BBC reforms ‘duck chance to update unfair TV licence fee’
CAMPAIGNERS accused the Government yesterday of ducking a chance to modernise the TV licence system as it unveiled proposals for the BBC’s future.
Culture Secretary John Whittingdale announced that the licence fee can rise with inflation for the next five years after being frozen at £145.50 for the past six years.
That is expected to add about £3 a year to the cost, taking it to £160.50 by 2021-2022.
For the first time, people who watch the BBC only online via iPlayer will need a licence, closing a major loophole.
Mr Whittingdale conceded in the Commons that the licence fee was likely to become “less sustainable as the media landscape continues to evolve”.
He welcomed the BBC’s plan to explore whether it could raise extra cash from additional subscription services.
But he stressed those should be only for services beyond what was now offered and would sit alongside the universal licence fee.
Throwback
TaxPayers’ Alliance chief executive Jonathan Isaby said: “It is regrettable that the Government has ducked the opportunity for substantial reform of the arcane TV licence fee.
“It remains a throwback to an era when there was a single TV channel and the only way to watch it was via an unwieldy box in your living room.
“With the technology now in place for people to subscribe to their choice of thousands of competing channels and watch them wherever they happen to be, the time has surely come to explore a new, fairer funding model fit for the 21st Century.”
The Royal Charter under which the BBC operates has by tradition been renewed every 10 years.
The new proposed Charter, taking effect at the end of this year, will last 11 years, to insulate the BBC from the political turbulence of the five-year election cycle, but will get a “health check” mid-way.
Overall, yesterday’s proposals were greeted with relief by supporters of the Corporation after tougher clampdowns failed to materialise. Ideas reportedly being considered had included making the BBC give some of the licence money to commercial rivals and a ban on chasing ratings by scheduling popular shows like Strictly Come Dancing in primetime slots.
But Mr Whittingdale said he had been “astonished” by some media accounts of what he allegedly wanted to do and said that he had in reality always been committed to finding a good future for the BBC.
However he still faced accusations of undermining BBC independence by proposing the Government should appoint up to six members of a new 12-to-14 member governing body which will replace the BBC Trust.
And for the first time in its history the Corporation will be regulated by an outside body, communications watchdog Ofcom.
BBC director general Lord Hall said the governing body proposal was “not yet right”. He also wants independence safeguards when the National Audit Office gets wider powers to scrutinise spending.