The TV licence's future is more muddled than ever after the UK's Culture Secretary said the government will be looking at new ways of funding the BBC.
Nadine Dorries branded TV licence fees - which are the BBC's major source of income - as "completely outdated" while speaking to The Spectator.
She hinted at a shakeup and said any changes would be made "well ahead" of the BBC Charter renewal in 2027.
The fee is currently frozen at £159 until 2024 after which the price will rise for the next four years.
The statement follows news earlier this month of the UK Government selling Channel 4, which is due to be privatised after serving as a public service broadcaster since it was founded in 1982.
Regarding cuts, the BBC director-general Tim Davie said it would rather produce less content than compromise on quality.
What's happening with TV licences?
In January, the government declared that the levy would be frozen at £154 until April 1, 2024 after which it will rise in line with inflation for the following four years.
There were suspicions the fee could be abolished completely, but the Culture Secretary later clarified no decisions have been made.
Dorries said: "What we are saying is that moving forward, we need to decide, discuss and debate.
"Bring it on - everybody in the House, let's discuss what a BBC in 2027 will look like. It is not a policy; we are announcing a debate and a discussion. Let's all get involved positively."
The secretary later tweeted that the current TV licence settlement will "be the last".
What's the latest news on TV licences and the BBC's funding?
The Culture Secretary had strong words about TV licences in a new article published in The Spectator.
Dorries told the publication that changes have been long discussed.
She said: "I think they obviously knew that I was going to deliver. The notion of Channel 4 being sold, the licence fee, the BBC, all of those things that have been in the ether for years, I think there was a sudden realisation that something might happen now."
Regarding TV licences, the Culture Secretary hinted at her vision and called the licence fee model "completely outdated".
"We are going to very soon announce that we are going to be looking very seriously about how we fund the BBC," she said.
Any decisions will be made "well ahead of the [BBC] Charter renewal in 2027".
Additionally, the Government published a white paper on April 28 aimed at enacting broadcasting reforms to "create a new golden age of British TV and help the nation's public service broadcasters thrive".
The document didn't provide further details on licences or the BBC's funding reforms.
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