TV licence fee could be replaced by broadband levy, says BBC

We are open to exploring this further.” The consultation on whether to decriminalise non-payment of the licence fee closes on Wednesday, with the BBC warning that the initial cost of creating a new system where non-payment is enforced as a civil debt – similar to a utility bill – would be almost £300m. It estimates that evasion of the licence fee would almost double to about 10% of households as people realised non-payment was no longer a criminal offence, costing the public service broadcaster £200m a year on an ongoing basis in lost revenue and requiring further substantial cuts to BBC output. The former culture secretary Nicky Morgan launched the consultation on decriminalisation two months ago, in the aftermath of a rancorous general election campaign in which the BBC’s news output came under fire from across the political spectrum. The BBC is already facing a financial black hole, having suspended this summer’s planned introduction of the licence fee for most over-75s by at least two months, to ensure older viewers do not feel threatened or cut off. Cuts to BBC News staffing levels have also been postponed, while the national lockdown has also led to the suspension of visits to homes by TV licensingofficials, meaning evasion is likely to increase as people suspected of watching television without a licence are no longer being chased for payment. Many individuals in the corporation view the lockdown as a chance to show ministers what a public service broadcaster can do for a country in crisis, especially with commercial media outlets facing a dire outlook due to a collapse in the advertising market.

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