Bilsdale Transmitter update: BBC agree to refund licence fee after no TV signal

The extraordinary move will come as welcome news those who still have blank screens after nearly three weeks.

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While the BBC’s climbdown is a welcome one, it doesn’t extend to all of those affected as the corporation’s red-tape means they will only pay out when people have been without a signal for a month.

But operators of the mast site are unable to say when the signal will be restored to everyone and it’s likely to be a number of weeks yet, as work to build a replacement mast was delayed again this week.

A TV Licensing spokesperson said that after the intervention by the Echo, bosses had agreed to either refund people or give them an equivalent extension to their existing TV licence if they are without signal for a month or more.

We first contacted the BBC at the beginning of the week asking if they would refund all of those affected.

We were initially told it wouldn’t be possible, but after we pointed out that many people can’t access the BBC’s digital services, they agreed to the refunds.

Those eligible can apply from September 10.

The spokesperson said: “Customers in the affected area who have been unable to receive TV coverage for over a month, and who are unable to view BBC programming through BBC iPlayer and on cable and satellite platforms, will be eligible for a refund or be offered a free extension to their TV Licence to cover the months affected.

 “We are continuing to work with our suppliers Arqiva to ensure services in the affected area are resumed as soon as possible.”

Here’s how to claim compensation if you are eligible:

• Customers who are eligible will receive a free extension or refund – dependent on their payment plan – on their TV Licence equivalent to the time, in months, they have been unable to receive coverage
• Customers will be able to request an extension to their licence through the TV Licensing website, or via calling TV Licensing call centre after 10th September
• The addresses of customers who request a free TV Licence extension will be cross referenced with the postcodes which have been impacted by the coverage outage.
• In line with our refunds policy, we are unable to issue a partial refund for a time period of less than a month.

The move comes as those affected opened up to the Echo about the difficulties they have faced because of the blackout.

For many, particularly the elderly, the TV is their only window to the world. Almost 1,000 residents contacted the Echo through social media.

The mast went up in flames on August 10, affecting around one million people. Since then, site operators Arqiva, have been working to restore signal to as many people as possible using temporary transmitters.

Despite this, many homes across North Yorkshire and the North East are still without signal with no concrete date when signals might return.

Marjorie Watkins, aged 94, from Darlington is one of the many people suffering from the disruption.

Marjorie Watkins with her granddaughter Donna Watkins

Her granddaughter Donna Watkins said her nanna, who suffers from late stages of dementia, was finding it difficult without TV.

She relies on the TV throughout the day as it is one of the only things she can concentrate on and helps her stay connected to the outside world.

Donna said: “It’s just a bit of a challenge, she can’t verbally communicate, and she can’t go out because of her mobility.

“She really relies on things like the television and the soaps and the news, and we’ve been trying to fill her day with DVDs but it’s not the same.

“Routine is so important, and she doesn’t have the internet and she’s not like a lot of people that will go onto Netflix and things like that.”

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It was only last month that the grace period for over-75s to now pay for their TV-licence – a right that ended officially last August for all those in receipt of the pension credit benefit – ended.

Donna added: “This is the tricky situation. I’m a bit cross because for years she had a free TV licence, and it was only months ago that the government decided to stop funding and the BBC decided to charge the over 75s, unless they’re on pension credits, now my Nanna doesn’t get that so she had to pay.

“Now that’s fair enough, lots of people are in the same position, but then you think what are you paying for, the BBC say we’re still broadcasting so it’s not us and we shouldn’t refund you because we’re still putting shows out.

“Which you kind of understand, but then you say who do we go to then, surely someone must be responsible?”

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Lydia Jordan described how difficult things were for her dad Harry Jordan, aged 92, living in Blackhall.

Mr Jordan is another elderly resident who relies heavily on his TV.

Miss Jordan said: “He’s 92 year-old and he lives on his own, not that he has the TV on 24/7 by any means, but he likes to have it on the morning to catch up with the news so he knows what’s going in the world.

“And if there’s any sport on, because he doesn’t have b r o a d b a n d , he hasn’t got Sky TV so he’s just relying on the good old fashioned TV.

“So he’s missing out on any of the sport, he likes to watch the horse racing for example, and he’ll watch any sport that’s on even if it’s been repeated.

“He enjoyed watching the Olympics Games when that was one and of course the Paralympics have started so he won’t be able to watch that.

“He really is missing the TV, he said himself, he doesn’t know what’s going on anymore apart from reading the paper of course.”

Miss Jordan said: “It is pretty grim for him, it’s just not on at all. He struggles to work his mobile phone, I’m not being disrespectful, but he just says that he doesn’t want to know and he’s not interested in on-demand services.

“It’s just not brilliant and surely they have to consider some kind of compensation, I mean for everybody really, but particularly for the elderly.”

Linda Longstaff, from Hartlepool, is finding things challenging without signal as her husband, 74, suffers from dementia.

Normally Linda would put the TV on for her husband each morning, but at the moment she needs to explain to him everyday why they aren’t able to.

Mrs Longstaff said: “Every morning when we get up I put Radio 4 on to listen to the news and then after a while he asks to have the telly on, and he expects it to come straight on.

“I’ve got to go to the on-demand services and I’m not very technical so I’m not sure how to work it, so we have a look on Channel 4 and ask him what he wants to watch. Now were running out of programmes. We usually watch Coronation Street and Emmerdale, but I’m asking him what he wants to watch.

“And to hear that it’s not going to be on on August 28, that’s even more annoying.”

Mrs Longstaff added: “He used to watch it from first thing on a morning to last thing on a night, so I tend to put something on that will be on for a long time so I can go out and go shopping and I don’t want to leave him without the TV.”

Mrs Longstaff feels that a refunds should be provided by the BBC as there are “a lot of elderly people in the same position”. She said: “My husband is coming up to 75 in November and he won’t get that, so it would be nice if they did refund something

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Another Darlington resident Jennifer Bell has also been without TV and just three weeks ago her husband passed away, making things even more difficult.

Sallyann Lister, Mrs Bell’s daughter, said: “It has been very difficult for my mam, it’s only three weeks since my dad passed away and she was left with no TV or radio, as her radio is tuned through the TV as well.

“I brought a radio up for mam. Mam relies on the TV as she is mostly housebound due to health reasons.

“She only has Freeview so isn’t able to access iPlayer or any other on demand services. We have talked to her about paying for Virgin or Sky just so she could get some TV channels.

“She said no because of the cost. Myself and my brother and sister were thinking of doing this for her. In terms of disruption I honestly believe in this day and age that there should be some sort of immediate back up. You would think a few days at most but certainly not weeks.

“I feel that people who have had absolutely no TV at all should be compensated, like my mam.”

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Sallyann Lister, Miss Bell’s daughter, said: ““It has been very difficult for my mam, it's only 3 weeks since my dad passed away and she was left with no TV or radio, as her radio is tuned through the TV as well.

“I brought a radio up for mam to listen to. Mam relies on the TV as she is mostly housebound due to health reasons.

“She only has Freeview so isn't able to access iPlayer or any other on demand services. We have talked to her about paying for Virgin or Sky just so she could get some TV channels

“She said no because of the cost, myself and my brother and sister were thinking of doing this for her.

“In terms of disruption I honestly believe in this day and age that there should be some sort of immediate back up. You would think a few days at most but certainly not weeks.

“I feel that people who have had absolutely no TV at all should be compensated, like my mam.”

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