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The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- The Irish Sun
BBC looks at licence fee overhaul as whopping 300,000 fewer Brits sign up for £174.50 a year cost
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". Advertisement 6 A view of BBC Broadcasting House in central London Credit: PA 6 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 Advertisement Read more News And departing Match of the Day host Gary Lineker ended his time with the Corporation by for the eighth consecutive year, raking in £1.35million. Key points in the BBC Annual Report Gary Lineker has 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 BBC boss Tim Davie 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.' Most read in News TV He added they were searching for 'the best future funding model for the BBC'. Advertisement Shah said: 'I have already set out some views on this and the board will be saying more over the coming months,' he said. Masterchef meltdown as BBC asked John Torode to RESIGN over 'racist remark' before Gregg Wallace sacking '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. Advertisement '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 He announced in October the Beeb's board had commissioned an independent review into its "workplace culture". Advertisement 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." Advertisement It comes after former MasterChef host Wallace launched The one-time greengrocer turned TV personality, 60, was axed after an The bombshell inquiry, carried out by law firm Lewis Silkin for production company Banijay, Most of them involved inappropriate sexual language and humour and a further 10 were made about other people - Advertisement Davie was also asked today about whether Wallace's co-host John Torode 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 Advertisement 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, The BBC previously admitted to breaching their own editorial guidelines by failing to disclose this to viewers. Advertisement 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, 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. 6 Tim Davie, Director-General of the BBC, has seen his pay rise despite controversies Credit: Getty Advertisement 6 Punk Duo Bob Vylan during the controversial Glastonbury set on Saturday Credit: PA 6 Gregg said he was 'deeply sorry for any distress caused' Credit: Pixel8000 6 Disgraced former BBC news anchor Huw Edwards Credit: AFP
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
BBC looks at licence fee overhaul as whopping 300,000 fewer Brits sign up for £174.50 a year cost
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) 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". 6 A view of BBC Broadcasting House in central London Credit: PA 6 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 BBC boss Tim Davie breaks silence on MasterChef future as John Torode asked to quit over 'racist remark' 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. Masterchef meltdown as BBC asked John Torode to RESIGN over 'racist remark' before Gregg Wallace sacking '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. 6 Tim Davie, Director-General of the BBC, has seen his pay rise despite controversies Credit: Getty 6 Punk Duo Bob Vylan during the controversial Glastonbury set on Saturday Credit: PA 6 Gregg said he was 'deeply sorry for any distress caused' Credit: Pixel8000
The Herald Scotland
06-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Met Police chief says policing football matches across country costs £70m
It comes after Sir Mark called for the creation of 12 to 15 bigger police forces as part of what he described as 'the first serious reform of our policing model in over 60 years'. Writing in The Sunday Times, Sir Mark said the current system of 43 county forces had not 'been fit for purpose for at least two decades'. He added that bigger forces would be better able to utilise modern technology and would reduce 'expensive' governance and support functions. Sir Mark said: 'The 43-force model was designed in the 1960s and hasn't been fit for purpose for at least two decades. It hinders the effective confrontation of today's threats and stops us fully reaping the benefits of technology. 'We need to reduce the number of forces by two-thirds, with the new bigger and fully capable regional forces supported by the best of modern technology and making better use of the limited funding available.' He also characterised Chancellor Rachel Reeves' decision to increase police funding by 2.3% above inflation each year in the recent spending review as 'disappointing'. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley leaving BBC Broadcasting House after appearing on Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg (Jeff Moore/PA) Put to him on the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg that he did not get the money that he had hoped for in the spending review and was already planning to cut 1,700 officers, then asked how many he is going to have to cut now, he said: 'So we've cut 1,600 over the last couple of years… 1,700 officers and staff this year, that 3,300 out of an organisation just over 40,000 is a big hit.' Sir Mark said they have not got all of the details on the spending settlement but he is 'nervous about whether we'll be able to make ends meet with that' which is why he is calling for police reform. Put to him that he had warned he would have to de-prioritise some crimes, and asked what the force will not investigate, Sir Mark said: 'So I don't want policing activity to fall off the list, and I know that the mayor and the Home Secretary have pushed hard for the most police funding that we can get. 'We are determined to improve day in and day out experiences of Londoners on the streets. We can only do that if we focus ruthlessly on police work. 'When new recruits join they expect they're going to spend most of their time protecting the public, enforcing the law, catching criminals. Within a couple of years 80% of them are saying 'I spend most of my time safeguarding the vulnerable, that's critical work, but that's not the core work of policing'. 'So we need help to cut away some of these areas where other pressed public services have effectively pushed work to the police. There are 80,000 missing children from children's home a year in the country. That is really problematic. 'It also falls elsewhere. Policing of football matches across the country, mainly Premier League, cost policing £70 million it doesn't get back from football clubs. In London, it's more than a third of that.' Sir Mark was asked how many officers he would have to cut (Jeff Overs/BBC) He said there should be a 'polluter pays approach' adding: 'If you're running a profit making event that because of the nature of it, requires security, requires policing to support your security because of the criminality that is going to be experienced, why isn't the organiser paying for that, rather than local communities who lose their resources to go to football matches?' Sir Mark said the police reforms are 'essential', adding: 'If we look at the spending on policing and public safety from the 80s through to the noughties, it was a much higher level than it is today. Over the last decade or more, the proportion that governments are prepared to put to policing is much lower. I don't see that changing dramatically. 'So we've got to make the best use of every pound that governments can give to us.'
Glasgow Times
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Met Police chief says policing football matches across country costs £70m
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley called for a 'polluter pays approach' and questioned why organisers of events which require policing to support their security do not pay for it. It comes after Sir Mark called for the creation of 12 to 15 bigger police forces as part of what he described as 'the first serious reform of our policing model in over 60 years'. Writing in The Sunday Times, Sir Mark said the current system of 43 county forces had not 'been fit for purpose for at least two decades'. He added that bigger forces would be better able to utilise modern technology and would reduce 'expensive' governance and support functions. Sir Mark said: 'The 43-force model was designed in the 1960s and hasn't been fit for purpose for at least two decades. It hinders the effective confrontation of today's threats and stops us fully reaping the benefits of technology. 'We need to reduce the number of forces by two-thirds, with the new bigger and fully capable regional forces supported by the best of modern technology and making better use of the limited funding available.' He also characterised Chancellor Rachel Reeves' decision to increase police funding by 2.3% above inflation each year in the recent spending review as 'disappointing'. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley leaving BBC Broadcasting House after appearing on Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg (Jeff Moore/PA) Put to him on the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg that he did not get the money that he had hoped for in the spending review and was already planning to cut 1,700 officers, then asked how many he is going to have to cut now, he said: 'So we've cut 1,600 over the last couple of years… 1,700 officers and staff this year, that 3,300 out of an organisation just over 40,000 is a big hit.' Sir Mark said they have not got all of the details on the spending settlement but he is 'nervous about whether we'll be able to make ends meet with that' which is why he is calling for police reform. Put to him that he had warned he would have to de-prioritise some crimes, and asked what the force will not investigate, Sir Mark said: 'So I don't want policing activity to fall off the list, and I know that the mayor and the Home Secretary have pushed hard for the most police funding that we can get. 'We are determined to improve day in and day out experiences of Londoners on the streets. We can only do that if we focus ruthlessly on police work. 'When new recruits join they expect they're going to spend most of their time protecting the public, enforcing the law, catching criminals. Within a couple of years 80% of them are saying 'I spend most of my time safeguarding the vulnerable, that's critical work, but that's not the core work of policing'. 'So we need help to cut away some of these areas where other pressed public services have effectively pushed work to the police. There are 80,000 missing children from children's home a year in the country. That is really problematic. 'It also falls elsewhere. Policing of football matches across the country, mainly Premier League, cost policing £70 million it doesn't get back from football clubs. In London, it's more than a third of that.' Sir Mark was asked how many officers he would have to cut (Jeff Overs/BBC) He said there should be a 'polluter pays approach' adding: 'If you're running a profit making event that because of the nature of it, requires security, requires policing to support your security because of the criminality that is going to be experienced, why isn't the organiser paying for that, rather than local communities who lose their resources to go to football matches?' Sir Mark said the police reforms are 'essential', adding: 'If we look at the spending on policing and public safety from the 80s through to the noughties, it was a much higher level than it is today. Over the last decade or more, the proportion that governments are prepared to put to policing is much lower. I don't see that changing dramatically. 'So we've got to make the best use of every pound that governments can give to us.'
Western Telegraph
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
Met Police chief says policing football matches across country costs £70m
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley called for a 'polluter pays approach' and questioned why organisers of events which require policing to support their security do not pay for it. It comes after Sir Mark called for the creation of 12 to 15 bigger police forces as part of what he described as 'the first serious reform of our policing model in over 60 years'. Writing in The Sunday Times, Sir Mark said the current system of 43 county forces had not 'been fit for purpose for at least two decades'. He added that bigger forces would be better able to utilise modern technology and would reduce 'expensive' governance and support functions. Sir Mark said: 'The 43-force model was designed in the 1960s and hasn't been fit for purpose for at least two decades. It hinders the effective confrontation of today's threats and stops us fully reaping the benefits of technology. 'We need to reduce the number of forces by two-thirds, with the new bigger and fully capable regional forces supported by the best of modern technology and making better use of the limited funding available.' He also characterised Chancellor Rachel Reeves' decision to increase police funding by 2.3% above inflation each year in the recent spending review as 'disappointing'. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley leaving BBC Broadcasting House after appearing on Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg (Jeff Moore/PA) Put to him on the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg that he did not get the money that he had hoped for in the spending review and was already planning to cut 1,700 officers, then asked how many he is going to have to cut now, he said: 'So we've cut 1,600 over the last couple of years… 1,700 officers and staff this year, that 3,300 out of an organisation just over 40,000 is a big hit.' Sir Mark said they have not got all of the details on the spending settlement but he is 'nervous about whether we'll be able to make ends meet with that' which is why he is calling for police reform. Put to him that he had warned he would have to de-prioritise some crimes, and asked what the force will not investigate, Sir Mark said: 'So I don't want policing activity to fall off the list, and I know that the mayor and the Home Secretary have pushed hard for the most police funding that we can get. 'We are determined to improve day in and day out experiences of Londoners on the streets. We can only do that if we focus ruthlessly on police work. 'When new recruits join they expect they're going to spend most of their time protecting the public, enforcing the law, catching criminals. Within a couple of years 80% of them are saying 'I spend most of my time safeguarding the vulnerable, that's critical work, but that's not the core work of policing'. 'So we need help to cut away some of these areas where other pressed public services have effectively pushed work to the police. There are 80,000 missing children from children's home a year in the country. That is really problematic. 'It also falls elsewhere. Policing of football matches across the country, mainly Premier League, cost policing £70 million it doesn't get back from football clubs. In London, it's more than a third of that.' Sir Mark was asked how many officers he would have to cut (Jeff Overs/BBC) He said there should be a 'polluter pays approach' adding: 'If you're running a profit making event that because of the nature of it, requires security, requires policing to support your security because of the criminality that is going to be experienced, why isn't the organiser paying for that, rather than local communities who lose their resources to go to football matches?' Sir Mark said the police reforms are 'essential', adding: 'If we look at the spending on policing and public safety from the 80s through to the noughties, it was a much higher level than it is today. Over the last decade or more, the proportion that governments are prepared to put to policing is much lower. I don't see that changing dramatically. 'So we've got to make the best use of every pound that governments can give to us.'
