Just saw this on Digital Spy site.

"The BBC has awarded the exclusive rights for over-the-counter TV licence payments to PayPoint, bringing an end to decades of TV licence-related services being provided by the Post Office.

The six year contract will begin on May 2, with over-the-counter TV licence services being withdrawn from Post Offices completely from July 31.

"This contract will provide better value for the licence payer and will enable the BBC to put more money into programmes," said Pipa Doubtfire, head of revenue management at the BBC.

The corporation says the move to PayPoint will save it over £100m over the term of the contract.

"Our network of terminals has now overtaken that of the Post Office and we believe that this size advantage will enable us to deliver an improved service to TV Licensing customers," said PayPoint CEO Dominic Taylor.

The BBC has set up a special phone number, (0870) 850-6709, which plays a recorded message explaining the changes to consumers. "

The article the OP refers to is here.

Also, see this BBC News article: Post Office loses TV licence deal.

This 'service' is a recorded message. The BBC and Capita have sunk to a new low in that they don't have humans answering, but a taped recording. I'm sure that this '[covert] value-added service' will pay for itself by unsuspecting victims/customers. 

bill wrote on Apr 1^st, 2006 at 2:32pm:
Presumably you are alluding to this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4826704.stm

<<
Labour has published details of the almost £14m in secret loans from wealthy businessmen. The list was unveiled after it emerged that some of the lenders were later recommended for peerages.

Rod Aldridge - £1m
Executive chairman of IT support firm Capita, which has won millions of pounds worth of public contracts. He said the borrowing was at commercial rates, adding that it was a "personal decision on my part". [...]
>>

Least I wont have to queue in post offices listening to old people mumbling about what they did last sunday to the uninterested person on the counter.
And then theres always the constituant that always stops me as im leaving the PO.

What on earth is "pay point"? - I bet there isn't one in my village but there is a post office and nothing else.   How inconvenient.  It is interesting that when I needed to contact TV Licensing last year, I did find a geog no on this site but now it seems they make it difficult for people to pay then rip them off for making enquiries!

mc661 wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2006 at 1:20am:

Well, you never had to pay in the post office - there were always other ways to pay!
But I actually chose to pay in the post office because I want to help keep our village post office open - and now they are removing yet another service from it. 

Barbara wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2006 at 2:05pm:

That was exactly my reaction when I heard this!
When I check for PayPoint locations in my postcode area (first part of postcode only), there are only 5 listed - none of which is near to our village, and all the ones in the nearest town are in 'suburb' locations, not in the town centre where I would go for shopping!
Whereas the good old Post Office lists 9 locations within the same postcode area, including our village post office!

Another backward step:

• at the post office, you could pay "using cash, cheque, debit card, Savings Stamps or a combination of these." (quoted from TV Licensing site); whereas
• at a PayPoint, you can only pay in cash: "just take your renewal form to a PayPoint outlet along with your payment in cash for your full licence fee." (also quoted from TV Licensing site)

So now you first have to go to a post office or bank or ATM (where you may be charged for the privilege of getting out your own money) and then take the cash to a PayPoint.

OK, so there are other ways to pay: on-line (only by plastic), by phone (0870 number! & only by plastic), by post (only by cheque), by Direct Debit (requires a bank account).  For the older and/or less privileged members of society, these other methods are not necessarily available, and the post office would remain the most convenient method.

The BBC claim that this change will save them money - as always, to the inconvenience of the consumer, and especially the older and less privileged consumers!   

(Personally, I will now probably pay online (altho' it won't arise until next 31 March as I've just paid mine - at the post office!), but, as I said above, I'm concerned about those who cannot use that method.)

trevord wrote on Apr 4^th, 2006 at 10:38am:

All of their e-mail addresses end @bbc.co.uk so I'd try a few of the obvious prefixes.

Dave wrote on Apr 4^th, 2006 at 12:21pm:

I was just going by what TV Licensing say here:
Quote:
as compared with what they say here:
Quote:

I note that the PayPoint site given by Dave says:
Quote:

This implies that they may not accept them directly for other transactions.  Maybe you have to use your debit card at the PayPoint to get cash - for which there will no doubt be a commission charge - and then use the cash to pay for the TV Licence?