The BBC should be funded by a voluntary subscription, not the TV license fee, a leading think tank has said.
Says the Adam Smith Institute – in a report, Global Player or Subsidy Junkie? Decision Time for the BBC – the broadcaster “should no longer be allowed to exploit the exclusive benefits of public subsidy”.
Says the report, compiled by former BBC producer, David Graham: “The BBC is, in reality, a subsidised entertainment firm with some non-commercial obligations.
“The BBC should no longer be allowed to exploit the exclusive benefits of public subsidy. The hostility of its competitors is justified.
“Continued commitment to subsidy via the Licence Fee will mean contraction and decline.”
Graham's conclusions were widely reported yesterday including on page 10 of The Herald newspaper.
A voluntary subscription-based model, as an alternative to the licence fee, he says “affords the opportunity to enhance ownership, involvement and participation”.
Adds Graham, in the report: “It would harness its huge reputation and high-calibre staff to new, ambitious objectives, and would encourage the BBC to lead the drive to create a bigger presence for itself and other UK players in global media.”
Read the full report here.
