Weekly Poll: Should the BBC share the licence fee?

This week we are asking you whether the BBC should share its licence fee with other broadcasters or for other media related projects such as high-speed broadband.

This week we are asking you whether the BBC should share its licence fee with other broadcasters or for other media related projects such as high-speed broadband. The BBC has come under increasing pressure with funding over the past year since it was announced the licence fee will not rise for six years. While that may be good news for viewers (who are struggling to cope with VAT rises ect) its bad news for the corporation because in real terms that means a licence fee cut over the next six years – because of inflation.

So that already means the BBC will have to cut back on services and jobs to accommodate the fact it will be seeing less and less money each year. That is just that start of its problems though because in their doubtful wisdom the Con-Dem government in another attack on the BBC has made the corporation take over the funding costs for BBC World Service, BBC Monitoring and the Welsh language channel S4C. So the BBC has to find within its pot funding for these three additional services one of which will only benefit Welsh viewers. So another huge chunk of the licence fee has been lost to cover the costs of these which, in real terms, means cut backs, more repeats and fewer new programmes.

Now comes a new attack – on top of the continuing speculation the BBC should cover the costs of high-speed broadband/digital switch over – on the BBC’s funding. A new channel for Scotland may very well have to be funded by the BBC – even more money lost. At a time when Rupert Murdoc’s media empire is expanding its UK investment in drama and arts via Sky the BBC is looking at the very real possibility of having to pull back some of its investment. Even more interesting is the fact the Murdoc Empire is calling for the BBC to be scaled back because, seemingly, it’s become too “big”…but Murdoc’s empire hasn’t?

So this week we are asking you whether the BBC should share its licence fee. The poll is located on the right-hand side of the site. Simply select your choice and click vote. You will then be redirected to the results page.