TV Detector Vans
Dear British Broadcasting Corporation,
I have heard from various sources that your TV detector vans cannot actually detect if someone is watching telly.
Please could you advise if this is the case and disclose any relevant information as to whether these vans are effectively an empty threat or not?
I appreciate that these days through various unlawful methods you could make a reasonable guess as to whether someone was watching iPlayer, but I remain very sceptical in regards of your ability to pinpoint a more traditional TV signal to a specific house.
I eagerly await your reply.
Yours faithfully,
Rupert Tankard
Dear Mr Tankard
Thank you for your request for information under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. Your request was received on 29 July 2017.
We will deal with your request as promptly as possible, and at the latest
within 20 working days. If you have any queries about your request, please
contact us at the address below.
The reference number for your request is RFI20171144.
Kind regards
Information Rights
BBC Legal
BC2 A5, Broadcast Centre
201 Wood Lane
London W12 7TP
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Email: [2][BBC request email]
Tel: 020 8008 2882
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Dear Mr Tankard,
Please find attached the response to your request for information,
reference RFI20171144.
Yours sincerely
BBC Information Policy and Compliance
Room BC2 A4
Broadcast Centre
White City
London
W12 7TS
UK
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Dear Mr Cradock
Please find attached the response to your request for information,
reference RFI20171509.
Kind regards
Information Rights
BBC Freedom of Information
BC2 A4, Broadcast Centre
201 Wood Lane
London W12 7TP
[1]www.bbc.co.uk/foi
Email: [2][BBC request email]
Tel: 020 8008 2882
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Alexandra Hill left an annotation ()
I can answer this request truthfully for you, there does not exist any vehicle that can detect a TV signal in the way you describe. It would be impossible to be in a vehicle and detect a single signal from an aerial with any kind of equipment.
Especially now that old type aerials are defunct.
I know for a fact there are no ‘TV licensing detector vans’, because I used to work for them!
There is however, a vehicle contractors use to visit a property that has no record on database of having a valid licence. But this vehicle does not have any equipment that would allow anyone to use to detect any signal.
So it appears the respondent has told an untruth.