Former BBC Chairman suggests rich households should pay more for the BBC, as the Government considers alternatives to the licence fee from 2027.
In a wide ranging interview with The Daily Telegragh’s Chopper’s Politics Podcast, Richard Sharp, who stood down from the role earlier this year, said the current licence fee could be replaced by a tax on broadband bills or a household levy based on the value of the property. The latter would result in those living in the most expensive properties paying more for the BBC.
However, Sharp said he was aware of the pitfalls of these alternative funding models.
The discussion over how the BBC will be funded has intensified after the Government previously indicated it wanted to abolish the licence fee at the end of the current BBC Charter in 2027. Some of the alternatives under consideration, such as a broadband tax would mean households wouldn’t be able to opt out of paying, as is currently possible with the licence fee, unless they had no internet.
Licence fee “regressive”
Sharp said the current funding model was “regressive” and was worried that lower income households had to the pay the same as wealther households.
He added he was concerned about how the licence fee was enforced, meaning women were more likely than men to be prosecuted for non-payment. But he warned that decriminalising non-payment could lead to more people being sent through the civil courts instead.
Richard Sharp stood down as BBC chairman in April after he was found to have failed to declare his involvement in helping former Prime Minister Boris Johnson obtain a loan. However, during Sharp’s time in post, there had already been active discussions within the BBC and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) about potential replacements for the licence fee.
Labour have previously suggested a means-tested approach to funding the BBC. This would also lead to wealther households paying higher contributions to the BBC.
Meanwhile, the BBC has faced sharp criticism over recent changes to its services, with accusations that it is abandoning certain audiences in its push online. Ofcom has already noted the BBC hasn’t been effective at reaching poorer households, including those with limited or no internet connection. Some fear this has fuelled growing resentment of the licence fee in some quarters, undermining the cause for public funding.
Marc Thornham
Updated 08/07/2023