The BBC licence fee could be extended to cover streaming platforms including YouTube, Netflix, Amazon and Disney Plus under plans expected in a Labour Party government white paper to be published before Christmas, according to a Whitehall insider.
A Labour Party government spokesperson and Whitehall source told The Independent that the plan is to expand the licence fee to streaming platforms. The source explained the move was “because people are able to use them to avoid paying currently”. They added: “It’s not fair that people are essentially able to watch television content but avoid the licence fee.”
Charter renewal hold-up resolved
The source said there had been a “hold-up” with the charter renewal talks under the previous administration. “But now we have had a change of prime minister, we are able to press ahead with the plan to expand it to streaming platforms,” they added.
The money raised would be used “to help support local journalism and counter a lot of the conspiracy theories and fake news which we have seen help parties like Reform getting elected in different parts of the country”, the source said.
BBC responds to funding reform calls
A BBC spokesperson said: “We have consistently argued that the current funding model is outdated and needs reform. We will continue to engage with government to secure a new charter that provides sustainable, sufficient and universal funding so the BBC can deliver for audiences for generations to come.”
The Royal Charter is the constitutional basis for the BBC. The current Charter has an end date of 31 December 2027, beyond which the BBC would no longer exist as a legal entity.
Government warns of BBC future without action
The government has said the current TV licence fee is outdated and no longer fit for purpose, as it does not reflect the way people watch television now, and the amount of income it generates is declining year on year. If the government does not act now and the pattern of non-payment continues, there will not be a BBC as we know it by the end of the next Charter period, it has argued.
A DCMS spokesperson said: “The BBC must be funded by a model that is sustainable and fair to all those that are paying it. Through Charter Review, we are looking at a range of options, including how the licence fee could be reformed, but no final decisions have been made.”
