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BBC boss hits back at calls 'top-slice' licence fee
24.06.09
The director general of the BBC Mark Thompson today came out firmly against Government proposals to "top-slice" the TV licence fee to provide around £130 million for commercial broadcasters.
Mr Thompson said that moves towards top-slicing appeared to be driven by "ideologically focused" individuals determined to "drive a wedge" into the principle of licence fee funding for the BBC. There were "no circumstances" in which the proposal would be a good idea, he said.
Top-slicing was one of the key recommendations in last week's Digital Britain report by communications minister Lord Carter and legislation is expected to be introduced in this autumn's Queen's Speech following a brief consultation.
Lord Carter argued that from 2013, around 3.5% of the fee could be allocated to public service programming on non-BBC channels such as ITV and Channel 4 to support important but unprofitable services including regional news and shows for children.
The chairman of the BBC Trust Sir Michael Lyons, representing licence fee-payers, warned on the report's publication on June 16 that the fee should not be used as a "slush fund" and that top-slicing would "damage BBC output, reduce accountability and compromise independence".
Today, his concerns were echoed by Mr Thompson, who is in charge of operations at the BBC, in an interview with Radio 4's Media Show.
Mr Thompson said: "I believe that the risk in the end to the independence and the ability of the BBC to deliver its services to the public is so great that in my view there are no circumstances in which I think top-slicing would be a good idea."
And he added: "When Ofcom was interested in a public service publisher, it was going to take about £100 million and the licence fee looked like a good source for that. Then it was Channel 4 that was going to need perhaps £100 million and the licence fee was a good source for it. Now, we are told regional news might need £100 million.
"There is a suspicion that for some years now there has been a small group of people who have been ideologically focused more on the principle of getting a wedge into the licence fee and trying to prove a point about the principle of top-slicing, rather than having a particular urgent need."
Mr Thompson's interview can be heard in full on the Media Show at 1.30pm today.
Reader views (12)
We should absolutely not be giving forced TV-Tax to independent companies. Especially the likes of CH4.
We should be looking at cutting or scrapping the tax.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
'scuse me - is it a TV licence or a BBC licence we're talking about here?
- Rogan, Irving
Get on with it Thompson, we have too.
- C Cusano, Bedford
I think we should top slice the licence tax by 100%.
Well said Nobby, what else would people expect Mark Thompson say. He has a safe job, he still gets paid no matter what rubbish they broadcast.
- Ge, Kernow (Nation of)
I think we should top slice the licence tax by 100%. Sell off the BBC to the highest bidder - if anyone is interested - and let them depend on commercial finance instead of the taxpayer. Let's see how much people are willing to pay if they are not forced to cough up for the Beeb.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one
This is such a clever distraction and everyone has been sucked in. Due to the collapse in advertising the BBC have started this weird public fight when all they want is to ensure they get to keep the TV license. The TV license should have gone, they only allowed the BBC to continue getting this money and to receive an increase to help fund for the digital switchover. If they encrypted the channel and made it subscription only they would follow santanta.
- Gary, brentwood
ITVs problems stem from its disastrous adventures with ITV digital - saved by the BBC and its appalling offerings. Channel 4 got into a mess spending millions on radio licences that nearly bankrupted the station.
Why should the BBC now be asked to bail out commercial failures. It seems those in the commerical sector opposed to the BBC have scored a massive hit against them. It is we as viewers who will suffer from the awful dross we will have to sit through if we further damamge our only surviving great national institution.
- Stephen Markham, London, UK
I would willingly pay £500 a year for my TV licence,if it means we can watch any programme without having commercial breaks, that have become so long,one forgets what one was watching in the first place,or does Adam enjoy watching the Meer cat advertisment?
- Colin, Bristol
This is the thin end of a very large wedge. If you allow money to be taken from its designated purpose and spent elsewhere it will establish the principle of general taxation. For example, today the licence fee is spent propping up a failing broadcaster such as Channel 4, but tomorrow it could be used for any other purpose, such as repairing potholes in the roads.
If Channel 4 can't manage to attract enough viewers and advertisers to keep going, it's too bad. They can go bust like any other business. I don't want the money I've been forced to pay the BBC being used to subsidise Channel 4 and their garbage programs such as "Big Brother".
- Kate, London
Before the licence fee is top sliced, there is a miriad of other ways that ITV could fund local news. Share the Beebs output, cut back on celebrity salaries, (BBC are rumoured to be doing so), cut the pay of the so called executives, but most of all reduce the dividend to the shareholders, because the only really obvious place that any BBC contribution will go is to the share holders. It allows ITV to continue spending, gets someone else to pick up the tab, and give the profits to shareholders, including no doubt the directors of ITV, who will probably receive part of their remuneration based on profitability. Self interest? I couldn't possibly say that, could I.
- Alan, carlisle uk
The BBC is running away with itself at the cost of restricting the development of other broadcasters. The BBC effectively has a blank cheque and that is not good for the consumer.
- Tony Islander, Herts
Never mind top slicing the license fee. It should be completely sliced. Scrapped in fact. It's as relevant today as a Newspaper licence. Consign it to the dustbin of history and force the BBC to operate in the commercial world.
- Adam, Harrow, UK
