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May 18, 2009

Sir Michael Lyons pledges to fight TV licence freeze

By paulmcnally

BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons has warned that the Tories’ proposal to freeze the licence fee this year is the first step in a dangerous path towards the BBC losing its independence.

David Cameron’s party has forced a vote in the Commons on Wednesday in an attempt to block this year’s £3 rise to £142.50. The BBC’s funding, which currently stands at £3.6bn a year, is agreed every five years.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Lyons said he thought the Conservative bill was not “fully thought through”.

“[Year-by-year funding settlements] I am quite clear we would come to regret because it would move, step by step, to the erosion of the independence of the BBC,” he said.

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