Anyone who streams or watches live programmes in Britain must pay an annual TV licence — but a debate has been rumbling for some time as to whether the fee is good value for money any longer.
For the past two years the BBC’s TV licence has been frozen at £159, with an agreement it would rise in line with inflationfrom April, and in the three years after that.
But on Monday morning culture secretary Lucy Frazer effectively confirmed the corporation will have to cope with a below-inflation rise amid reports Rishi Sunak wants to block the hike in the annual charge.
A rise in the annual fee in line with inflation would amount to around £15, bumping the tax to £173.30. However, Ms Frazer said she was concerned this would be “high” while the cost of living crisis is ongoing.
Her comments came after the prime minsister told reporters that the BBC “should be realistic about what it can expect people to pay at a time like this”.
The licence fee pays for BBC services including TV, radio, the BBC website, podcasts, iPlayer and apps. Its existence is guaranteed until the end of 2027 at least by the BBC’s royal charter, which sets out its funding and purpose.
With the debate around the TV licence thrust back into the limelight, we want to know if you think the fee represents good value for money at £159 a year? Is a hike in line with inflation something you would be willing to pay for to maintain the BBC’s output?
Or are you keen to see the TV licence scrapped altogether? Would you be happy to see ads on the broadcaster’s TV and radio channels if it meant the fee was axed?
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