UKIP leader Nigel Farage has called for the BBC licence fee to be slashed by two-thirds, reducing it from £145.50 to £48.50. Speaking at a public meeting in Rochester, Farage argued that the BBC should be 'cut back to the bone' and retained as a public service broadcaster, but not privatised.
Farage questioned the need for the BBC to be involved in entertainment and sport, given the availability of cable and satellite television. He suggested that a licence fee of about a third of the current level would suffice for a purely public service broadcaster with an international reach.
The BBC's Robin Brant noted that while UKIP had previously committed to reviewing the licence fee, this was the first time Farage had specified a figure. The licence fee is due for renewal next year, and the current Royal Charter expires at the end of 2016, with renewal discussions postponed until after the election.
Other parties have also outlined their licence fee plans. The Conservatives would maintain a freeze, the Green Party would abolish it and fund the BBC through general taxation, Labour would ensure value for money, the Liberal Democrats would cap increases to inflation, and the SNP wants a fairer share for BBC Scotland.
