The UK’s Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has reportedly considered alternatives to the BBC’s licence fee ahead of the Royal Charter renewal in 2027.
According to The Sunday Times, Nandy has considered alternative funding models, including the idea of general taxation. It states that she believes the licence fee is “not financially sustainable.”
The paper quotes a source as stating the minister “believes that our national broadcaster should be owned by the nation: the money would go in from taxes but citizens would own it and be involved in decisions about its strategic direction.”
Nandy has previously said the government would consider mutualising the BBC as part of its review of the Royal Charter.
In September, she told the FT that mutualisation had been considered by previous Conservative and Labour governments, and it’s something she felt “was worth exploring.”
“There is nothing off the table,” she added. “I want us to think really creatively about the challenges that the BBC faces, the challenges we have as a nation, and how we go about future-proofing the BBC for the next few decades.”
