Is the Licensing Fee the Right Way to Fund the BBC?

2min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

The BBC spends an awful lot of money on news, £314 million a year. It wasn't obvious in its early days that it would spend that much. There's kind of fallout from the licence fee - you get a really well-funded news service for a country which brings up the standards of everyone else. And if you don't pay it, then people get fined and they sometimes go to jail. The BBC runs these scary adverts about it and always has done. Yes, there's a TV set on number five. They're watching Colombo. If you don't have a TV licence, it won't take us long to find you.

Russia has been targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with missiles and drones. Ukraine’s air defences are struggling to keep up, and many households are without power as winter approaches. Bill Gates has a plan to boost African crop yields. And as the BBC turns 100, we reflect on its legacy, and look at challenges ahead. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer