{"id":458613,"date":"2026-03-05T09:10:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T09:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/458613\/"},"modified":"2026-03-05T09:10:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T09:10:12","slug":"bbc-plans-for-end-of-the-licence-fee-as-we-know-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/458613\/","title":{"rendered":"BBC plans for end of the licence fee as we know it"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\t\t\t\t\tThe corporation wants to replace the \u00a3180 licence fee with a new, ‘fair and sustainable’ universal funding model\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n

The BBC<\/a> is unveiling radical plans to end the licence fee<\/a> in its current form and replace it with a new \u201cfairer\u201d funding mechanism.<\/p>\n

The broadcaster\u00a0is expected to\u00a0propose an\u00a0overhaul\u00a0of the charge, set to rise to \u00a3180 in April<\/a>,\u00a0as it seeks to combat\u00a0rising\u00a0levels of\u00a0evasion<\/a> and\u00a0non-payment\u00a0which\u00a0cost the organisation more than \u00a31bn\u00a0last\u00a0year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In its response to a Government Green Paper on the future of the BBC, the corporation will rule out introducing advertising to its main channels and putting shows behind a Netflix<\/a>-style subscription paywall, The i Paper understands. <\/p>\n

New FeatureIn ShortQuick Stories. Same trusted journalism.<\/p>\n

It will instead propose to replace the licence fee<\/a>, which last year brought in \u00a33.8bn of revenue, with a new \u201cuniversal funding model fit for the future\u201d.<\/p>\n

The new system would be \u201csufficient, sustainable and fair\u201d and bring in enough money to support \u201cuniversal public service media\u201d.<\/p>\n

Insiders said the BBC has been examining changes to its funding model, which could ultimately do away with unpopular house visits by licence fee collectors and \u201cthreatening\u201d letters<\/a> to people suspected of non-payment.<\/p>\n

The BBC has looked at switching to a \u201cfairer\u201d system, such as a household levy that could be collected through council tax<\/a>, The i Paper understands. <\/p>\n

This option would potentially affect a much larger number of households than the 24 million who currently pay the licence fee. Payments could be adjusted so those on lower incomes pay less, with some social groups, such as students, receiving discounted or free TV.<\/p>\n

German TV tax model<\/p>\n

The mandatory charge could be similar to the German system<\/a> where citizens pay a \u201cdigital public service media\u201d tax of \u20ac18.36 (\u00a316) per month regardless of whether they watch or listen to the nation\u2019s equivalent of the BBC. <\/p>\n

An insider said: \u201cThe BBC recognises we can\u2019t keep asking households across the board to pay an increased licence fee every year which doesn\u2019t keep up with the inflationary costs of programme-making.<\/p>\n

\"LONDON,BBC director-general Tim Davie will leave the position in April. Interviews are currently taking place for his replacement (Photo: Carl Court\/Getty)<\/p>\n

\u201cSubscription is out because the BBC has to be a universal public service broadcaster,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTaking advertising would just decimate ITV and Channel 4. We need a fair, progressive system that means the BBC can compete against streamers<\/a> with secure funding for decades ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Any change to the licence fee would not be introduced before 2028, when the new charter \u2013 which sets out how the BBC is run and funded \u2013 begins. <\/p>\n

One major obstacle is that the BBC would have to persuade the Government of the merits of introducing a measure such as a household levy. Downing Street is likely to be wary of any measure that could be branded a new \u201cTV tax\u201d by political opponents.<\/p>\n

Viewers to get a say over BBC<\/p>\n

The BBC\u2019s new charter proposals also include allowing viewers to have a say in the broadcaster\u2019s decisions through \u201ccitizen assemblies\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese could involve a cross-section of the UK public and could hear evidence, listen to the perspectives of others and deliberate on complex and difficult issues, driving more participatory decision-making,\u201d the BBC will say in its Green Paper response on Thursday. <\/p>\n

However, there could be fears that citizens\u2019 bodies would become dominated by politically-motivated groups.<\/p>\n

The BBC will also propose opening up its editorial complaints procedures so that it no longer can be accused of marking its own homework.<\/p>\n

The submission says the current system \u201crisks perceptions that the BBC is allowed to judge its own conduct and whether it remains best for the BBC to lead \u2018stage 2\u2019 of the editorial complaints process\u201d.<\/p>\n

Ofcom could play a greater role in assessing complaints or an independent body created to examine editorial controversies.<\/p>\n

Boss Tim Davie to leave<\/p>\n

The BBC will call for a new \u201ctransparent\u201d process for appointing its chair and board members. Ministers are looking at taking away the government\u2019s power to choose the BBC chair and board figures after a number of politically-controversial appointments. <\/p>\n

It also wants a permanent charter, to be reviewed by Parliament, instead of being given a time-limited constitution that has to be renewed and approved by government every decade. <\/p>\n

The charter submission will be director-general Tim Davie\u2019s final significant act at the BBC before leaving next month. Interviews are currently taking place for his replacement with former Google president Matt Brittin considered a front-runner<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ministers will examine the BBC\u2019s submission, along with those of other media organisations, and publish a White Paper setting out its final recommentations for a new royal charter later this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The corporation wants to replace the \u00a3180 licence fee with a new, ‘fair and sustainable’ universal funding model…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":458614,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[243,96,10191,14598,25977,391,2996,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-458613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-bbc","tag-entertainment","tag-licence-fee","tag-streaming-services","tag-tim-davie","tag-tv","tag-tv-licence","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458613","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=458613"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458613\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/458614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=458613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=458613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=458613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}