BBC licence fee to rise from April next year in line with inflation
The BBC licence fee will increase in line with inflation each year until 2027, the government has announced.
It will mean bills will rise by £5, or an extra 42p a month, from April next year – bringing the total cost of a TV licence to £174.50.
The hike comes after a £10.50 rise brought the charge to £169.50 in April this year.
The annual fee faced years of scrutiny under the previous government, and was frozen at £159 for two years before it was increased at a lower rate than the corporation expected.
In a statement to Parliament on Friday, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said she wanted to see the BBC “thrive for decades to come”.
She said through a review of the corporation’s Royal Charter, there would be an “honest national conversation about the broadcaster’s long-term future, ensuring the BBC has a sustainable public funding model that supports its vital work but is also fair and responsive to those who pay for it”.
Lisa Nandy told Parliament she wanted to see the BBC ‘thrive for decades’. Pic: PA
“In the short-term, we are providing the BBC with funding certainty while supporting thousands more households facing financial hardship to spread the cost of a TV licence,” Ms Nandy said.
The household payment, which funds much of the BBC’s operations, will be increased each year in line with the annual consumer price index (CPI) inflation rate.
To help households struggling with financial pressures, the government said it would expand the Simple Payment Plan (SPP), which allows those eligible to spread the cost of a licence into more manageable fortnightly and monthly instalments.
The expansion will allow an estimated additional 9,000 unlicensed households experiencing financial difficulty to pay through the SSP, the government said.
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An estimated 500,000 homes could be using the SSP by the end of 2027, according to BBC analysis.
The BBC has been under increasing financial pressure and last month revealed a raft of planned changes, including the axing of in-depth interview show Hardtalk, as it looked at reducing more than 100 news roles.
Tim Davie, director-general of the corporation, told Sky News in March that a commercial model for the licence fee would be a mistake that could leave the UK’s media market “looking exactly like America”.
A BBC spokesperson said on Friday: “We welcome confirmation that the licence fee will increase in line with inflation next year.”
They said they also looked forward to the debate about the future and that, as part of these discussions, the corporation would “run our biggest ever public engagement exercise in 2025 so that audiences are at the heart of shaping our future”.
Entertainment
Snoop Dogg becomes co-owner and investor of Swansea football club saying it’s ‘an underdog just like me’
Police are taking no further action over Kneecap’s performance at Glastonbury.
Officers said they had investigated “comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecap’s performance” at the festival on 28 June.
However, after Crown Prosecution Service advice, they decided there is not enough evidence “to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”.
The Avon & Somerset force started investigating the Irish group’s show last month, as well as comments by punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.
It said they were looking at a possible public order incident.
Police said on Friday that the investigation into Bob Vylan’s performance was ongoing.
The London duo were widely criticised – and caused a BBC crisis – after leading on-stage chants of “death to the IDF” (Israel Defence Forces).
Kneecap’s Liam Og O Hannaidh appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June. Pic: PA
Kneecap posted a photograph on Instagram, which the group said was an email from police announcing the case was being dropped.
They said their packed Glastonbury gig was a “celebration of love and solidarity” and reporting used “wildly misleading headlines”.
Fears over what Kneecap might do or say during the performance had prompted the BBC not to show it live.
The group said: “Every single person who saw our set knew no law was broken, not even close… yet the police saw fit to publicly announce they were opening an investigation.”
“There is no public apology, they don’t send this to media or post it on police accounts,” they added.
The police statement on Friday said they had informed Kneecap of their decision to drop the case.
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One of the group’s members appeared in court in June charged with a terror offence.
Liam Og O hAnnaidh is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, at a gig last year.
He was released on unconditional bail ahead of a second court appearance in August.
Entertainment
Tomorrowland: ‘Devastating’ blaze destroys main stage at major festival – two days before it was due to begin
A huge fire has destroyed the main stage of a major festival in Belgium – two days before it was due to begin.
Tomorrowland is a dance music event as big as Glastonbury – and David Guetta was due to perform.
Footage showed flames and thick plumes of black smoke engulfing the stage and spreading to nearby woodland on Wednesday.
The fire gutted the main stage
Fire crews attempt to bring the blaze under control
The annual festival in the town of Boom, north of Brussels, is one of the biggest in Europe and attracts about 400,000 people over two consecutive weekends.
It is famous for its immersive and elaborate designs and attracts big names within dance music – including Guetta, best known for tracks When Love Takes Over and Titanium.
Dutch DJs Martin Garrix and Charlotte de Witte were also due to perform, along with the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz and Alok.
Black smoke could be seen rising into the sky
The festival’s website described the creative elements which went into the elaborate main stage.
The theme, described as Orbyz, was “set in a magical universe made entirely out of ice” and “full of mythical creatures”.
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Organisers said no one was injured in the blaze but confirmed “our beloved main stage has been severely damaged”, adding they were “devastated”.
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen added: “We received some truly terrible news today. A fire broke out on the Tomorrowland site … and our main stage was essentially destroyed there, which is truly awful.
“That’s a stage that took years to build, with so much love and passion. So I think a lot of people are devastated.”
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told reporters ‘a lot of people are devastated’
Despite the fire, Tomorrowland organisers said they were still expecting 38,000 festivalgoers at DreamVille, the event’s campsite.
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