London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Most Brits want to change how the BBC is funded

Most Brits want to change how the BBC is funded

Bad news for the BBC: The broadcaster is not the United Kingdom's most trusted news source, and two-thirds of Britons want to change how it's funded.

A survey released Saturday show that 69% of Brits trust the BBC to deliver impartial and accurate television news. That's less than the 73% of people who trust rival TV source ITV News, but more than the 55% who place their faith in Comcast-owned broadcaster Sky News.

The survey of more than 2,000 people, which was conducted by Savanta ComRes for the Christian Communications Partnership, also reveals that 67% of respondents support scrapping or substantially reforming the fee system that provides the BBC with most of its funding.

The survey was conducted following a bruising general election campaign in which the BBC faced accusations of bias from both main UK political parties. Election winner Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suggested he could scrap the license fee that funds the network's entertainment programs and supports its 2,000 journalists around the world.

The £154.50 ($202) annual fee is paid by all Brits who watch or stream live TV. Last year, the BBC received more than £3.8 billion ($5 billion) from the tax, accounting for about 75% of its budget.

Speaking at a campaign stop before the December 12 vote, Johnson said "you have to ask yourself whether that kind of approach to funding a TV, a media organization still makes sense in the long term."

Following the election, Treasury official Rishi Sunak confirmed that Johnson had ordered a review of the license fee. One question is whether Brits who fail to pay the fee should continue to face legal action.

"The general election showed that trust is at a premium but also that the BBC no longer has a monopoly on it," Andrew Hawkins, chairman of polling company Savanta ComRes, said in a statement.

A BBC spokesperson said in response to the survey that research shows that the public values the BBC, and that license fee is the most popular method of funding the BBC.

"This poll appears to have asked people whether they'd like the license fee scrapped or reformed without explaining that would mean losing programmes and services they love," the spokesperson said.


Who is trusted?

UK broadcasters, which are legally required to remain impartial, have a significant trust advantage over the country's newspapers.

Some 55% of survey respondents said they are more likely to trust news coverage from broadcasters than websites and newspapers, which are not bound by the same rules. Only 5% said they were less likely to trust broadcasters than websites and newspapers.

More than half of Brits said they trust newspapers "not at all" or "not very much."

Sixty percent of respondents said television is their number one source of news, with that share rising to 79% of people over 55 years of age.

But younger people have different habits. Only 39% of those aged 18-34 said television was their main source of news, whereas 60% said they get most of their news from social media.

Hawkins said the results point to a "major shake-up" of how news is delivered.

"Somehow the broadcasters and regulators will need to find a way of enabling the sector to evolve while maintaining trust in the integrity of news delivery," he said.

The online survey of 2,018 adults was conducted between December 18 and December 20.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×