MediaGuardian poll on BBC licence fee
Ipsos research for MediaGuardian conducted in August indicates that while public support of the licence fee may not be strong, BBC programmes and services enjoy strong comparative popularity. A series of statements were posed to a nationally representative sample of 2,021 respondents who were also asked to spontaneously name their favourite channels and programmes.
41% of respondents agreed the licence fee is an appropriate way of funding the BBC, compared with 37% who disagreed.
Elsewhere, only a third of respondents agreed the licence fee provides value for money while almost half (47%) disagreed. An even lower proportion (30%) agreed the licence fee ensures the provision of quality programming and services not available anywhere else, with a significantly higher proportion (41%) disagreeing.
Despite a seemingly negative depiction of the BBC licence fee from the statements, respondents are generally supportive of the services provided by the broadcaster. Among those who disagreed with the statements above, over a quarter spontaneously chose a BBC programme when asked to name their favourite show, while two thirds spontaneously named a BBC channel among their favourite channels. Among all respondents surveyed, BBC1 is the clear favourite channel when looking at all mentions with 61% of respondents selecting, compared with 44% for ITV. When looking at first mentions only, the proportion is greater still, with more than double naming BBC1 (38%) than ITV (16%). Likewise, when asked to spontaneously name their favourite programme, 4 of the top 10 are BBC programmes (Eastenders, New Tricks, Top Gear, Doctor Who), 3 of which are in the top 5.
Respondents are also generally curious about how the licence fee is used, with almost half (46%) interested in receiving more information about this, compared with 25% who disagree.
