Yahoo News Should the BBC licence fee go up? Here's what Yahoo readers think
Yahoo UK's poll of the week lets you vote and indicate your strength of feeling on one of the week's hot topics. After 72 hours the poll closes and, each Friday, we'll publish and analyse the results, giving readers the chance to see how polarising a topic has become and if their view chimes with other Yahoo UK readers.
The BBC licence fee is set to rise by £10.50 after a two-year freeze, the government has announced.
It is set to rise from £159 to £169.50, starting in April 2024, and marks a rise of 6.6%. The increase is based on September's rate of inflation, rather than the expected 9% it was thought it would be put up by.
The BBC has warned the smaller increase would leave a funding gap that in turn would have "a significant impact on the wider creative sector across the UK". It said it would outline the consequences of the decision in the coming months.
Earlier this week, Yahoo News UK asked our readers what they thought of the planned licence fee increase amid reports it could be as high as £15 (before it was announced it would be £10.50). Here are the results:
Our poll from Monday at midday until midday Thursday asked: 'Is a £15 increase in the BBC licence fee fair?'
It received 12,175 votes and showed over that most Yahoo readers thought a rise of that amount would be unfair. Some 85% said a £15 rise would be "very unfair", while just 12% thought it would be "very fair", and 3% said they were undecided.
Eight in ten (85%) voters thought a £15 rise would be "very unfair", while 12% thought it would be "very fair", and 3% said they were undecided.Yahoo News UK
Yahoo News UK readers were also asked: "How strongly do you feel about changes to the price of the TV licence fee?"
This poll received 5,568 votes with the most common vote being 5/10, indicating many readers were on the fence about
The average strength-of-feeling score on all the votes was 8.5.
The average strength-of-feeling score on this issue was 8.5Yahoo News UK
Our original poll article can be found here.
In January 2022, a poll from Pollster Find Out Now and Electoral Calculus found that 71% of people thought the BBC licence fee was very bad value or not enough value.
Some 38% thought £0 was a fair price to pay for a household, but the average thought a fair amount would be £63. Over half - 63% - also felt the licence fee should be abolished.
Read more of Yahoo UK's Poll of the Week articles
