BBC Licence Fee To Increase

Peter Brooke announced yesterday that the TV licence fee will rise in line with inflation, until the BBC’s current charter expires on 31 December 1996. This means the fee will rise by £1.50 to £84.50 from April 1.

Peter Brooke published results from the survey carried out by Touche Ross into efficiency of the BBC. He congratulated the BBC for making good progress in efficiency.

He added that this was good news for viewers and listeners, because the money saved had been channelled back into programmes. The licence rise should also mean that the BBC will eliminate its annual borrowing.

LICENCE FINE REVOKED

• On Monday this week, in a ruling believed to be the first of its kind, a man in Leeds won an appeal against a fine imposed earlier in the year for not having a television licence. He had the tuner removed from his set, so he could not pick up terrestrial television channels, enabling him to watch satellite and videos only.

SATELLITE: MORE EUROPEAN VIEWING

• Peter Brooke has published a report to the EC Commission on the European content of broadcasts in the UK. It shows that some broadcasters in the UK are providing too little European programming.