BBC director general Tim Davie has told an audience in MediaCity that he believes the era of the licence fee is not over as the broadcaster looks ahead to its charter renewal in 2027 with widespread calls, particularly among the right-leaning media, to end the publicly funded model at one of their biggest competitors.Davie said during a speech to industry and community leaders in Salford: “I think a universal payment is not over. The reason I’m not, and I hope I’m not giving you a politician’s answer, because what it’s called, I think, is slightly secondary. The thing is, do we want a universal fee? Just to be clear, the current license fee works and is delivering for this organisation and the content. I think it’s a very good system, but we are saying that based on changes in audience behaviour and these huge changes in the world, the system should be reformed and should be modernized. But what we do want is a way in which everyone pays for the BBC fairly, and that is, you know, absolutely what we’re hunting for.”Davie also insisted that his defence of the public funding model was not simply a case of defending tradition: “The BBC is ready to play its full part – not simply defending tradition, but shaping the future,” he said. “A future where trusted information strengthens democracy, where every child has a fair start, where creativity fuels growth and social capital, and where no-one is left behind in the digital age.”
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