Rachel_Sandford
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Just a year after Jeremy Hunt had promised not to introduce “a PC licence fee,” the culture secretary may now be singing a different tune, exploring the possibility of extending TV license fees to services like BBC iPlayer.
Presently, British viewers pay £145.50 annually for a TV licence fee if they would like to watch or record programmes while they are broadcast, and no matter what device is being used to watch the programme. Catch up services do not require a license fee. However, with an estimated 153m radio and TV programmes available this way, it could very well be that more people will not be watching TV as it's broadcast, which means there is no need to pay the TV license. This loophole costs an estimated £200 million a year.
Hunt, who is committed to a new communications bill, promising to publish a green paper around Christmas, says that the changes in legislation will be contained within the Communications Act. A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: “Government is aware of developing technologies and the changing viewing habits of those who watch television programmes. How the BBC is funded as these issues evolve is a matter the department will need to address in the near future.”
The BBC recently voiced out, however, that there should be no changes in the current system. “We believe the current system works very efficiently and do not see a need to change its scope at present,” said a BBC spokesman.
According to the broadcaster, only 0.2% of households watch catch-up TV and no live viewing takes place. This is contrary to the 2009 review of license fee collection conducted by the BBC Trust. In the review, the trust had written the following: “It is not yet clear whether households are likely to switch to internet streaming as the sole method of watching television, avoiding the use of a dedicated television set. It is clear, however, that this is happening in some segments—research for the BBC Executive shows that 40% of students in halls of residence use a laptop as their main way to watch TV. Households may also take the opportunity that video on demand presents to forgo live television entirely, although the pull of live events may act against this.”
It is likely that the government is now exploring license fees for catch-up services because several new internet-enabled set-top boxes are to be launched next year. Another reason could be that it will be easier to track down license fee dodgers through their internet lines.
Presently, British viewers pay £145.50 annually for a TV licence fee if they would like to watch or record programmes while they are broadcast, and no matter what device is being used to watch the programme. Catch up services do not require a license fee. However, with an estimated 153m radio and TV programmes available this way, it could very well be that more people will not be watching TV as it's broadcast, which means there is no need to pay the TV license. This loophole costs an estimated £200 million a year.
Hunt, who is committed to a new communications bill, promising to publish a green paper around Christmas, says that the changes in legislation will be contained within the Communications Act. A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: “Government is aware of developing technologies and the changing viewing habits of those who watch television programmes. How the BBC is funded as these issues evolve is a matter the department will need to address in the near future.”
The BBC recently voiced out, however, that there should be no changes in the current system. “We believe the current system works very efficiently and do not see a need to change its scope at present,” said a BBC spokesman.
According to the broadcaster, only 0.2% of households watch catch-up TV and no live viewing takes place. This is contrary to the 2009 review of license fee collection conducted by the BBC Trust. In the review, the trust had written the following: “It is not yet clear whether households are likely to switch to internet streaming as the sole method of watching television, avoiding the use of a dedicated television set. It is clear, however, that this is happening in some segments—research for the BBC Executive shows that 40% of students in halls of residence use a laptop as their main way to watch TV. Households may also take the opportunity that video on demand presents to forgo live television entirely, although the pull of live events may act against this.”
It is likely that the government is now exploring license fees for catch-up services because several new internet-enabled set-top boxes are to be launched next year. Another reason could be that it will be easier to track down license fee dodgers through their internet lines.
