald of 8 October 1929 suggested it was 60,000.
  20. ↑ 'Radio Surprise', Press and Journal, 4 April 1930, 6.
  21. ↑ 'Glasgow's 100,000th licence', Glasgow Herald, 21 December 1932, 18.
  22. ↑ 'Glasgow's 100,000th licence', Glasgow Herald, 21 December 1932, 18.
  23. ↑ 'Glasgow's 100,000th licence', Glasgow Herald, 21 December 1932, 18.
  24. ↑ 'Scottish listeners: big increase in licences', Scotsman, 17 February 1933, 11.
  25. ↑ Reith to Dinwiddie, 28 July 1933, BBC WAC R13/369/2.
  26. ↑ 'Publicity campaign: Scottish Region', DIA to Controller, 19 July 1933, BBC WAC R13/369/2.
  27. ↑Melville Dinwiddie, The Scot and his Radio, 32.
  28. ↑ 'Wireless licence-holders in Scotland', Glasgow Herald, 17 December 1936, 6.
  29. ↑ 'Regional Director's talk', Glasgow Herald, 31 December 1937, 7.
  30. ↑ 'Wireless licences in Glasgow', Glasgow Herald, 11 November 1937, 6.
  31. ↑ 'Wireless licences in Scotland', Glasgow Herald, 30 January 1946, 6.
  32. ↑ Notes for Scottish Advisory Council meeting, 27 January 1947, BBC WAC R6/187. Dinwiddie's book gives total in this year 1,046,791.
  33. ↑ 'Listener research and analysis of Scottish broadcasting', paper for Scottish Advisory Council meeting, 1948, BBC WAC R6/188.
  34. ↑ 'Twenty-five Years of Broadcasting in Scotland', Radio Times (Scottish edition), 5 March 1948, 3–4.
  35. ↑ 'BBC relations with the press', Scottish Advisory Council paper, 1949, BBC WAC R6/188.
  36. ↑ 'TV to cover the state visit in a big way', Evening Times, 5 March 1953, 4.
  37. ↑ Based on population figures, not just those who can receive broadcasts.
  38. ↑ (Total licences / Est. no. of families) * 100
  39. ↑ (Total TV licences / Est. no. of families) * 100
  40. ↑ 'Television in Scotland', Glasgow Herald, 31 July 1952, 2.
  41. ↑ 'Licences Issued', Glasgow Herald, 22 November 1952, 6.
  42. ↑ '36,390 Scots TV Licences', Glasgow Herald, 12 January 1953, 4.
  43. ↑ Confirmed by: 'BBC expansion in Scotland', Scotsman, 2 November 1961, 6.
  44. ↑ 'More TV Licences', Glasgow Herald, 7 February 1953, 7.
  45. ↑ 'Over 2,000,000', Radio Times, 20 March 1953, 3.
  46. ↑BBC Annual Report and Accounts for 1952–53 (for the year ended 31 March 1953), pp.26–27.
  47. ↑BBC Annual Report and Accounts for 1952–53 (for the year ended 31 March 1953), pp.26–27. Also deduced from: 'Television Licences', Glasgow Herald, 16 July 1953, 6.
  48. ↑ 'Television Licences', Glasgow Herald, 16 July 1953, 6.
  49. ↑ Deduced from: 'Radio Licences', Glasgow Herald, 17 November 1953, 2.
  50. ↑ 'Radio Licences', Glasgow Herald, 17 November 1953, 2.
  51. ↑ 'Great TV Growth in Scotland', Television Today, 19 February 1959, 8. Exact number quoted at: 'BBC expansion in Scotland', Scotsman, 2 November 1961, 6.
  52. ↑ 'TV Licences in UK', Glasgow Herald, 13 May 1954, 2.
  53. ↑ 'More TV Licences', Glasgow Herald, 14 Jan 1955, 3.
  54. ↑ 'BBC expansion in Scotland', Scotsman, 2 November 1961, 6.
  55. ↑ 'Television Licences', Glasgow Herald, 24 Feb 1955, 2.
  56. ↑ 'TV Licences', Scotsman, 6 June 1955, 7.
  57. ↑ 'More TV Licences', Glasgow Herald, 30 Jul 1955, 2.
  58. ↑ 'BBC expansion in Scotland', Scotsman, 2 November 1961, 6.
  59. ↑ 'From £250 peak to £7 “Flash” in Scotland', Commercial Television News, 21 December 1956, 12.
  60. ↑ Confirmed by: 'BBC expansion in Scotland', Scotsman, 2 November 1961, 6.
  61. ↑ 'More TV Licences', Glasgow Herald, 18 Feb 1957, 5.
  62. ↑ 'TV Licences in Scotland', Glasgow Herald, 20 Aug 1957, 6.
  63. ↑ 'Great TV Growth in Scotland', Television Today, 19 February 1959, 8. Exact number quoted at: 'BBC expansion in Scotland', Scotsman, 2 November 1961, 6.
  64. ↑ 'Eight Million TV Licences', Glasgow Herald, 22 Nov 1958, 5.
  65. ↑ 'Great TV Growth in Scotland', Television Today, 19 February 1959, 8.
  66. ↑ 'BBC expansion in Scotland', Scotsman, 2 November 1961, 6.
  67. ↑ 'BBC expansion in Scotland', Scotsman, 2 November 1961, 6.
  68. ↑ 'Protest by Scots radio council', Scotsman, 20 October 1960, 1.
  69. ↑ 'BBC expansion in Scotland', Scotsman, 2 November 1961, 6.
  70. ↑ 'BBC expansion in Scotland', Scotsman, 2 November 1961, 6.
  71. ↑ 'Licences issued to 1641 applicants', Glasgow Herald, 14 March 1952, 5.
  72. ↑ 'Rush For Licences', Glasgow Herald, 15 March 1952, 5.
  73. ↑ 'More Licences Issued', Glasgow Herald, 17 March 1952, 3.
  74. ↑ 'More Scots TV Licences', Glasgow Herald, 18 March 1952, 4.
  75. ↑ 'TV Licences Warning', Glasgow Herald, 20 March 1952, 9.
  76. ↑ 'House of Commons: Scottish Licences', Glasgow Herald, 10 April 1952, 6.
  77. ↑ 'Glasgow Demand for TV Sets', Glasgow Herald, 19 December 1952, 6.
  78. ↑ 'Scots TV Licences', Glasgow Herald, 27 June 1952, 4.
  79. ↑ 'Television in Scotland', Glasgow Herald, 31 July 1952, 2.
  80. ↑ 'Licences Issued', Glasgow Herald, 22 November 1952, 6.
  81. ↑ 'Television licences', Glasgow Herald, 26 September 1952, 7.
  82. ↑ 'Television Van', Glasgow Herald, 2 October 1952, 7.
  83. ↑ 'Glasgow Demand for TV Sets', Glasgow Herald, 19 December 1952, 6.
  84. ↑ Minutes of a meeting of the Broadcasting Council for Scotland, 12 May 1961.