BBC’s to unveil new funding concepts ‘together with plans that would goal the rich’
Ministers are considering plans which could see a huge overhaul in the BBC‘s funding, including plans that could target the wealthy.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy will share a series of proposals in response to concerns raised over people opting not to pay the broadcaster’s licence fee in favour of other streaming platforms, such as Netflix or Amazon Prime.
Plans to supplement the fee could include charging more for households earning higher incomes, the introduction of advertising, or putting a subscription tier system in place.
The options will be considered in a 12-week long consultation.
It is hoped the plans to diversify the broadcasters income, which totalled around £5.9 billion last year, will make the BBC a more ‘sustainable’ business.
Last year, a total of £3.8 billion was made from the license fee alone, after the payment rose to 174.50 per year.
There was a decline in the number of households paying the fee, from 25.2 million in 2020, down to 23.8 million at present.
An additional £2.2 billion was generated by BBC Studios, which makes popular shows including Strictly Come Dancing and Doctor Who.
It is hoped the plans to diversify the broadcasters income, which totalled around £5.9 billion last year, will make the BBC a more ‘sustainable’ business
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy will share a series of proposals in response to concerns raised over people opting not to pay the broadcaster’s licence fee
The additional income has offset the decline in the number of households paying the licence fee.
Funding talks are set to begin next week, according to reports, ahead of the expiration of the BBC’s charter in 2027.
The BBC’s initial response to the government green paper will be led by Tim Davie who announced his resignation as Director-General of the broadcaster after President Trump threatened to sue to corporation over an edit of a speech he made, shown on a Panorama episode.
Negotiations are set to conclude without Mr Davie.
The President threatened to sue the corporation for $5 billion, and the BBC has since apologised.
The corporation has faced several other controversies this year, including over the airing of anti-Israeli military chants from punk duo Bob Vylan during the Glastonbury music festival.
The process to replace Mr Davie, which began last month when online adverts for his and position were shared, is expected to be completed by March, with plans underway to appoint an interim director-general.
It comes after former BBC newsreader Mishal Husain suggested the corporation’s board has right-wing bias as she said some of its members are ‘not impartial’.
Former BBC newsreader Mishal Husain has suggested the corporation’s board has right-wing bias as she said some of its members are ‘not impartial’
Former Tory spin doctor Sir Robbie Gibb, who was appointed to the board by Boris Johnson in 2021, was accused of leading a ‘coup’ by BBC insiders that led to the resignation of Tim Davie (pictured)
Ms Husain, who recently left the BBC after working there for 26 years, was responding to the accusation from critics that the organisation has a left-wing bias.
The journalist said that contrary to the allegations, the opposite is true at board level and said some of its members fail to ‘leave [their] opinions at the door.’
She was speaking after former Tory spin doctor Sir Robbie Gibb, who was appointed to the board by Boris Johnson in 2021, was accused of leading a ‘coup’ by BBC insiders.
It was claimed his actions were behind the resignations of Mr Davie and former head of BBC News Deborah Turness.
Speaking to Radio Times, Ms Husain said: ‘They [Davie and Turness] were dealing with a board that has individuals within it who are not impartial.
‘I was always told as a BBC journalist you leave your opinions at the door. You do expect that from the board as well and I don’t think that happened.’
In response to the proposed changes, the corporation told The Times that it welcomed the debate, adding: ‘The government’s consultation will give the public and the industry an opportunity to have their say on the future of the BBC and shape the UK’s media landscape for the next decade and beyond’.
