The fee had been scheduled to rise once again but that plan has now been thrown into question
The Government could block the next scheduled rise of the BBC licence fee, reports say. A decision must be taken by February next year on whether to allow the next change to the licence fee cost.
Under the current deal, it will rise by inflation every year until 2027. The fee had been expected to go up by the annual figure for inflation in September.
That was 3.8 per cent. However, the Daily Telegraph reports that culture secretary Lisa Nandy is deciding whether to allow the next rise of around £7 to go ahead in the spring – or block it.
The rise, if it did go ahead, would see a normal colour television licence fee go up to just over £181.
The paper reports that she is “weighing up” whether to allow the next inflation-based rise. The Telegraph says that sources close to her are emphasising that no decision has yet been made on whether to approve the riser.
In 2022, the licence fee was frozen for two years. The then Tory government said that was aimed at supporting UK households as living costs rose.
The broadcaster has recently seen the resignation of director general Tim Davie after a Panorama episode about Donald Trump included doctored footage of a speech he gave before the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Mr Trump has threatened to sue the BBC over the broadcast. And on Monday, Samir Shah, the BBC chairman, is scheduled to face MPs on the culture select committee with BBC board member Sir Robbie Gibb.
Nigel Huddleston, shadow culture secretary, told The Telegraph: “It is difficult to see how the BBC can justify an increase given current controversies over governance and impartiality and growing concerns over value for money.
“More and more people are already moving away from the BBC and have stopped paying the licence fee. This trend will surely accelerate with any further increase.”
Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader, said this week that the current BBC funding model was “completely unacceptable”. He has pledged to bring in new laws to amend the broadcaster’s Royal Charter.
There are questions over the licence fee’s future. The Telegraph reports that Ms Nandy is believed to be planning to carry out a consultation on the BBC’s Royal Charter before Christmas.
She will reportedly look at major reform of the licence fee as part of a “comprehensive look at the way the BBC operates”.
A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: “No final decision has yet been made on the exact level of next year’s licence fee. We will set this out in due course.”
