The UK public back the annual licence fee to fund pubcaster the BBC, although many think the price is too high, according to the latest Strategy Analytics report.
The study found that 71 per cent of people in the UK rate the BBC as important and are satisfied with the service it provides, with older and wealthier respondents offering more positive reviews of the pubcaster.
When asked about the best way of funding the BBC, 41 per cent said the licence fee is the best option, 28 per cent preferred an ad-funded model, and 15 per cent suggested subscriptions. A total of 29 per cent want the licence fee scrapped.
The licence fee currently costs £145.50, higher than the average £101.57 that people said they were willing to pay. However, almost half of the survey respondents did not actually know how much the current licence fee is.
“Overall, the BBC has strong appeal with and satisfaction among the British public, although it struggles to identify with younger and lower income groups,” said David Mercer, Strategy Analytics’ digital consumer practice.
“These are the groups who tend to be most resistant to the idea of the licence fee, so the BBC will be under pressure to increase its ratings with these audiences if it wishes to retain the licence fee in future Charter negotiations.”
