Penalties could be doubled for viewers who have subscriptions channels

  • Fines could double for those paying bills for competitor pay-TV services
  • Crack down on licence dodgers paying for Sky, BT TV, Netflix or Amazon
  • Means 180,000 people a year may be subjected to heavier or doubled fines

Television viewers caught dodging their licence fee should face greater fines if they have been watching Sky or other subscription channels, magistrates were told yesterday. Fines for failing to pay the licence fee – which can run up to £1,000 – may be doubled for viewers who have been meeting bills for the BBC’s competitor pay-TV services. The proposal to crack down harder on licence dodgers who pay for subscriptions to services from Sky, BT TV, Netflix or Amazon and others was made by the Sentencing Council, the body dominated by judges which lays down rules on punishments for judges and magistrates. It means many of the 180,000 people a year convicted by the courts for not paying the licence fee that funds the BBC may be subjected to heavier or doubled fines from this autumn....Read more here