BBC urged to ‘slim down’ on ‘pointless’ content as broadcaster increases licence fee: ‘Where is it going?!’
The BBC has been urged to “slim down” on some of their “pointless” channels and content, following the announcement of another licence fee hike.
The broadcaster confirmed that the fee will rise again in April 2026, from £169.50 to £174.50.
In a statement, a BBC spokesperson welcomed the announcement, claiming the broadcaster “wants everyone to get value from the licence fee” and are “committed to delivering trusted news, the best homegrown storytelling and those special moments that bring us together”.
Defending the increase, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy emphasised that the BBC “provides much-needed programming for households across the country”, including “children’s education, world-class entertainment and trusted news for all people in all parts of the UK”.
Offering his verdict on the changes, former BBC radio broadcaster Alex Dyke admitted that although he still has a “soft spot” for them, the company should “slim down” on their content output.
Dyke told GB News: “I’ve got a soft spot for the BBC, but I don’t think they need all the channels that they’ve got.
“I think they’re like the Royal Family, they should be slimmed down, then they would get more respect.”
When asked by host Mark Dolan for examples of what the BBC should cut down on, Dyke explained: “I think it’s absolutely pointless that iPlayer are providing us with chill out playlists and Christmas playlists.
“We can all build our own playlists or get our old records out. The BBC seem to waste so much money, I think they just need a few major channels.”
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Highlighting the surging popularity of streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, Dyke argued: “If we want great drama, we don’t need the BBC to make them anymore because we’ve got Netflix and Amazon Prime, and even Channel 5 are making really good drama.”
In disagreement with Dyke, commentator Nina Myskow argued that “only the BBC” could produce dramas such as Wolf Hall and the David Attenborough documentaries.
Myskow told GB News: “I don’t think that anybody else but the BBC could have done Wolf Hall, which is the most brilliant drama currently on television. I don’t think that Netflix or Amazon could make it in the way that they could.”
Dyke stood firm on his argument, telling Myskow: “The BBC would never make The Crown. The BBC should be investing their money in things like local radio – there’s no local radio coming from the commercial networks now, they’re all jukeboxes.
“And what older people do, they go to BBC Local Radio when they’ve grown out of Radio 1 and Radio 2, and it’s easy to grow out of Radio 2 now because that’s skewed young.
“They should be not pulling resources out of local radio, they should be putting it in. And as far as I’m concerned, it’s not a lot of money, the £175, but I still would like the BBC to take some some sponsorship for things.”
Sharing his thoughts on the licence fee increase, former Tory MP Neil Parish warned that because younger people are “not watching the BBC”, it will result in “fewer people paying higher prices” as the fee continues to increase.
Parish stated: “Children don’t watch the BBC, so what you’re getting is a higher and higher fee paid by fewer and fewer people. The younger generation are just for one reason or another are just not watching.
“And it will not work, you see, because in the end the people that are watching it, being blunt, will gradually drop off the perch. And so therefore the BBC, where is it going?”