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BBC scraps licence fee for King’s coronation ceremony and concert

28 Feb 2023 2 minute read
BBC News

The BBC is to suspend the licence fee as part of a one-off dispensation for the King’s coronation weekend.

The move will allow venues to screen the live coronation ceremony coverage on May 6 and the coronation concert on May 7 without needing to purchase a TV licence.

It costs £159 annually for a colour TV licence and £53.50 for a black and white TV licence.

The BBC said the dispensation, worth about 90 pence on the colour license, is granted in “exceptional circumstances”, with the event needing to be of “national importance” and screened in a community setting.

The public should be able to watch for free and bring their own food and drink.

Examples of venues cited by TV licensing include community spaces, such as churches and town halls, as well as commercial premises such as concert halls, performing arts venues and cinemas. The dispensation also applies to any outdoor venues which have the facilities to screen the coverage.

Constitutional

The decision on whether an event is of national importance is taken on a case-by-case basis, taking into account if it is constitutional in nature, is in the public interest, is on a bank holiday and if people are likely to want to watch in a community setting, such as a street party, where TVs may not normally be used, the broadcaster said on Tuesday.

The licence fee was scrapped for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022.

King Charles III’s coronation is the first to be staged in Britain for 70 years and it will see the royal anointed and crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury in front of more than 2,000 guests.

The Queen Consort will also be anointed and crowned in a simpler ceremony during the King’s coronation service.


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GW Atkinson
GW Atkinson
1 year ago

Like I would pay for that propogandising excretia in the first place.

Peter Cuthbert
Peter Cuthbert
1 year ago
Reply to  GW Atkinson

Good to know that one can get a licence by the day. Since when? I wonder if one can get a refund if one avoids the hugely extravagant display of personal greed.
#NotMyKing.

hdavies15
hdavies15
1 year ago
Reply to  Peter Cuthbert

Save a recording for the day you are so depressed you want to top yourself. Watching that muck should push you over the edge!

hdavies15
hdavies15
1 year ago
Reply to  GW Atkinson

No you would not, but you could have a community get together at your local village hall and run videos of :
Welsh Rugby’s highlights of 2023(very short), Wales’ abrupt visit to Qatar Football World Cup featuring Drakeford and his entourage, reruns of “The Crown” or any of those tribute movies about “The Queen”, Dad’s Army, the multiple accounts of “how we won the war” and a whole host of other features that could arouse the spirit of rebellion ( or crush enthusiasm forever!)

Mawkernewek
Mawkernewek
1 year ago

So if the BBC waives its licence fee only for major royal events, doesn’t this make its impartiality a nonsense, which is already clear if you’ve watched its royal coverage?

Riki
Riki
1 year ago

For the “ENGLISH” King!!!! Not ours! We haven’t had a British monarch with any legitimacy since Glyndwr. Why do we give credence to these people. Btw, there are more Royals in the World than just the Windsors, why do people not understand that? It not the King, it’s the king of England.

Sikejsudjek
Sikejsudjek
1 year ago
Reply to  Riki

Not of English decent either for the last 300 years!

Riki
Riki
1 year ago
Reply to  Sikejsudjek

Correct! That’s hilariously ironic. Germanic Greeks I believe.

Brechdan Wncomunco
1 year ago

Scrap the BBC

WilliamsG
WilliamsG
1 year ago

What an obscene waste of money in times when so many people are struggling just to live day to day. The elite rubbing everyone’s noses in it again, or showing that they haven’t got a clue what life is like for a large percentage of the population of the UK

Iago Prydderch
Iago Prydderch
1 year ago

The only households which will benefit from this are those that already don’t have a licence. Existing licence fee payers won’t. How will venues without digital connection be able to show it? They won’t benefit either. Therefore, only a few will benefit. How generous!

Fi yn unig
Fi yn unig
1 year ago

Another freebie I’m going to miss out on because I’m going out of my way to avoid all sight and sound of this event. Any chance of a cash rebate or a choice of something I actually want to watch?

Karl
Karl
1 year ago

That is a desperate and creepy insult to those like me who don’t watch BBC right wing news propaganda. Shows up the priorities is not the license payer.

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