The government is reportedly preparing to announce a formal review into the future of the licence fee as soon as this autumn.
The funding model for the BBC is currently protected until the end of 2027, when the current royal charter expires.
According to The Times, the review will examine all possible options for how the BBC could be funded in future - including retaining the licence fee, moving to a part-subscription model, a levy on home broadband bills or even introducing commercial advertising.
The news comes as the current two-year freeze on the cost of a licence fee comes to an end next April. Were it to rise in line with inflation, then the cost would rise by a record £13 a year to £172, although the culture secretary is expected to intervene and instead use a monthly figure taken from later this year, when inflation is predicted to have fallen.
The long-mooted funding review would take around a year to complete, provisionally reporting back its findings to the government in September or October 2024.
Neil Wilkes
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