I think there was some gray area during the transition to digital/not over the air broadcasting, but I. Doubt there ever was some true pirating. If there were, surely the Beeb and/or Hollywood would have taken legal action.
Also, see http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2011/01/27/kpn-tv-get-domesti.... The reason that the Netherlands has BBC television probably is historic (and fairly weird; even in the west of the country, one needed precisely the right kind of atmosphere to receive a fairly noisy signal), but nowadays, money does change hands.
Also, see http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2011/01/27/kpn-tv-get-domesti.... The reason that the Netherlands has BBC television probably is historic (and fairly weird; even in the west of the country, one needed precisely the right kind of atmosphere to receive a fairly noisy signal), but nowadays, money does change hands.