A Burnley MP says there must be a “better solution” to the BBC TV licence after a survey found that the majority of his constituents didn’t see the value of having one.
Antony Higginbotham, Conservative MP for Burnley and Padiham, conducted a survey asking what local constituents think about the TV licence fee.
According to the survey, over 80 per cent of those who responded didn’t think it offered value for money.
He said these views are being reflected in the latest news that the licence fee has been frozen for two years, as the government moves to support families in the face of rising living costs.
The annual payment usually changes on April 1 each year but will be kept below inflation at the current rate of £159 until April 2024.
Antony said: “When I asked residents their views on the BBC licence fee, over 80 per cent of those who responded said it did not offer value for money.
“That is now being reflected in Government policy, with a freeze on the licence fee for the next two years.
“But more importantly, this announcement is about kickstarting a review into the future framework of the BBC, where all views will be heard.”
Antony said a “compulsory” fee is not the answer and believes that there are “better solutions” to consider.
He said: “My take is that in an age where we have an abundance of choice for media and content, just look at Netflix or Disney+, I don’t think the answer is a compulsory fee for content some don’t watch or see.
“There are better solutions, which will still preserve the importance of local news and services.
“And with a tighter funding model for the next 2 years, I believe the BBC has the opportunity to focus more on quality content - locally and nationally - and less on gestures like a £100m diversity programme.”
The BBC is expected to receive around £3.7 billion in licence fee funding in 2022 and £23 billion over the duration of the settlement period.
The BBC also receives more than £90 million per year from the government to support the BBC World Service.
The current licence fee funding deal expires in 2027 and what happens after that is still up for discussion and debate.
Culture Secretary, Nadine Dorries, said: “The BBC is a great national institution with a unique place in our cultural heritage. It broadcasts British values and identities all over the world and reaches hundreds of millions of people every day.
“But at a time when families are facing a sharp increase in their living costs we simply could not justify asking hard-working households to pay even more for their TV licence.
“This is a fair settlement for the BBC and for licence fee payers.
“The BBC must support people at a time when their finances are strained, make savings and efficiencies, and use the billions in public funding it receives to deliver for viewers, listeners and users.”
What is a TV licence and what does it pay for?
Any household watching or recording TV programmes at the same time they are being broadcast must have a television licence.
This applies to all forms of transmission including using the iPlayer on smart television, laptops and tablets.
It was introduced in June 1946, when television broadcasts resumed following the Second World War.
A standard TV licence is currently £159 and it usually pays for TV, radio and online programmes and services including iPlayer, Radio 1, CBeebies and the World Service.
It also funds Welsh language TV channel S4C and local TV channels.
What alternatives to the TV licence are being considered instead?
A subscription fee would attempt to mirror the systems used by streaming giants such as Netflix and Amazon Prime and it would allow those who want BBC content to opt in.
The BBC could also follow in the footsteps of ITV and Channel 4 and start hosting advertisements.
As an alternative to the licence fee, the Government could support the BBC financially through an annual grant but questions have been raised over how this would affect the broadcaster’s editorial independence.
The BBC has looked at funding its services through a levy on broadband connections.
The existing licence is levied on the TV, the device historically used to consume BBC content, but the more modern equivalent would be the internet.
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