BBC looks at licence fee overhaul as whopping 300,000 fewer Brits sign up for £174.50 a year cost

Scottish Sun

15-07-2025

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THE BBC is looking into a licence fee overhaul with hundreds of thousands of households refusing to pay up.
The broadcaster's annual report released today says competition from streaming services has created a "moment of real jeopardy for the sector".
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A view of BBC Broadcasting House in central London
Credit: PA
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An estimated 300,000 households have stopped paying.
The report revealed 23.8m licences were in force at the end of the year, down from 24.1m in 2023-24.
The drop means a loss of about £50m in revenue for the corporation.
It comes as BBC Director-General Tim Davie was shown to have been given a £15,000 annual pay rise despite a string of controversies in recent months, including involving Gregg Wallace, Huw Edwards and Bob Vylan.
And departing Match of the Day host Gary Lineker ended his time with the Corporation by topping its pay league for the eighth consecutive year, raking in £1.35million.
Key points in the BBC Annual Report
Gary Lineker has topped the list of highest earners for another year
He was followed by Zoe Ball, who remains second best-paid at the Beeb despite her dramatic pay cut
More than two thirds of the broadcaster's top 20 earners received pay rises
BBC Breakfast star Naga Munchetty received a boost to her pay, but co-host Charlie Stayt's salary stayed the same
Disgraced presenter Huw Edwards did not feature on the list after his exit from the broadcaster
Meanwhile the number of people paying for a TV licence fell by around 300,000 last year - almost two per cent in all
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Referring to the licence fee, BBC Chair Samir Shah says in the annual report: 'The fight is on, and it is vital we now think very carefully about the kind of media environment we want for the UK.'
He added they were searching for 'the best future funding model for the BBC'.
Shah said: 'I have already set out some views on this and the board will be saying more over the coming months,' he said.
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'But all of us are clear that we want to make sure we protect the BBC as a universal service and help it not just to survive, but thrive, for a generation and more.'
Licence fee income increased slightly year on year, totalling £3.8bn in 2024-25.
However, the small rise was down to the 6.7% inflationary increase in the fee to £169.50 a year.
'The current collection method remains fair, effective, and good value for money,' the report said.
'As we approach the end of the charter, we will proactively research how we might reform the licence fee to secure the benefits of a well-resourced, universal BBC of scale for the long term.'
'Inappropriate behaviours'
Today's report also features a column by Dr Shah in which he references the "profoundly shocking revelations" involving disgraced News At Ten anchor Huw Edwards.
He announced in October the Beeb's board had commissioned an independent review into its "workplace culture".
It came in the wake of Edwards, as well as "several further cases of inappropriate behaviours and abuses of power", Dr Shah wrote.
Top 10 earners at the BBC Gary Lineker - £1.35million Zoe Ball - £515,000 - cut from £950,000 Alan Shearer - £440,000 - up from £380,000 Greg James - £425,000 - up from £415,000 Fiona Bruce - £410,000 - up from £405,000 AND Nick Robinson - £410,000 - up from £345,000 Stephen Nolan - £405,000 Laura Kuenssberg - £395,000 - up from £325,000 Vernon Kay - £390,000 - up from £320,000 Justin Webb - £365,000 - up from £320,000 Naga Munchetty - £355,000 - up from £345,000
In his column, he added: "The first thing to say is that the BBC is a wonderful place to work.
"Our staff are dedicated, hardworking and treat each other with respect.
"However, there are pockets in the organisation where this is not the case. There are still places where powerful individuals - on and off-screen - can abuse that power to make life for their colleagues unbearable."
It comes after former MasterChef host Wallace launched a scathing attack on the broadcaster and threatened his "next move" yesterday after he was sacked.
The one-time greengrocer turned TV personality, 60, was axed after an investigation upheld 45 out of the 83 allegations made against him.
The bombshell inquiry, carried out by law firm Lewis Silkin for production company Banijay, unveiled a litany of complaints against him.
Most of them involved inappropriate sexual language and humour and a further 10 were made about other people - two of which were substantiated.
Davie was also asked today about whether Wallace's co-host John Torode would remain on the show, after the presenter confirmed on Instagram he had a standalone allegation of racist language upheld in the same report.
The director-general said: "There has to be follow-up, so the BBC, in some ways, we're quite simple on this, if someone is found to not live up to the values we expect, the independent company, Banijay, in this case, to take action and report back to us on what they have done.
"These aren't BBC employees, but we absolutely expect action to be taken, that's the first thing I'd say."
'Get a grip quicker'
Last week BBC bosses were told to "get a grip quicker" after the live stream of punk rap duo Bob Vylan's Glastonbury set was left on air despite controversial comments which some interpreted as antisemitic.
Ofcom boss Dame Melanie Dawes insisted there is a risk the public lose faith in the corporation if coverage isn't pulled swiftly and investigations are lengthy.
The broadcaster had apologised after the band's lead singer chanted 'death, death' to Israeli defence forces during their festival set last month.
The regulator also stepped in to launch a probe into Beeb doc Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, which faced backlash when it was revealed the narrator was the son of a Hamas official.
The BBC previously admitted to breaching their own editorial guidelines by failing to disclose this to viewers.
An independent probe into the documentary was commissioned by the broadcaster earlier this year.
The broadcaster spent £400,000 of licence payers' cash making the doc, which was branded a propaganda show for the evil terror group Hamas, The Sun revealed in February.
In a shocking revelation, the main narrator of the heart-tugging, supposedly factual exposé - 13-year-old Abdulla Eliyazour - was the son of senior Hamas official Dr Ayman Al-Yazouri.
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Tim Davie, Director-General of the BBC, has seen his pay rise despite controversies
Credit: Getty
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Punk Duo Bob Vylan during the controversial Glastonbury set on Saturday
Credit: PA
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Gregg said he was 'deeply sorry for any distress caused'
Credit: Pixel8000