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The committee said there were “considerable challenges” for the BBC and warned that the current TV licence fee is “outdated and no longer fit for purpose”.<\/p>\n
Currently, about 94% of individuals use the BBC each month but only 80% of households pay for a TV licence, the MPs noted.<\/p>\n
“The licence fee should be reformed so it is no longer linked to the consumption of live TV or to a particular device, such as a television set,” the committee said. <\/p>\n
“This should be an easier sell to licence fee payers if expanding the base is paired with a drop in the individual cost.”<\/p>\n
The BBC’s director-general Matt Brittin has previously described<\/a> the current licence fee model as “a busted flush” and “yesterday’s model”, and has said the price could be cut if more people pay under an overhauled system.<\/p>\n The committee also suggested the BBC should:<\/p>\n Explore the opportunity for introducing an international TV licence so it can increase its revenue and global audience<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Work with independent production companies who own the rights to many of its programmes to ensure more remain on iPlayer<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Develop its current premises with facilities that can “harness the potential of new media and support the creator economy”<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n The committee suggested the government should:<\/p>\n Support the corporation by legislating to put a BBC button on remote controls for smart TVs<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Press YouTube to give a certain level of prominence for content made by the BBC and other British public service broadcasters<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Take back full funding for the BBC World Service, describing it as “the UK’s number one soft power asset”<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n The committee supported opening up BBC iPlayer to shows from other public service broadcasters such as Channel 4.<\/p>\n\n
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