London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 07, 2026

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
Costa Coffee Returns to Operating Profit on Iced Drinks and Menu Changes
Asos Warns Customers After Unauthorized Access to Retail App and Data
Kemi Badenoch Puts Growth and Deregulation at Center of Conservative Conference
Campaigners Warn of Deepening Social Care Crisis for Disabled Adults
Study Finds Rising Early-Onset Cancer Rates Among Adults Under 50 in Britain
UK Coach Operators Warn High Diesel Prices Could Force Route Cuts
FCA Opens Independent Review Into Handling of Epstein-Linked Whistleblower Case
Argentina Vows to Block Falkland Islands Offshore Oil Development
UK Chancellor Prepares Fiscal Measures and Welfare Reforms Ahead of Autumn Budget
Sainsbury’s and Morrisons Explore Potential Multi-Billion-Pound Merger
UK Weighs Tariffs on Chinese Electric Vehicles to Align With European Union
UK Threatens Diplomatic Expulsions Over Planned Closure of East Jerusalem Consulate
UK Energy Price Cap Hits Three-Year High as Middle East Conflict Raises Costs
Seventh Arrest Made in Suspected Terror Plot at RAF Fairford
Systemic Education Collapse Sparks Mass Student Uprisings in France
Green Party Faces Backlash Over Resolution Equating Zionism With Racism
Conservatives Debate Scrapping Environmental Rules for New Homes
Cornwall Insight Warns UK Energy Bills Could Approach £2,000 This Winter
UK Coach Operators Warn of Service Cuts as Diesel Prices Exceed £2
Scottish Parliament Approves £68 Billion Budget With New Tax and Property Measures
FCA Opens Independent Review Into Handling of Epstein Whistleblower
UK Government Drops Plan to Suspend Jury Trials in England and Wales
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Markets Watch November
Two Iranian Nationals Charged Over Alleged Plot Targeting Manchester Jewish Community
UK Fiscal Headroom Halves to £11 Billion Ahead of Budget, EY Warns
US Bomber Withdrawal From RAF Fairford Prompts UK Security Review
Sarah Wakfer Appointed Chair of Northern Ireland’s Health and Care Regulator
Scotland Housing Completions Fall to 11-Year Low Amid National Shortage
UK Water Companies Face Tougher Oversight and Unannounced Regulatory Inspections
Middle East Conflict Pushes UK Fuel and Wholesale Energy Prices Higher
Andy Burnham Raises Prospect of Second Brexit Referendum in Review of UK-EU Relations
EY Warns UK Fiscal Headroom Has Halved to £11 Billion Ahead of Autumn Budget
BT Accused of Pressuring Vulnerable Customers During Digital Landline Shift
British Carmakers Warn of Growing Pressure From EU-China Tariff Dispute
Green Party of England and Wales Adopts Motion Defining Zionism as Racism
Medical Charity Threatens NHS Legal Action Over Two-Year Autism and ADHD Assessment Waits
British Transport Police Report Record Rise in Violence on Railways
Glasgow Council Workers Face Pay Cuts Under Fire-and-Rehire Plan
British Medical Groups Press Prime Minister Andy Burnham to Cancel £330 Million Palantir NHS Contract
UK Faces Record Bluetongue Outbreak Across Livestock Farms
UK Schools Report Thousands of Child-on-Child Sexual Offences
High Court Overturns Ban Blocking Gaza Families From Reuniting With Relatives in UK
G7 Authorizes Emergency Fuel Release as UK Diesel Prices Hit £2 a Litre
France and Italy Draw 1-1 in Nations League Match
Pope Leo XIV and Prince Albert II of Monaco Meet in Metz
SNCF Expands Low-Cost Ouigo High-Speed Service Between Lyon and Bordeaux
Paris Expands Dedicated Cargo Bike Routes for Urban Deliveries
French Film Industry Pushes for Tighter Streaming Investment Rules
Marseille Court Hands Down Prison Terms in Public Procurement Corruption Case
LVMH and Kering Rely on US Demand as Chinese Luxury Spending Slows
×