Last updated June 2007
Printable version
The BBC's domestic broadcasting services are financed by the TV Licence.
The Government sets the level of the licence fee.
The current fee, from 1 April 2007, is £135.50 for colour and £45.50 for black and white.
The licence fee pays for:
the television channels BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC Four, BBC News 24, BBC Parliament, CBBC and CBeebies;
five network radio services, plus the BBC Asian Network, and digital radio services 1Xtra, BBC 7, 6 Music, and Five Live Sports Extra;
regional television programmes and Local Radio services in England;
national radio and television in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland;
BBCi and bbc.co.uk.
Anyone aged 75 or over is entitled to a free TV Licence for their principal address.
Blind people only pay 50% of the full licence fee.
The Accommodation for Residential Care (ARC) Concessionary Licence is available to those who live in certain types of accommodation and are either retired and aged over 60, or are disabled or mentally disordered.
An ARC Concessionary Licence costs £7.50 for each person's home in the accommodation.
The BBC became the Licensing Authority with responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system in 1991.
In turn the BBC subcontracts the collection to third-party suppliers.
The first licence fee - for radio - was issued in November 1922. The amount was 10 shillings (50p).
The first combined Radio/TV licence - for £2 - was issued in June 1946.
Radio only licences were abolished in February 1971.
The first supplementary licence fee for colour TV was introduced in January 1968.
Broadcast Receiving Licences: 1922 - 2006
|
Date
|
Radio
|
TV B&W
(with radio) |
TV Colour
(with radio) |
November
1922 |
10s
|
--
|
--
|
|
June 1946
|
£1
|
£2
|
--
|
|
June 1954
|
£1
|
£3
|
--
|
|
August 1957
|
£1
|
£4 *
|
--
|
|
October 1963
|
£1
|
£4 +
|
--
|
|
August 1965
|
£1 5s
|
£5
|
--
|
|
January 1968
|
£1 5s
|
£5
|
£10
|
|
January 1969
|
£1 5s
|
£6
|
£11
|
|
July 1971
|
--
|
£7
|
£12
|
|
April 1975
|
--
|
£8
|
£18
|
|
July 1977
|
--
|
£9
|
£21
|
|
November 1978
|
--
|
£10
|
£25
|
|
November 1979
|
--
|
£12
|
£34
|
|
December 1981
|
--
|
£15
|
£46
|
|
March 1985
|
--
|
£18
|
£58
|
|
April 1988
|
--
|
£21
|
£62.50
|
|
April 1989
|
--
|
£22
|
£66
|
|
April 1990
|
--
|
£24
|
£71
|
|
April 1991
|
--
|
£25.50
|
£77
|
|
April 1992
|
--
|
£26.50
|
£80
|
|
April 1993
|
--
|
£27.50
|
£83
|
|
April 1994
|
--
|
£28
|
£84.50
|
|
April 1995
|
--
|
£28.50
|
£86.50
|
|
April 1996
|
--
|
£30
|
£89.50
|
|
April 1997
|
--
|
£30.50
|
£91.50
|
|
April 1998
|
--
|
£32.50
|
£97.50
|
|
April 1999
|
--
|
£33.50
|
£101
|
|
April 2000
|
--
|
£34.50
|
£104
|
|
April 2001
|
--
|
£36.50
|
£109
|
|
April 2002
|
--
|
£37.50
|
£112
|
|
April 2003
|
--
|
£38.50
|
£116
|
|
April 2004
|
--
|
£40.50
|
£121
|
|
April 2005
|
--
|
£42
|
£126.50
|
|
April 2006
|
--
|
£44
|
£131.50
|
|
April 2007
|
--
|
£45.50
|
£135.50
|
* Excise duty of £1 imposed, not receivable by the BBC.
+ Excise duty abolished, BBC given full amount.
Notes to Editors
For more information about TV Licensing - including who needs a licence and how to pay - visit the TV Licensing website.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
