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The final tradition secretary to renegotiate the BBC constitution has claimed that the licence charge is now “unsustainable” and should be changed by an alternate type of funding.
Sir John Whittingdale has responded to a brand new report which means that viewers have turned off from the BBC and moved to streaming companies akin to Netflix and Amazon.
It comes simply forward of the Labour authorities opening talks for the subsequent constitution renewal.
While Sir John has not specified a most well-liked choice, theBBC may flip to promoting or a brand new model of the licence charge. One of the choices understood to be on the desk is that viewers of Netflix, Amazon and Disney Plus who don’t watch the BBC could also be pressured to pay the licence charge sooner or later.
Former tradition secretary minister Sir John Whittingdale (Dominic Lipinski/PA) (PA Archive)
The former Tory minister mentioned: “The broadcasting landscape has changed dramatically since the last BBC charter review with more and more people choosing to subscribe to streaming services. At the same time, the number refusing to pay a licence fee is growing each year putting increasing pressure on the BBC’s finances.
“It is plain that the compulsory licence fee model cannot be sustained for much longer and that we need to begin the debate now about the role of the BBC going forward and how best to fund it.”
He was responding to the report ‘Outdated, Outpaced and Out of Touch: The Future of the BBC Licence Fee’, from Defund the BBC, warning that the BBC is a “shadow of its former self” with severe doubts over the licence charge mannequin being “in the best interests of the taxpaying public” and “unsustainable” within the trendy age.
Analysis means that, in a document first, Brits will spend extra on streaming companies than conventional TV packages in 2025. If this proves correct, it is going to have taken solely 13 years for streaming platforms to have eclipsed conventional broadcast media.
It additionally claimed that the BBC fame for impartiality has been broken with solely 25 per cent believing it’s impartial now.
However, the BBC has hit again on the criticism.
A BBC spokesperson mentioned: “This report contains inaccuracies and selective use of out-of-date statistics.
“The BBC is the most used media brand in the UK, BBC iPlayer is the country’s fastest growing streaming service, and more than 80 per cent of adults use the BBC on average each week.
“The public cares about the BBC and this year, we will launch our biggest ever public engagement exercise so audiences can help drive and shape what they want from a universal and independent BBC in the future. We want to continue to reform and evolve and look forward to engaging with government on the next Charter and securing the long term future of the BBC.”
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