Teesside residents: What a new BBC licence fee model could mean for you

The BBC’s proposed changes could reduce costs for most Teesside homes, where lower council tax bands are common.

Transcript

00:00People living in Teesside could see their TV licence fee adjusted based on their home's council tax band,

00:06under plans being considered by the BBC.

00:09The existing flat rate of £174.50 would be replaced by a tiered system,

00:14with lower-value homes paying less.

00:16In Middlesbrough and Redcar, over 70% of properties are in bands A to C,

00:21among the highest proportions in England.

00:23Bandi council tax across Teesside averages between £1,900 and £2,100 a year.

00:31The licence fee helps fund BBC Look North, broadcast from Newcastle,

00:35and BBC Radio Tees, which provides local programming across the area.

00:40The BBC says around 88% of people in the North East use its services weekly.

00:45The new model is still at the proposal stage and would require approval from the governments.

00:50While it could lower bills for many households in Teesside,

00:54critics warn it may be complicated to administer and could still raise questions about fairness.