What do you need to see on the BBC — and the way a lot do you need to pay for it?
The BBC has launched its biggest-ever public session to seek out out what viewers and listeners throughout the UK actually take into consideration the broadcaster forward of a serious funding evaluation. The questionnaire — dubbed Our BBC, Our Future — arrives because the TV licence payment will increase by £5, rising from £169.50 to £174.50.
In the event you're caught watching dwell TV with no TV licence, then you might be fined £1,000 or be taken to courtroom. The utmost tremendous is £2,000 in Guernsey.
The Labour Authorities has agreed to extend the licence payment in keeping with inflation till 2027 when the Royal Constitution is up for renewal.
Half 1,000,000 households cancelled their TV licence payment final yr, with British viewers turning away from terrestrial channels in favour of subscriptions like Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, and Apple TV+, to call just some. Watching on-demand content material on these streamers does not require a TV licence, however there are nonetheless circumstances while you'll have to be lined by a licence payment to watch Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Netflix.
Over the subsequent two years, the Authorities should assess a variety of other funding fashions, which vary from subscription providers to family levies, because the BBC prepares for its largest transformation in a long time.
Rishi Sunak's Authorities pledged to scrap the funding mannequin altogether when the subsequent renewal got here round.
Following the Common Election final summer season, Keir Starmer and his Authorities declined to take the identical stance. Nevertheless, Downing Avenue has remained tight-lipped about precisely what it needs to do with the TV licence payment forward of the subsequent election, which isn't due till 2029.
Within the meantime, the BBC hopes to assemble as much as a million responses to its multiple-choice-style questionnaire, with findings from the British public because of the printed later this yr.
Opening the questionnaire for the primary time, the introduction reads: “Our BBC, Our Future. We’d like to know your views on the way forward for the BBC.
“The BBC belongs to all of us. That’s why it issues that we perceive what you need the BBC to give you and your loved ones, and the UK general. We’d additionally like your ideas on some concepts we now have for the long run.
“There are seven sections within the questionnaire. In complete, it’s going to take round 10 minutes to finish. On the finish, there shall be an opportunity to inform us the rest vital to you concerning the BBC.
"Your whole solutions will stay confidential.”
Examples of questions BBC viewers and listeners shall be requested are:
- What do you/your loved ones watch, take heed to or use?
- What programmes/content material would you like from the BBC?
- What ought to the BBC ought to present general?
- What sort of organisation would you like the BBC to be sooner or later?
- How do you’re feeling the BBC is now?
- What ought to the BBC stand for sooner or later?
Apart from the multiple-choice questions, Our BBC, Our Future additionally features a textual content field the place you possibly can share further ideas about what the general public broadcaster might do to enhance.
Wish to voice your opinion concerning the BBC? You'll want a BBC Account.
For individuals who don't know, this free on-line account is required to stream dwell and on-demand reveals on BBC iPlayer in addition to take heed to broadcasts and podcasts through BBC Sounds. In the event you've accomplished both of these issues earlier than, you'll have a BBC Account linked to considered one of your e mail addresses.
In the meanwhile, the questionnaire is invite-only. The BBC began to ship out invites on the finish of March, so you must discover an invitation to the questionnaire in your inbox quickly.
BBC is prioritising those that frequently use BBC iPlayer or BBC Sounds in the mean time. Those that primarily eat BBC programmes on terrestrial tv, or radio broadcasts shall be quizzed at a later date.
In accordance with the BBC, the responses that it receives to this questionnaire will assist inform its ongoing discussions with the UK Authorities as a part of the evaluation of the Royal Constitution.
Over time, the BBC's monetary scenario has grow to be more and more difficult, with earnings down £1 billion in actual phrases in comparison with 15 years in the past. In its newest annual plan, the company warned it faces an "unprecedented content material funding problem" as international co-production partnerships have decreased throughout the sector.
The British broadcaster has slashed 2,000 roles during the last 5 years as a part of what it calls an "aggressive financial savings programme". Nevertheless, the BBC now says this strategy is "now not sustainable".
"With out intervention, will probably be troublesome to keep up the present ambition and quantity of UK content material," the annual report acknowledged. The company enters the 2025/26 yr with what it describes as "a smaller, leaner workforce".
Forward of the Royal Constitution evaluation, the BBC isn't sitting nonetheless. The company says it plans to evolve its providers to fulfill viewers' altering wants as extra individuals transfer to digital platforms. For BBC iPlayer, this implies bettering personalisation and creating "extra seamless journeys" between the platform and different BBC digital providers.
It's additionally promised to strengthen its information choices on BBC iPlayer, with breaking information and in-depth documentaries positioned on the core of the service. To achieve youthful audiences, BBC Information will increase its presence on TikTok and Instagram.
The company can even discover find out how to harness synthetic intelligence "for audiences and our groups" whereas defending creators' mental property. In audio, the BBC plans to launch 4 new distinctive music stations on DAB+, topic to regulatory approval.
The BBC's Annual Plan for 2025/26 additionally outlines a number of content material highlights you possibly can look ahead to, together with the return of widespread reveals like The Evening Supervisor, Physician Who, and Silent Witness. New titles will embrace Riot Girls by Sally Wainwright and Lord of the Flies tailored by Jack Thorne, who just lately co-wrote the hit sequence Adolesence for Netflix.
The company will proceed its dedication to bringing individuals collectively by means of music occasions corresponding to Glastonbury, The Proms, and Radio 1's Massive Weekend in Liverpool.
BBC Director-Common Tim Davie, who unsuccessfully stood as a Councillor for the Conservative Get together at the start of this profession has been within the high job on the company since September 2020, stated: "The BBC belongs to all of us and all of us have a say in its future.
"By collaborating on this brief questionnaire, individuals will be capable of inform us what they need the BBC to supply, what we do nicely, what we might do higher, and what they need us to give attention to in years to return. I hope as many individuals as doable take a couple of minutes to inform us what actually issues to them and the way we are able to greatest play our half."
Tradition Secretary Lisa Nandy says the UK Authorities will think about various funding fashions to the TV licence payment. She has dominated out utilizing normal taxation to fund the BBC, however dozens of different choices stays on the desk.
Nandy believes the general public ought to be concerned in choices concerning the BBC's future funding.
"To keep up the BBC as an establishment, it should be accountable to those that fund it – the British individuals. As an alternative of tokenistic session with the individuals who pay for it, and backroom negotiations with the federal government, the BBC ought to transfer to a mannequin of being owned and directed by licence payment holders – who may help determine the trade-offs that the BBC should make to safe its future," Lisa Nandy wrote 4 years in an article for LabourList throughout her doomed management bid.
"This may imply a brand new construction for the BBC board that focuses on real public illustration and participation – and larger commitments to transparency.
"This may help larger independence from the federal government, and safety from the Trump-like assault on free and open media that this authorities needs to pursue. It’s time for all of us to be extra forceful in supporting a free and open media. As a result of if we don’t combat for it, we’ll lose it and we’ll all be broken in consequence."
The renewal of the Royal Constitution within the subsequent two years will seemingly decide not simply how the BBC is funded, but in addition its function in British broadcasting for the approaching a long time.