Intimidation on Wheels – Did The 1970s P&T Van Really Detect TVs? | Season 5 – Episode 8
Wheels Jan 28, 2025
Fact or fiction?
Did the Department of Posts & Telegraphs (P&T) really use electronic detection technology in the 1970s to determine if our TV sets were turned on? Or was the infamous cruising detection van—said to be able to show up anytime, anywhere—merely a visual deterrent, designed to guilt us into purchasing a TV license?
TV DETECTOR VAN
In the 1970s, the Irish state broadcaster Telefís Éireann (now RTÉ) operated a Dodge/ Commer Spacevan as a TV Detector vehicle that patrolled Dublin’s suburbs to pressure residents into purchasing a TV licence. However, there is ongoing debate about whether the van actually had the capability had to detect televisions being used in homes. Many believe that instead of using detection technology, the van relied on lists from An Post to target areas known for not having TV licences and appearing at random would intimidate people into buying their TV licences.
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TELEVISION & RADIO LICENSES
In Ireland and Britain, licensing TV sets to receive signals has been a contentious issue since the advent of commercial television. TV licences were introduced in Ireland in 1962 with the establishment of Telefís Éireann (now RTÉ). Radio licences, introduced by the British Parliament in 1904 and abolished in 1972, predated the Irish Free State. Widespread non-compliance persisted until the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1926 empowered the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs to prosecute unlicensed users.
NEW DETECTION TECHNOLOGY
In 1952, it was estimated that between 100,000 and 150,000 unlicensed television sets were being used in Britain. These unauthorised viewers enjoyed free entertainment subsidised by those who paid for licenses, resulting in significant revenue losses for the UK government. To address this issue, a new television detection vehicle was demonstrated by Earl De La Warr, the Postmaster General to the press on February 1st 1952.
Specialist TV detection equipment was installed in a fleet of 20 Dodge/ Commer Spacevans, developed by Post Office Engineering in Luton, England. The effective fitting and operation for this equipment included several key guidelines:
- Mounting the aerial high enough to clear rows of parked cars commonly found on suburban streets.
- Providing adequate engine cooling to prevent overheating during idling or slow operation, as the equipment required the engine to be running to avoid battery drain.
- Ensuring smooth acceleration and maintaining a consistent, slow speed during detection runs.
- Preventing condensation on the side and rear windows in poor weather conditions.
CLAIMED OPERATION
The equipment, designed to fit into a Dodge/ Commer Spacevan, could detect most working television sets on both sides of a road. This detection relies on the induction magnetic field generated by the line scanning coils of the TV. Almost all operating televisions produce this field, regardless of whether they use an indoor or outdoor aerial. According to the Science Museum Group, the British TV detector vans in 1953, which served as a model for the Irish versions, were capable of detecting televisions from a distance of 100 feet and successfully located 90% of TV sets in the UK.
In Ireland, the Department of Posts & Telegraphs (P&T) operated a Dodge/ Commer Spacevan fitted with TV detection equipment. The P&T went to some lengths in their advertisements at the time to claim that it was not realistically possible to shield your TV’s emissions enough to prevent this method of detection.
TECHNOLOGY IN ACTION
The detection technology is still widely believed to have worked, albeit primarily under controlled laboratory conditions. A specification sheet uncovered during our research highlights several factors that limited its real-world effectiveness, such as “the necessity of mounting the aerial high enough to look over the rows of parked vehicles typically found on suburban roads.” Additionally, it is likely that in Irish suburbs, the technology would have struggled to function effectively, as general electromagnetic fields (EMF) would likely overwhelm the faint emissions it was designed to detect.
TV LICENSING TODAY
In Ireland, a €160 annual television licence is required for any premises with a TV or equipment capable of decoding TV signals. Revenue, collected by An Post, primarily funds the state broadcaster RTÉ.
As of 2019, An Post uses a 30-year-old address database without Eircode integration or data mining capabilities to inspect suspected non-payment cases. While television dealers are required to report TV purchases or rentals, this is no longer enforced due to unreliable data. Cable and satellite providers are not obligated to share subscriber details. Proposals to change this were introduced in 2012 and revisited in 2014 and 2015 but were ultimately shelved.
DEMISE OF THE TV DETECTOR VAN
P&T inspectors kept a record of individuals who held a TV licence alongside a list of those who purchased or rented televisions, as it was legally required to provide this information at the time of purchase. These lists were then cross-referenced.
However, by the early 1980s, it was widely believed within the Department of P&T that TV detector vans served more effectively as a deterrent than as tools for actual detection.
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Sources of Information and Photo Credits:
Brand New Retro
Home Office Liaison Group (UK)
Light Straw – Television Detector Vans
National TV Licensing Authority (UK)
Physics Stack Exchange
Science Museum Group – The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum (UK)
WIKI
