i see the phrasing of my point early that taken this off on hair splitting, and sorry for that. but put it this way, you will have to provide your name and address to buy a TV for that purpose and if the TV licence people come round you have to show you arent using it for watching broadcasts. that the problem with the current mandatory licence, it is assumed you will be using TV for the primary, common purpose.
Yes, I agree with that point. Unlike most offences in the UK, where you are presumed innocent of an offence unless and until proven guilty, with TV licences there is a presumption of guilt, which does make me uncomfortable. It is certainly true that the vast majority of people who own a TV will need a licence, and it is presumably this fact that is the motivation behind the authorities coming to your house to check that you're not breaking the law. There are few situations which have such a clear presumption of guilt.