U.K. culture secretary Nadine Dorries has confirmed that the BBC’s funding will be frozen for the next two years—but has softened her stance on the permanent abolition of the television license fee. (The Guardian)
For four years from April 2024, the fee will rise again in line with inflation, Dorries said. The BBC and the government have been in negotiations since late 2020 over the amount that TV owners must pay over the next five years. For the past five years, the fee has increased in line with inflation annually. (NYT)
Dorries had tweeted on Sunday that Monday’s license fee announcement would be the last and argued it was time “to discuss and debate new ways of funding, supporting and selling great British content.” (Politico)
Created to educate, inform and entertain, the BBC has been admired around the world for its high-quality news output, drama and documentaries by broadcasters such as David Attenborough. But in recent years it has struggled to navigate the heightened political and cultural disputes gripping Britain, notably about Brexit, with critics saying its London-centric, metropolitan viewpoint fails swathes of the country. (Reuters)