BBC licence fee ‘should be means-tested’

THE BBC licence fee should be meanstested, a former chairman of the corporation has suggested.

In his first interview with the BBC since leaving the broadcaster, Richard Sharp said lower-income households could pay “less than those people who are well off ”. Sharp, 68, claimed everybody should be able to consume BBC content, subsidised accordingly, for the “very good value” service. He said it offered far more – with the World Service, news, sport and radio – than rival platforms such as Netflix.

Mr Sharp resigned as BBC chairman in April after a report into his appointment found he had “failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest”, including involvement in facilitation of an £800,000 loan for Boris

Johnson, the Prime Minister at the time.

His comments come after Tim Davie, the BBC’S director general, this week announced the corporation’s plans to explore how to reform the licence fee.

Mr Davie floated the idea wealthier Britons could be made to pay a higher fee, but the Conservatives made clear this would not happen under a Tory government. The licence fee will rise by £10.50 to £169.50 from next month.

The BBC’S deficit is expected to jump to £492million for the forthcoming financial year, a sharp increase on the £220million shortfall last year, as it faces a squeeze on its funding. Bosses said the deficit would be covered by cash reserves built up in previous years.

Mr Sharp told podcast: “I’m old enough to remember

Brian and that scene of: ‘What have the Romans ever done for you?’

“Netflix doesn’t provide sport, Netflix doesn’t provide radio, Netflix doesn’t provide local radio, Netflix doesn’t provide a news website, doesn’t provide World Service or news at all.

“If you look at what the consumer gets, for the subscription on a monthly basis, it is very good value for money.”

Asked if the licence should be meanstested, he said: “If you look at the pressures the cost of living has had on lower-income households who are really struggling, they should have the opportunity in their homes to consume BBC content. At potentially a rate that may be less than those people who are well off, but that is an issue not for the BBC management or board.”

The former chairman said there were “opportunities for creativity” to ensure people are not “left behind in ... opportunities for free media consumption”.