Why BBC licence fee freeze feels like political revenge – a letter to the FT

CAMRI Scholars, Prof. Jean Seaton and Prof. Steven Barnett, along with Doctoral Researcher Christopher Day, and others from the world of media and broadcasting, have written to the FT to express their concerns about the BBC Licence fee freeze.

The letter was published by the FT on 26th January and is reproduced in full below.

Regarding the report about freezing the BBC licence fee (“Cabinet opposition forced climbdown on ending BBC licence fee”, Report, FT.com, January 19) we calculate it would have cost just 2p per day to increase the licence fee in line with inflation.

For all its talk of “global Britain” in the post-Brexit world, the Boris Johnson government now seems intent on emasculating one of the UK’s few remaining institutions that is internationally admired and delivers huge soft power and economic benefits to the UK.

The BBC has already suffered a 30 per cent real terms inflation-adjusted cut in income over the past 10 years. To inflict further cuts — amounting to at least £3bn over the next five years — at a time of growing concerns over disinformation and the polarising influence of social media, feels like an act of political vengeance.

Last May you reported on an open letter signed by over 120 public figures expressing concern about the secretive nature of policymaking over public service broadcasting, and drawing attention to the government’s public service broadcasting advisory panel that was appointed without consultation and which produced no minutes or agendas.

At the lobby group British Broadcasting Challenge we feel, like others, it is now time to remove these funding decisions entirely from government control and political influence. Instead of what look like vindictive decisions taken behind closed doors, we need an open, independent and representative body that will examine whether there are fair and democratic alternatives to the licence fee that will guarantee a universally available BBC, of scale and scope.

The BBC belongs to all of us. This government has demonstrated why decisions on its future and funding must not be left to secret backroom deals.

Pat Younge Chair, British Broadcasting Challenge Managing Director, Cardiff Productions

Jean Seaton Professor of Media History University of Westminster

Steven Barnett Professor of Communications University of Westminster

Chris Waiting Media Executive

Rosaleen Hughes Former Radio Producer

Lindsay Mackie Writer

Christopher Day Media Researcher

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash