Could Birmingham homes pay less under new BBC licence fee plan?

With most Birmingham homes in low council tax bands, many could see smaller bills under a new means-tested BBC fee.

Transcript

00:01TV license fees could soon reflect the value of your home, and for many in Birmingham that

00:06might mean paying less. The BBC's proposed funding overhaul would tie payments to council

00:12tax bands, replacing the flat £174.50 fee. In Birmingham, over 60% of properties are

00:21in band A or B, among the lowest in the country, while fewer than 10% are in band E or above.

00:26That means most households here could see lower bills if the plan goes ahead.

00:31Band E council tax currently averages just over £1,900 a year across the city. The money

00:37raised from licence fees helps fund local services like BBC Midlands Today and BBC Radio WM, which

00:43serve audiences across the West Midlands. The BBC says nine in ten adults in this region

00:49use at least one of its services every week. The proposal is still under review and would

00:53need government sign-off, but it could reshape how public broadcasting is paid for locally.