British Public Willing To Pay More For BBC Licence Fee

The British public is willing to shell out more than £30 extra per year for the BBC licence fee, according to a government commissioned report, expected to be unveiled by the culture secretary at the Royal Television Society later today.

Tessa Jowell revealed that the report, compiled by the Work Foundation from a survey of 7,000 people, supports the BBC’s argument for an increased fee, but also indicates that those willing to pay the most were more likely to be well-educated and earn over £50,000 a year.

Although the universal licence fee, currently more than £130, is secure for the next ten years, 75% of respondents said they would prefer new services to be funded by subscription. The BBC wants the fee increased to £180 by 2013.

The report also found that of the BBC’s proposed services, new digital and online learning for 14 to 18-year-olds was most popular, with 67.7% in favour. A free-to-air satellite service, more local news and improved quality programming were also popular among those surveyed.

“People agreed that the BBC is a public service, and new services like very local news and learning opportunities for 14- to 18-year-olds were seen to have a value for society at large,” Jowell is expected to tell the Society.

“The public are willing to pay for them. But … the public won’t hand over a blank cheque. Digital Do-it-All simply is not on the agenda. People want to have more of a say in the future of the BBC. They want more choice over what they pay. They want more control over what services they receive.”

The Corporation has asked for an increase of 2.3% above inflation to boost its programmes and digital services, primarily to help with switchover, but Jowell has said the BBC will not get its full amount, while commercial rivals such as ITV have opposed its request for more money. A decision is expected by November.

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