UK government, at odds with media, set to review BBC funding – By Jill Lawless (AP News) / Feb 5 2020
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s government announced Wednesday that it is considering a change in the way the BBC is funded that would hit the coffers of the nation’s public broadcaster.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative administration — which is increasingly at odds with the country’s news media — said it would hold a “public consultation” on whether to decriminalize non-payment of the annual levy that funds the BBC.
The BBC gets most of its money from the “license fee” paid by every television-owning household, which currently stands at 154.50 pounds ($202) a year. Failing to pay can result in a fine or, in rare cases, a prison sentence.
The government argues that “the broadcasting landscape has changed dramatically,” with the rise of Netflix and other streaming services — triggering a decline in traditional television viewing.
“As we move into an increasingly digital age, with more and more channels to watch and platforms to choose from, the time has come to think carefully about how we make sure the TV licence fee remains relevant in this changing media landscape,” Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan said. “Many people consider it wrong that you can be imprisoned for not paying for your TV licence and that its enforcement punishes the vulnerable.”
Continue to article: https://apnews.com/20fd0363b96823e55b1e56d0591e268e
