Culture secretary Nadine Dorries has said that she believes she has a "responsibility" to "save the BBC from itself" amid questions over its future funding.
Last month Dorries confirmed the latest licence fee settlement, which will see it frozen for the next two years, but also raised eyebrows when she tweeted that it would be "the last" settlement.
The BBC's royal charter is up for renewal in 2028 - and among the options on the table for the government is to scrap the licence fee all together.
Speaking to The Times about her views on the corporation's future, she said: "Our responsibility is to save the BBC from itself, because it is that polar bear on a shrinking ice cap. It's a global British brand, which must be protected.
"I'm afraid the BBC in its present format, in its present funding model, will not exist into the future.
"Whether I'm here or not, it will hit the buffers as more people refuse to pay the licence fee. You have to open your eyes and see what's coming."
Dorries is also looking at the future of Channel 4 and is considering a plan for it to be privatised in the near future.
Neil Wilkes
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