The BBC TV licence should be replaced with a tax that every household pays regardless of whether they watch TV or not, the former ITV chairman has suggested.
Sir Peter Bazalgette, who described the fee as “regressive” to the i, also supported calls for wealthier people to pay a larger fee.
Sir Peter suggested that the ongoing Government review should explore the model used by Germany, where everyone pays a monthly charge to support public service broadcasting.
The German public broadcasting fee, which is known as Rundfunkbeitrag, charges all citizens, businesses and public institutions a fee of €18.36 (£15.60) a month.
Disabled people and benefits claimants are however exempted from paying this fee.
He described the proposed changes as a “no-brainer” and a “contribution to a civil society”.
Sir Peter said: “I think it’s a no-brainer to introduce here.
“It does break the link between watching the BBC and paying for a TV licence (for businesses and public bodies) but I think that is legitimate.
“I pay for hospitals I don’t use and I’m happy to do so as a citizen. It’s a contribution to civil society and companies should do it too for broadcasting.”
Channel 4, which is facing programme commission cuts due to an advertising slump, could also receive public funding under the proposed solution, he suggested.
Sir Peter, who is also a former Channel 4 board member, said: “It’s certainly a possibility that some of the funds could go to Channel 4 in the future.
“Channel 4 is particularly vulnerable to advertising downturns and we need to see how much of what’s happening now is cyclical or structural.”
Sir Peter was speaking ahead of the upcoming YouTube debate with former BBC Director-General Greg Dyke, How do we pay for the BBC after 2027?, which will air on February 13 at 6pm.
The BBC said: “We welcome the debate on whether the licence fee needs to evolve for the future so that the BBC can continue to thrive and deliver for audiences in the UK and around the world.”
At present, all households that watch or stream live TV or BBC iPlayer must pay £159 a year for a licence.
This fee is set to rise by 6.7 percent in April to £169.50 a year. However, some circumstances qualify certain households for a discount. Click here to see the full list.
