In the first major update of UK broadcasting laws in almost 20 years, the government said it would set a timetable for revising the license fee in the coming months, during which alternatives would be considered. A 42-page white paper stated that “there are clear challenges on the horizon for the viability of the license fee”, including the streaming revolution, which resulted in fewer people choosing to pay for BBC services. The ministers warned that if no steps were taken to reform the funding mechanism, a growing number of people refusing to pay the fee could “significantly” increase the 9 159 contribution.
