The British government decided on the 17th to freeze the television licence fee of the BBC for 2 years, saying that the BBC needs a new financing model to alleviate the cost of living pressure and reflect the transformation of the media landscape. Opposition parties have called the BBC's financial cuts politically motivated, arguing that the government's move was to preserve the post of prime minister of the scandal-ridden Boris Johnson. In response, the BBC declined to respond.
Reuters reported that negotiations between the government and the BBC on TV licence fees have ended, and the government's decision to freeze licence fees for 2 years means that the BBC cannot raise prices until April 2024. In addition, the Government will abolish this fee altogether when the BBC Royal Charter expires at the end of 2027. The BBC's subscription licensing fee has been a topic of discussion in politics, and Prime Minister Johnson's government recently said the model needed to be reformed.
Culture Minister Doris told Parliament on the 17th that the ANNUAL TV licence fee payable by each family in the country will remain at £159 until 2024, followed by 4 years to rise with inflation. Given inflation of more than 5 per cent, Doris said a two-year freeze on TV licence fees could leave the BBC with a fiscal gap of around £2 billion.
Doris also said it is necessary for the government to seriously explore the issue of TV license fees in 2028 and beyond, and whether it is still appropriate to impose criminal penalties on people who do not pay TV license fees when people can subscribe to various streaming platforms, including Netflix and Amazon Prime. Doris tweeted, "This licensing fee notice will be the last time this discussion and debate is about new ways to fund, support and sell great British content." ”
Opposition parties say the government's decision is to keep Johnson in the prime ministerial position, who has recently been in crisis over a series of scandals in Downing Street that violated epidemic prevention measures. Labour media spokesman Lucy Powell said tv licence fees were simply negligible compared to the conservatives' proposed annual tax increases and soaring energy bills.
According to the Sunday Post, the BBC has been repeatedly blamed by conservative governments, and the two sides have been at loggerheads. Brexit is a major point of contention, with pro-Brexit Conservatives accusing the BBC of biased coverage.
Some media disclosed that Johnson was recently involved in the "party door" scandal, and was accused of participating in parties in violation of epidemic prevention regulations many times, and the call for his resignation was high. The Johnson government launched Operation Red Meat, hoping to appease party members and the public, and the BBC was just one of the targets of the operation. Sources at the Prime Minister's Residence categorically denied that the government's decision to freeze and repeal the BBC subscription licence fee was related to the BBC's report that Johnson & Johnson had violated its epidemic prevention regulations.
The opposition Labour Party says the cuts to BBC sources are politically motivated. Labour MP Bauer said: "The Prime Minister and the Minister for Culture seem to be desperate to attack this great British institution because they don't like the BBC news coverage. Previously, some Conservative MPs described BBC reports of the prime minister's violation of epidemic prevention measures as a "coup attempt" against Johnson.
It is reported that the government's move is to alleviate the growing cost of living for British consumers, as the relevant departments expect the UK inflation rate to reach more than 6% in April this year, a 30-year high, and the BBC TV licence fee will be frozen to maintain the current charge of 159 pounds, which will bring some relief at a time when British consumers are fighting against the surge in living expenses.
According to CNN analysis, as inflation rises and challenges from Netflix, the cost of producing programmes is increasing rapidly, and the BBC subscription licensing fee has been frozen, which will cause a major blow to the BBC's finances, meaning that the BBC has to cut its programme budget significantly.