The BBC license fee could be abolished and replaced with a new funding model after 2027, said Nadine Dorries. The culture minister said the current model was “completely outdated” and that in the coming months ministers would “look very seriously at how we fund the BBC”. Ms Doris said she was also thinking about how the media regulator Ofcom could “think about the BBC”. In an interview with Spectator, Ms Doris said: “We will announce very soon that we will look very seriously at how the BBC is funded. “We are ready to implement a new way of financing.”
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Ms Doris said she would also look at “how Ofcom is accountable to the BBC”. On Thursday, the government published a white paper aimed at implementing reforms in broadcasting to “create a new golden age of British television and help the country’s public service broadcasters thrive.” The document did not provide further details on the BBC funding reforms. In January, Ms Dorries confirmed that the leave fee would freeze at 9 159 for the next two years, before rising by about 10 per cent over the next four years. The current license fee system could potentially be replaced by a Netflix subscription for recreation and sports. Another option involves linking the fee to the city tax. The culture minister had previously criticized the BBC’s “elitist” and “snobbish” approach and accused the company of having too few working-class staff. It comes as it has been revealed that new broadcasting legislation will come into force that will allow viewers to complain about shows and movies on streaming services such as Netflix. Ofcom will be able to fine services up to 250 250,000 if they violate a “on-demand video code” designed to protect the public from harmful content, such as climate change misinformation or coronavirus. Ministers hope this will level the playing field for traditional broadcasters, which are subject to rules controlled by Ofcom.
