Only fair for licence dodgers to be prosecuted - BBC boss

BBC boss Tim Davie has backed the prosecution of people who evade the TV licence fee, following calls for it to be decriminalised.

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The director-general also insisted that its journalists acted “without fear or favour” after a survey showed that just over a third of people think the BBC is “ineffective” at being independent from the government.

Mr Davie outlined his stance on the licence and the corporation’s journalism as he answered questions from his own staff on the BBC Breakfast sofa.

House of Commons Library figures show that more than 25,000 people were convicted of evading the £169.50 fee in 2024, the majority of whom were women.