Gregory Campbell calls BBC decision to end free TV licences for over-75s a ‘betrayal’

The BBC announced today it is to go ahead with a plan to end free TV licences for most over-75s, after a two-month delay because of the coronavirus pandemic.

That means more than three million households will be asked to start paying the £157.50 fee from August.

Only those who receive the Pension Credit benefit will be exempt.

DUP Culture, Media and Sport spokesman Gregory Campbell MP has urged the broadcaster to think again.

Mr Campbell said: “As media consumption patterns change, most younger people spend less time on traditional channels and consume more media online via phones and tablets. The people who in the main, depend more on the traditional channels are older people. Yet this is who the BBC is betraying.

“This decision by the BBC is a further demonstration of a corporate elite who run the BBC being out of touch with the consumer. I appreciate that the bill for subsidising over-75s is over £740m of the BBC’s budget but the corporate management of the BBC command huge salaries to resolve these matters.

“This problem didn’t arise overnight. There should have been better planning rather than the organisation being left standing with empty hands at the fifty-ninth minute of the eleventh hour.

“This once again raises the question of the BBC’s funding model. The BBC is part of my British identity, but it has been mismanaged for decades which has led to this funding dilemma.

“Despite having a more stable funding arrangement than its rivals, the BBC is failing to put itself on a better commercial footing and ease its burden on the taxpayer. The current Charter ends in 2027 and there must be a real meaningful debate now at the mid term about the funding model if the BBC is to survive for future generations.”

BBC Chairman Sir David Clementi said the decision had “not been easy”, but the broadcaster is under “under severe financial pressure” and a further delay would have had an impact on programmes.