BBC stars turn on bosses over making elderly pay licence fee
SOME of the BBC’S biggest names have criticised it for scrapping free TV licences for most over-75s, with Ben Fogle announcing he is to donate his salary to help pensioners meet the cost.
Jeremy Paxman and Sir Michael Palin were among those lamenting the decision to scrap the universal concession and restrict free licences to those who claim Pension Credit.
Former Newsnight presenter Paxman said: “I keep wondering how the organisation can keep shooting itself in the foot. It must look like a chunk of Emmental by now.”
Fogle announced he would give his salary from Animal Park, his BBC One series, to Age UK, which is campaigning against the changes. In a post on Instagram, he said: “I love the BBC. I think it is one of the greatest institutions in the world. It is the envy of most nations, makes amazing content and I’d argue it is still value for money.
“I owe my career to the BBC. They gave me my first break and they employed me for many years but I am disappointed in the recent announcement on the abolition of free licences to the over-75s. I don’t entirely blame the BBC. I think the Government forced their hand.
“My late grandparents … would have been lost without it in their twilight years. This is not virtue signalling (although I do think it’s time to rethink the licence) but we owe it to those over 75 who have served their country. Let’s not penalise those who most value the great BBC.”
By last night, Age UK’S petition demanding the Government take back responsibility for funding free licences had more than 360,000 signatures.
Sir Michael said: “I know that the BBC did a pretty bad deal, I think four years ago, saying it would take over the licences and I hoped that would somehow go away and it hasn’t gone away…
“I just wish it wasn’t at the expense of the people who now have to fork out for their licence.”
Baroness Bakewell, the presenter and former “tsar” for the elderly, said it was “a government decision imposed on the BBC”. She said: “Pensioners who
‘It’s only days ago they were patting all these old people on the head and calling them heroes’
do not claim tax credits but are still needful should get a free licence”.
D-day veteran Victor Gregg, 99, told ITV’S Good Morning Britain that the corporation was “robbing the piggy banks” of the old. “I’ve always admired the BBC for its supposed integrity but coming out with this – it’s only days ago they were patting all these old people on the head and calling them heroes.”
But not all veterans shared that view. Eddie Gaines, 94, said there were “plenty of rich people who are quite able to pay the TV licence”.
♦ The BBC has been given the go-ahead to keep programmes on iplayer for at least a year and to offer “box sets” of popular series. Ofcom provisionally approved the plan to extend the 30-day catch-up window, ruling the BBC has to keep up with rivals Netflix and Amazon.