The television licence fee that funds the BBC may be abolished under plans being considered to turn it into a mutual corporation owned by the public, potentially funded through general taxation. The current royal charter under which the BBC operates runs until the end of 2027. The process of reviewing the charter has begun and the question of how the corporation will be funded is high on the agenda.
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Venu Sports, the online video sports service planned by ESPN, FOX, and Warner Bros Discovery, will not go ahead. The companies have pulled the plug on the project, which faced legal opposition. Meanwhile Disney has acquired a majority stake in Fubo.
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The BBC is not the only public service broadcaster to face funding problems. NHK in Japan is in deficit for the third year running following a fall in licence fee revenue. 2025 marks the centenary of the start of radio broadcasting by its predecessor, the Tokyo Broadcasting Station. From October, a change in legislation will make internet-based services an essential part of the NHK operation.
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The finale of the situation comedy Gavin & Stacey was the most watched television programme on Christmas Day in the United Kingdom. It beat the record established by the last episode of the same show five years before. The viewing figures suggests that there is still an audience for a shared television experience at Christmas, although many people watched it at their own convenience. That’s well lush.
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An appeals court in the United States has rejected an attempt to restore ‘net neutrality’ rules, finding that the federal government does not have the authority to regulate internet service providers as telecommunications services. Apparently, they are information services, which are quite different. It is a blow to the outgoing Biden administration that had encouraged the Federal Communications Commission to restore the rules.
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The BBC has yet to commit to the future of high-definition services on digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom. It is apparently holding out pending the review of its Royal Charter. The commercial public service broadcasters have meanwhile extended their licences for ten years from the start of 2025.
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