Why the BBC has a licence fee and what might happen if it were scrapped

By Simon Potter, Professor of Modern History, University of Bristol

The TV licence is as much part of British life as the BBC, which it helps to fund. But in an era of increased media choice – much of it available online, through voluntary subscriptions or even for free – BBC director general Tim Davie has said it is right to ask questions about the “longevity” of this universal fee.

Critics say that the TV licence is an unfair burden on the less well-off, and that the BBC wastes public money while failing to live up to its declared commitment to political impartiality.

Conservative…

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