I was pleased to hear that the BBC will offer a partial refund will be offered to constituents affected by the Bilsdale mast fire. The fire has affected television services for a large number of residents in North Yorkshire, Teeside and County Durham and, given the time it is taking to fully restore services, I have also requested a meeting with Arqiva to raise constituents' concerns directly.
As constituents will be aware, I wrote to the BBC earlier this month to ask if compensation would be provided to those constituents who have lost service. A number of local residents have contacted me to highlight the how difficult the loss of transmission has been especially for them or for close relatives who are elderly or do not have access to internet. If constituents would like me to raise specific issues at this meeting, please contact my office via email or phone call: https://www.kevinhollinrake.org.uk/
The BBC has stated: 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.
To request an extension to your TV licence visit the TV Licensing website or call TV Licensing call centre on 0300 790 6096 after September 10th. Those households affected for less than a month will not be able to claim for a refund, according to TV Licensing.
