Tories Would Force Cut In TV Licence

It emerged today that the BBC could be left with less income should an incoming Conservative Government go ahead with a threat to make a cut in the licence fee.
The party has already called for the licence fee - now set at £142.50 - to be frozen, but at the weekend, Jeremy Hunt, the shadow Culture Secretary, strengthened its stance with a warning that the Tories would expect the BBC to "offer further economies" in negotiations over the size of the licence fee from 2012.
"I think it would be pretty hard to make a case for an increase in the licence fee now," he said yesterday.
"We are not ruling out freezing the licence fee or cutting it, but the BBC has to make its case very strongly because times are very difficult for licence-fee payers."
Mr Hunt also raised doubts over the viability of licence-fee cash going towards TV channels with low viewing figures, including BBC Three and BBC Four.
(BMcC/GK)