Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister-in-waiting, could back a "fairer" TV licence fee and a faster BBC shift to the regions, allies say. The new Labour Party MP would favour reforms to the £180-a-year licence fee that reduce the cost for lower income households, the I News has reported.
Options Under Consideration
Among the options on the table are to extend the charge to people who watch streaming services, commitments to shift more programme production and commissioning power out of London to the North, as well as the devolved nations. Mr Burnham has previously slammed ITV for missing its regional programme quotas, saying he was “tough on London-centricity and tough on the causes of London-centricity”.
Insider Views on Regional Commitments
One insider said: “The DCMS will be looking at strengthening the BBC’s regional commitments in this autumn’s Charter white paper. There will be more regional representation in the BBC hierarchy, and more moves for bosses out to the regions.” “Moving Strictly from Elstree to Salford would send a positive message to the Burnham team that the BBC is serious about devolving power,” said one figure.
BBC Source on Funding Challenges
A BBC source added: “Opening regional offices and moving people costs money at a time when the BBC needs to save £500m. We will do more in places like Salford, Cardiff and Glasgow. But there needs to be a secure and sustainable funding mechanism for the BBC to support these aims.”
Media Consultant's Analysis
Claire Enders, a leading media consultant, said: “Andy is a dyed-in-the-wool supporter of the BBC and public service broadcasting.” Claire predicted there would be "no chance of allowing advertising on the BBC”, and said Burnham could look to support the “millions of homes on the edge who can’t pay their bills” by introducing some form of subsidy to help make the cost of the licence fee “fairer”.
Charter Renewal Prospects
“Things have not looked better for Charter renewal for a while,” said Peter Bazalgette, the TV producer who has advised previous governments on broadcasting policy.
