An ICM survey has found that 40% of those questioned thought the BBC was biased in its news coverage.
The survey, commissioned by the Sunday Telegraph, also found that 70% of the 2,000 who
took part wanted the £145.50 licence fee reduced or scrapped. Fewer than 10% wanted
the fee to be increased in line with inflation when the BBC Charter was renewed in 2016.
Another finding was that around 66% wanted the BBC to takes advertisements in order to
generate revenues for itself.
Tory party chairman Grant Shapps has warned the licence fee could be cut or the collected
funds – worth £3.6billion a year – could be shared with other broadcasters unless the BBC
becomes ‘more transparent’ and changes its ‘culture of secrecy’.
Last month, Lord Patten, chair of the BBC Trustees, told the House of Commons media
committee that he was happy that 58% of licence-fee payers thought the BBC was a trusted
news organisation. Lord Hall, the BBC director general, pledged greater transparency in
dealing with mistakes of impartiality when they happened.
