Thousands of UK Households Still Own Black-and-White TVs

Recent statistics revealed that thousands of people across the United Kingdom still watch TV programs in black and white. According to an agency called TV Licensing in the United Kingdom, over 7,000 households still use monochrome TVs even after the advent of color TVs. An agency spokesperson even said that this figure is remarkable especially in the digital age when the majority of TVs are already connected to the Internet. The primary reason cited for choosing black-and-white TVs over color TVs was the huge difference in the TV license cost. In the United Kingdom, all TV owners must get a license to watch, record, or download TV programs. Color TV owners need to pay £150.50 to get a license, while monochrome TV owners only pay £50.50 annually. The license fee helps fund the programs and services of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), a public broadcasting company. A portion is also allocated for broadband services and local TV channels. Even though there are people who still watch in black and white, their number has been steadily dropping. From more than 200,000 UK residents in 2000, the figure plunged below 10,000 in 2015. Paul Coleman, an associate curator from the National Science and Media Museum, predicted that the number of monochrome TV owners would drastically drop below 1,000 within the next 10 years. However, Iain Logie Baird /beɚd/, grandson of TV inventor John Logie Baird, believes that people will still hold on to their black-and-white TVs for sentimental reasons, treasuring the old items as reminders of the past.