UK households are scrapping their BBC TV Licence to avoid the upcoming £174 levy due to new regulations under consideration.
A report suggests that the current Labour Party government is mulling over a policy requiring people to pay the TV licence fee, even if they solely utilise streaming platforms.
The move is part of government efforts to revamp how the public-service broadcaster is funded, according to Bloomberg. The TV Licence fee is currently £169.50, roughly translating to £14 monthly via Direct Debit, but is set to climb to £174.50 later this year, reports Birmingham Live.
After the suggested plan for payments from non-BBC users was mooted, Brits headed to social media to voice their anger. One person simply said: “Sorry, but no. People already pay to use these services.”
Another irate TV fan vented on X, formerly Twitter: “Why should I pay to subscribe on Netflix/Disney/Prime/NOW and then pay for a BBC TV licence that I don’t use or need? Madness.”
Another remarked: “I will cancel my Netflix account immediately. I don’t pay for a licence already as I don’t watch live broadcast.” Meanwhile, one commented: “Why should I pay a fee to NOT watch your services when I’m already paying for the subscriptions?”
A TV Licence remains a statutory necessity for those who watch or record live television across any channel, be it through Sky, Virgin, Freeview, Freesat, or enjoy real-time streams on services such as ITVX, Channel 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now, Sky Go – and it’s compulsory for BBC iPlayer usage.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has revealed that she’s “already started initial discussions with the BBC leadership about the Charter Review”, a process aimed to “future-proof our national broadcaster until well into the latter half of this century”.
The Labour Party minister and Cabinet member also confirmed this week that the Government is not contemplating funding the BBC through general taxation.
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