Big Brother

U.K. television viewers pay a mandatory TV license fee and in exchange the BBC offers ad-free programming. Not a bad deal. Blind people only have to pay half price because, after all, they can't actually see the TV. But there's a £1000 fine for failing to purchase a license. There's a rumor that the Television Licencing Agency (TVLA) keeps a running list of unregistered homes and sets up detector vans to catch license dodgers. The TVLA sends threatening letters and has the authority to search your home. Frankly, it sounds far-fetched. Surprisingly, the TVLA's description of itself,"what we do," doesn't openly contradict these claims.