The BBC could face a major licence fee overhaul under a “fundamental” review into the broadcaster.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is said to be planning to launch her consultation on the BBC’s royal charter before Christmas.
She will reportedly look into a wholesale reform of the contentious licence fee under a “comprehensive look at the way the BBC operates”.
The corporation’s charter renewal, carried out once every 10 years, is expected to focus on providing a “sustainable” funding model and restoring public trust in BBC news content.
The BBC could face a major licence fee overhaul under an impending review into the broadcaster
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GETTYLabour’s rumoured review could include issues of governance and would be “more fundamental than individuals”.
It is set to look into a part-subscription, part-licence fee model to diversify the corporation’s income – as Britons turn away from the mandatory payments.
As revenues have fallen and prices have increased, licence fee evasion has more than doubled in the past four years alone – from 6.95 per cent in 2019-20 to 11.3 per cent in 2023-24.
BBC chairman Samir Shah, who on Monday claimed there was no evidence of “systemic bias or institutional bias” at the broadcaster, has previously hinted that wealthier households could be told to pay more for their TV licence.
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“There is a risk of a tipping point where the steady trickle of people saying they’re not going to pay becomes a flood. We are not there yet, but it is in sight.”
The Government will first release a green paper on the new charter, then a white paper setting out the Culture Secretary’s plans for the next 10 years of the BBC.
Ms Nandy has revealed she hopes to be “radical” with the licence fee in the past, and has refused to rule out a full subscription model.
Downing Street’s line, meanwhile, is: “We’re preparing for the upcoming charter review, which we expect to launch in due course, and will consider a range of issues including how the BBC can continue to prosper, supported by sustainable funding.”
