The government has published a consultation document that will examine alternative ways of funding the BBC to future-proof the service and improve public trust.
In its Green Paper, the government calls for the public to provide their input on alternative funding models that could help support the revenue gained through the BBC’s licence fee.
These include allowing advertising to be shown on specific broadcasts and platforms, as well as a possible top-up subscription service.
“On the more fundamental options of advertising and subscription, we are considering options ranging from targeted advertisements on bbc.co.uk or YouTube, to full advertising across all BBC platforms,” the goverment said.
“We are also considering a targeted top-up subscription service for historic BBC content, increasing to a more expansive subscription service where commercial programmes are behind a paywall.”
“These options could further supplement BBC public funding to facilitate greater investment in content and/or enable the cost of the licence fee for households to be managed,” it said.
Currently, the BBC licence fee costs viewers £174.50, subject to various concessions.
The government is considering public input on whether more concessions could be made for viewers or if a new structure could be imposed that would see viewers pay more or less depending on which services they use.
The government has not yet identified a preferred model yet, and is seeking input from the public on a number of questions related to trust in the BBC, advertisements, subscriptions, and licence fee affordability to inform its renewal of the BBC Charter, which expires at the end of 2027.
Questions asked to the public around the BBC’s funding include the following:
- “To what extent do you agree that the licence fee should continue to fund a wide range of services and output that aim to inform, educate and entertain audiences?”
- “To what extent do you agree that the scope of the licence fee should be reformed to support the BBC’s long term sustainability, which could involve requiring more households to pay but with each paying less?”
- “To what extent do you agree or disagree that BBC content or services should carry advertising, bearing in mind how this could provide a new income stream for the BBC, how it might impact the audience experience and the impact on other broadcasters?”
- “Would you be willing to pay for a BBC top-up subscription service focused on premium and entertainment content, in addition to your licence fee, assuming it was a similar price to other popular video-on-demand subscription services?”
The public are able to provide their feedback on the Green Paper by completing a survey on the official government website.
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