For American: these are people who don't pay a mandatory tax for consuming government-run media like the BBC and Channel 4 (perhaps because the don't watch or listen to that content).

The tax is for picking up TV signals, not for consuming BBC broadcasts. It does fund the BBC, though. Additionally, Channel 4 gets none of the license fee, and it is not Government-run.

(Nor's the BBC for that matter run by the Government - it merely has requirements to be for the public benefit, to represent the UK, and a variety of other things, by law, and in return it gets money from the TV license.)

> Additionally, Channel 4 gets none of the license fee, and it is not Government-run.

The OP may have been thinking of the Welsh 'equivalent' of Channel 4, S4C, which is funded from the license fee and advertising.

http://www.s4c.co.uk/abouts4c/corporate/e_index.shtml

> But the tax is not for picking up signals, any consumption of BBC media means the viewer must pay the license fee.

Actually... it's consumption of live TV broadcasts specifically (you can consume news, radio, and BBC iPlayer catchup without paying a penny), and it covers all live TV - even if you only watch, say, Channel Five online, and never access any BBC content, you have to pay the fee.

Only if you never use 'watch live' in iPlayer. See http://iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk/tv/tvlicence

That's what I meant by catchup.

Not any consumption, just live broadcasts. Watching shows from a week ago on e.g. iPlayer is totally fine

The BBC isn't run by the government, it's run by the state.

It's run by the BBC Trust which is given power by Royal Charter in order to stay independent of government.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Trust

U.S. citizen here—what's the difference?

That is to say, the BBC is supposed to be run for the benefit of the United Kingdom and its citizens, not for the benefit of whoever happens to be the elected leader at the moment.

TL;DR "run by the state" = run by the executive appointed by the trust appointed by the monarch.

The government doesn't have direct operational control. The BBC executive is appointed by the BBC Trust. Trustees are appointed by the monarch in accordance with the recommendations of the government. So, beyond the selection of the trustees, the BBC is independent of government.

In the past the BBC has been somewhat anti-establishment especially during the Thatcher years. Recently its been a bit more pro-establishment especially as the BBC's charter is to be renewed in 2016 and during which issue of funding will come up.

Those terms are synonymous. I have read your subsequent reply but being run by the government does not in any way imply being run by the party that is currently in power.

Not in this case, BBC is run by royal charter. So “Run by the state” means the BBC’s power comes from the Monarch, not Parliament.

Sounds like Japan's NHK totally-not-a-tax fee.