Europe, UK (Commonwealth Union) – In a digital age where legacy media becomes less and less relevant, due to the rise of independent media outlets, the funding of media outlets across the world has been under scrutiny.
The Case for Defunding the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has been gaining momentum in recent years particularly in conservative circles which has been seen the BBC as an institution that is biased against them. Movements such as Defund the BBC have been leading the campaign which has drawn attention to the heavy salaries paid to presenters of the BBC and the prosecution of individuals who have failed to pay the fee.
The primary source of funding for the BBC is the TV licence fee, which is a mandatory annual fee paid by UK households that own or use a television. The current cost of a TV licence is £159 per year. The revenue generated from TV licence fees accounts for most of the BBC’s total funding.
In the Reform manifesto which has been described as a contract with the people, the BBC has been described as an out of touch and wasteful, which is institutionally biased. The TV licence is described as an unjust form of taxation without representation, and Reform have pledged to abolish it. The manifesto further states that in an age of on-demand TV, people should have the freedom to choose what they watch. However, the manifesto does not make it clear if the licence fee will be switched to a taxation which many conservatives have opposed as well.
Most of the conservatives opposed to the BBC licence fee have indicated that they as individuals should not be under any pressure to fund media institutions that they see as bias against them either by taxation or by a licence fee and that in era with independent media rising they as individuals should have a right to purchase the media outlet of their choice which they can trust and that neither should their tax money or them owning a tv set force them to fund the BBC. In spite the opposition from many conservatives to BBC many have stated that their intention is not to shut down the organisation but to make sure that those who see the organisation as a credible media institution have the choice to consume it either by a paywall or an advertising model.
In complete contrast to the Reform manifesto and to an extent reflecting the political divide the Liberal Democrat manifesto states that they will shield the BBC, S4C, BBC Alba, and Channel 4 as autonomous, state-controlled, public service broadcasting entities, however the manifesto does not elaborate on the issue of the licesing fee ban or taxation for funding the BBC.
