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A new report from the cross-party Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee has warned that the “current TV licence fee is outdated and no longer fit for purpose” and that “all” of the alternatives have drawbacks. The report instead proposes a Household Levy that would no longer be linked to a TV set, could be cheaper than the current licence and would cover other services (broadband?).
The issue of the BBC TV Licence fee has always been a bit of a political hot potato, which recently entered the headlines again after a prior report from the Social Market Foundation (SMF) think-tank controversially proposed that the government could replace it with an £11 (monthly) “Home Internet Levy” on existing consumer broadband bills.
The latest development is that the DCMS Select Committee has just published their own perspective on the review of the BBC’s Royal Charter, which is due to set out how the broadcaster will be governed, regulated and funded from 2028 onwards. The committee’s report covers a number of areas, which among other things highlights some of the alternative options that have been considered.