Is Aunty Beeb in Trouble?

In late January, British culture secretary Nadine Dorries announced that the BBC License Fee would be frozen at £159 for the next two years. The statement, made in the tabloid (and right-wing) The Daily Mail, was suspected of having been made on a Sunday to distract the public from Boris Johnson's blunders and followed almost two years of negotiation between the BBC and the government. Dorries tweeted: "This licence fee announcement will be the last. The days of the elderly being threatened with prison sentences and bailiffs knocking on doors are over. It's time now to discuss and debate new ways of funding, supporting, and selling great British content."

If you really think your government can win back the public by tossing out a panicky weekend threat to the BBC, then you under-estimate the level of support, admiration, and respect the public has for it. — Armando Iannucci

The Tories presented the proposal officially shortly after to Parliament and in a watered-down version, suggesting there was room for discussion. Currently, any household, business, or organization watching content on a television or digital device must pay the yearly license fee. Last year, for the first time, viewers over 75 had to pay; the government has offered a waiver in the future for this age group, which will not be automatic but must be applied for.