This article is more than 1 year old

The BBC wants to slap a TAX on EVERYONE in BLIGHTY

Director-General Tony Hall lays out plan for world domination

The BBC could resurrect Margaret Thatcher's hated Poll Tax as well as turning itself into a technology giant to fend off "colonising" American media outfits, BBC director general Tony Hall has said.

In his speech, delivered at London's Broadcasting House to mark his first day as DG, Hall said the BBC has not only embraced the internet age, but that it must re-invent itself for the digital future.

Over the next 10 years distribution over the internet will be as important as over the airwaves, he said.

Hall also hinted that a universal levy could be put on every household in the country, regardless of whether they have a TV.

"As great British content becomes harder to fund,” he said, “the licence fee will become even more important. As American media giants colonise the world, supporting a thriving British culture will be essential."

Hall added that ten years ago the BBC and Apple had the same global revenues. "Today, Apple is 20 times bigger. Twenty times bigger. And that gives them colossal buying power."

Data will also be key to Auntie's future, he said. "The potential is huge. Letting our audience become schedulers. Giving you the health news that you need, based on data you choose to share with us."

He said: "This is the start of a real transformation – the myBBC revolution. How to reinvent public service broadcasting through data."

Hall also noted that the BBC was the only British website in the UK’s top five.

But he said Auntie is at a "cross-roads" and must choose between "a sleep-walk into decay" or being an "internet-first BBC which belongs to everyone and where everyone belongs".

The Poll Tax, formally known as the Community Charge, was one of the last acts of Margaret Thatcher's government before her fall from power in 1990.

Billed as a replacement for the old domestic rates system of local taxation, the introduction of the Poll Tax led to widespread civil disobedience. It was eventually binned in favour of the modern council tax in 1993. ®

More about

More about

More about

TIP US OFF

Send us news


Other stories you might like