Oral evidenceSelect & Joint CommitteesTuesday, 16 June 202609:30

Culture, Media and Sport Committee: BBC Royal Charter Review

Committee hears from witnesses

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee will take oral evidence on the BBC Royal Charter Review. The Royal Charter sets out the BBC's mission, governance, and funding framework; it is renewed periodically and determines the corporation's operating principles for the next decade. This session will examine how the BBC should be funded, governed, and structured as it faces pressure from streaming competition, demographic shifts, and debate over its impartiality and value for money.

The BBC is a cornerstone of British public life, funded by the licence fee (currently £159 annually). How the Charter is rewritten will determine whether the licence fee rises, freezes, or falls; whether the BBC retains or loses services; and what editorial and governance safeguards exist. The outcome affects millions of viewers, the media industry, and political debate about public broadcasting itself.

Culture & Community Tax & Public Finances

Committee mentioned:Culture, Media and Sport Committee