This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/09/boris-johnson-looking-at-abolishing-tv-licence-fee-for-bbc

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Boris Johnson 'looking at' abolishing TV licence fee for BBC Boris Johnson 'looking at' abolishing TV licence fee for BBC
(about 5 hours later)
Remarks came amid row over PM’s refusal to look at a picture of a sick boy in hospitalRemarks came amid row over PM’s refusal to look at a picture of a sick boy in hospital
Boris Johnson has threatened to take the BBC’s licence fee away as a source of funding, as he came under fire over a damaging row about his refusal to acknowledge a picture of a sick boy left waiting on a hospital floor. Boris Johnson has threatened to take the BBC’s licence fee away, as he called into question its status as a publicly funded broadcaster.
The prime minister suggested the licence fee, which is guaranteed to continue until at least 2027, was a general tax that can no longer be justified when other media organisations have found other ways of funding themselves. The prime minister suggested the licence fee, which is guaranteed to continue until at least 2027, was a general tax that could no longer be justified when other media organisations have found other ways of funding themselves.
Johnson’s threat to the publicly funded status of the BBC came as he faced growing pressure on a difficult day for his campaign. Johnson’s threat to the publicly funded status of the BBC came on a difficult day for his campaign, as he came under fire over his response to a photo of a sick four-year-old sleeping on the floor of A&E.
After an ITV journalist tried to show him the photo on his phone, Johnson refused to look at it and eventually took the phone from the reporter out of shot and put it in his own pocket. After the reporter, Joe Pike, pointed out what he had just done, Johnson took the phone out, looked at the picture and apologised to the boy’s family and anyone else suffering “terrible experiences” in hospitals. The prime minister made the pronouncement as he took questions from workers at a haulage firm in the Labour stronghold of Washington in the north-east, arguing in favour of Brexit alongside the former Labour MP Gisela Stuart.
As Labour branded him uncaring, the prime minister took questions from workers at a haulier in the Labour stronghold of Washington in the north-east, arguing in favour of Brexit alongside the former Labour MP Gisela Stuart. Asked why he would not get rid of TV licence fees, Johnson said: “At this stage we are not planning to get rid of all licence fees, though I am certainly looking at it. I’m under pressure not to extemporise policy on the hoof.
Asked why he would not get rid of TV licence fees, Johnson said: “At this stage we are not planning to get rid of all licence fees though I am certainly looking at it. I’m under pressure not to extemporise policy on the hoof.
“But you have to ask yourself whether that kind of approach to funding a TV media organisation still makes sense in the long term given the way other media organisations manage to fund themselves.“But you have to ask yourself whether that kind of approach to funding a TV media organisation still makes sense in the long term given the way other media organisations manage to fund themselves.
“The system of funding out of effectively a general tax bears reflection. How long can you justify a system whereby everybody who has a TV has to pay to fund a particular set of TV and radio channels.” “The system of funding out of effectively a general tax bears reflection. How long can you justify a system whereby everybody who has a TV has to pay to fund a particular set of TV and radio channels?”
Any changes to the BBC’s funding model would require parliament to pass fresh legislation, with the broadcaster’s royal charter currently guaranteeing the existence of the licence fee until 2027. However, separate negotiations will start soon over how much the BBC can charge for the licence fee from 2022 onwards – offering an opportunity to limit the organisation’s funding.Any changes to the BBC’s funding model would require parliament to pass fresh legislation, with the broadcaster’s royal charter currently guaranteeing the existence of the licence fee until 2027. However, separate negotiations will start soon over how much the BBC can charge for the licence fee from 2022 onwards – offering an opportunity to limit the organisation’s funding.
A Tory source later said that the government had been looking at two options: scrapping the licence fee or decriminalising its non-payment. When later pressed on whether he wanted to withdraw public support for the BBC altogether, Johnson replied: “The BBC is not going to be privatised.”
The policy was not mentioned in the Conservative party manifesto but Nicky Morgan, the outgoing culture secretary, hinted last month that the days of the licence fee could be numbered. He added: “What I said is that I think the licence fee needs to be argued for. We live in an age when lots of media organisations have to compete. The BBC is funded on a very different basis. The case for that needs to argued through. Funding one particular media organisation out of general taxation is a singularity. The case needs to be made.”
He also said a lot of time was being taken up with prosecutions for non-payment of the licence fee, which can be “heavy-handed”, saying: “We are looking at the possibility of decriminalising.”
A Tory source said the government had been looking at two options: scrapping the licence fee and decriminalising its non-payment.
A BBC spokesperson said: “As we’ve said before, the licence fee ensures a universal BBC which serves everyone, is the most popular funding system among the public and is agreed as the method of funding the BBC for another eight years.”
The policy was not mentioned in the Conservative party manifesto, but Nicky Morgan, the outgoing culture secretary, hinted last month that the days of the licence fee could be numbered.
Morgan, who is standing down as an MP, had said she was “open-minded” about scrapping the licence fee and replacing it with a Netflix-style subscription service, although sources in her department later downplayed the significance of her comments.Morgan, who is standing down as an MP, had said she was “open-minded” about scrapping the licence fee and replacing it with a Netflix-style subscription service, although sources in her department later downplayed the significance of her comments.
The BBC is already dealing with the aftermath of the decision to start charging most over-75s for the fee, which will come into effect this summer. The corporation was forced to make the cuts after former chancellor George Osborne pushed the BBC to take responsibility for the benefit, which was previously paid by the government.The BBC is already dealing with the aftermath of the decision to start charging most over-75s for the fee, which will come into effect this summer. The corporation was forced to make the cuts after former chancellor George Osborne pushed the BBC to take responsibility for the benefit, which was previously paid by the government.
David Henderson, a mechanic at Fergusons Transport who asked about the licence fee, said he was happy with the answer and planned to vote Tory for the first time.David Henderson, a mechanic at Fergusons Transport who asked about the licence fee, said he was happy with the answer and planned to vote Tory for the first time.
Others at the haulier gave the prime minister a tough time over the potential impact of Brexit on jobs in the north-east and Tory disinformation during the campaign. Others at the firm gave the prime minister a tough time over the potential impact of Brexit on jobs in the north-east and Tory disinformation during the campaign.
Paige Hood, an administrator, tackled him over why the Tories had paid for a “fake news” website to be the top Google result when people search for Jeremy Corbyn’s manifesto. Paige Hood, an administrator, tackled him over why the Tories had paid for a “fake news” website to be the top Google result when people search for Jeremy Corbyn’s manifesto. The prime minister declined to answer, saying he “hadn’t the foggiest idea” what she was talking about and claimed it was a “media diversion”.
He declined to answer saying he “hadn’t the foggiest idea” what she was talking about and claimed it was a “media diversion”.
Johnson was also pressed by journalists over his seeming lack of empathy over the sick four-year-old in Leeds. He claimed that he was investing in the NHS and turned the subject on to Brexit, saying it was necessary to get it done in order to invest in public services.