Rishi Sunak, UK finance secretary, has led a cabinet pushback against calls by culture secretary Nadine Dorries for an end to the BBC licence fee from 2027. Sunak told Dorries there had not been any cabinet discussion, a view shared by colleagues, according to the FT. On January 17th Dorries tweeted that funding would be […]

BBC director general Tim Davie has warned that the freeze to the TV licence fee announced by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries will affect the Corporation’s frontline output, and in terms of what services might be cut, said “everything’s on the agenda”. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Davie suggested the funding gap brought about […]

Following suggestions that such an announcement was imminent, Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has confirmed the TV licence fee will remain at £159 (€190) until 2024 and then rise in line with inflation for the following four years. The plans for the new licence fee settlement cover a period of six years and will take effect […]

UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has said the next announcement about the BBC licence fee will be the last – and it was time to discuss new ways to fund and sell “great British content”. Dorries added that “the days of the elderly being threatened with prison sentences and bailiffs knocking on doors” were over. […]

UK multiplay operator Virgin Media O2 has completed the upgrade of its entire national network to gigabit speeds, delivering nearly two-thirds of the Government’s broadband ambition four years ahead of the target date, claiming the achievement cements its status as the UK’s largest gigabit provider. The operator completed its rollout after switching on gigabit speeds […]

UK media regulator Ofcom has announced the appointment of four new non-executive directors to the Board of public service broadcaster Channel 4. The new appointees will each join the Board for a term of three years commencing as soon as is practicable. Dawn Airey Airey’s career includes roles as Chair and CEO of Channel 5, […]

UK digital infrastructure provider Openreach has confirmed that six million homes and businesses can now place an order for its next generation ultrafast, ultra-reliable Full Fibre broadband – as part of its build programme to reach 25 million premises all over the UK by December 2026. Also, as part Openreach’s rolling updates to its build […]

BT and OneWeb have agreed terms for a new Distribution Partner Agreement, with OneWeb to provide Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communication services across BT Group. This builds on an initial Memorandum of Understanding signed in July and means BT is testing how LEO satellite technology integrates with its existing terrestrial capabilities to meet the […]

More than half a million more rural homes and businesses will be given access to better broadband as part of plans to level up the country with improved Internet connectivity, UK Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries has announced. An estimated 567,000 hard-to-reach premises across the English counties of Cheshire, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Essex, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, […]

Paul Dacre will be offered another chance to become chair Ofcom, ministers have confirmed, according to The Guardian. Ministers have wanted to appoint the former Daily Mail editor since the vacancy emerged. Having appointed a sympathetic selection panel Dacre was unexpectedly rejected as even this panel deemed him “not appointable” following interview. This even though […]