Its not so much that we British need a licence for a TV like Americans would need a licence for a gun or a pet wolverine: the TV licence was the only means of paying for the BBC (the only TV service back in the days of Lord Reith) and was therefore mandatory.
Now the BBC has become (IMO) your lefty-NPR writ large, it is a problem. But back when it was providing quality TV with no ads, few in the UK had a problem with it.
Interesting...so now the State has competion from private TV? Hadn't heard that.