Survey finds viewers support BBC sharing licence fee

A survey from the Department of Culture Media and Sport has found that 65% of viewers support a small part of the licence fee being used to subsidise regional news on other channels.

The survey of 2,024 people found that 24% of respondents were in favour of the full licence fee going to the BBC, while 71% of respondents thought regional news should be available on non-BBC channels and 17% thought BBC regional news was sufficient.

Almost half (48%) were in favour of the licence fee being used to support non-news programmes on other channels, with 35% saying that the fee should only be used on BBC content and services.

The results of the survey contradict research quoted by BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons last week in an open letter to licence fee payers.

The Ipsos Mori research – commission by the BBC – said that the public supports the BBC and would, if anything, like to see a reduction in the licence fee as opposed to surplus money being given out to commercial broadcasters.