Thousands say BBC licence fee price hike is too much - poll results
We're mere months away from the BBC licence fee going up by more than £10 - and Mirror readers think the price hike is too much.
While we may love big-hitting shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, Match of the Day, Doctor Who and Masterchef - but are such programmes really worth forking out another £10.50 for come April?
Many are unhappy their yearly bill will increase from £159 to £169.50. Responding to our poll Is the BBC licence fee increase too much? A hefty 2,207 of you voted 'Yes, it's too much' while just 154 said 'No, (the price) is about right".
The price of a TV licence has remained frozen for the past two years, and perhaps we should count ourselves lucky - as the fee hike had been suspected to increase by almost £15 to £173.30.
To watch or record live TV on any channel in the UK you must have a TV licence. This applies whether you watch on a TV, PC, laptop, tablet, or phone. The money from the fee is also the BBC's main source of funding.
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'It's a huge rip off. I cancelled mine years ago with no regret'
Readers were quick to condemn the price rise. Here are just some of your comments:
Karadim: "The BBC has been advertising for years, in between their own shows they advertise their own programmes. Scrap the licence fee and allow BBC to auction these slots off between programmes and advertise just like ITV etc all do. It's a simple and easy solution but far too practical for this country."
Aimemilli: "It really is incredible how they can justify such a huge increase. The powers that be should stop this from happening."
VickiR: "A lot of their programmes are very outdated and there are so many repeats churned out, especially over Christmas. People are also struggling as it is, so to increase the price is just another kick in the teeth."
Halifaxlad: "BBC should become a commercial station to get the revenue. Then scrap the TV licence."
MissMaria: "I won't be paying anything! The TV tax should be abolished and the BBC forced to pay for itself. Just watch Sky or Netflix as they don't force you to pay for them."
Insia: "Rip off. We don’t get any nice programming on the BBC. Why should we pay for a TV licence in 2024?"
Phid: "I think it’s ludicrous to have a tax that rakes in so much when some public essential services are struggling to cope. I’m sure if you scrapped it and made a £100 NHS tax, folk wouldn’t be so annoyed and left feeling they were being exploited."
'The BBC is a great national institution'
In a statement to the Commons at the tail end of last year, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer also announced a review into the BBC's funding model. Frazer admitted the £10.50 fee "will still be felt by licence fee payers", as well as acknowledging "increasing pressure on the BBC licence fee income" due to "a rapidly changing media landscape".
She said: "The BBC is a great national institution and we want to ensure it is fit for the present and whatever the future holds, while keeping costs down for the public. This means ensuring the BBC is supported by a funding model that is fair to audiences, supports the creative industries and is sustainable in the age of digital and on-demand media."
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In a statement, the BBC Board said: "We note that the Government has restored a link to inflation on the licence fee after two years of no increases during a time of high inflation. The BBC is focused on providing great value, as well as programmes and services that audiences love."
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