BBC to consider asking over-75s to give up free TV licence
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TVBEurope.com reports that the BBC is to consider asking the over-75s to give up their free TV licence, or make a voluntary contribution to it.
The corporation is said to be weighing up multiple options as it looks to reduce the £650 million annual cost of providing free TV licenses for the elderly from 2020.
Cuts to meet the reduced budget have already cost the BBC multiple major sporting contracts, with more expected in the near future.
In the past, the government covered the cost of free licence fees for the over-75s, and transferred the money to the BBC on an annual basis.
In 2013/14, the government bill was £608 million – a fifth of the BBC’s budget.
Read more at http://www.tvbeurope.com/bbc-to-consider-asking-over-75s-to-give-up-free-tv-licence/
