Campaign group Silver Voices Director Dennis Reed argued the Prime Minister could do more to satisfy over-75s in the BBC TV licencing controversy. During an interview with Express.co.uk, Mr Reed said if the Government approached the BBC directly with plans of a resolution the broadcasting giant would jump at the opportunity. Mr Reed said: “So far Boris Johnson has washed his hands of the whole affair.
“He is basically saying it is all down to the BBC.”
Mr Reed said he thought Boris Johnson could make a significant difference in the BBC TV licencing fee row.
He added: “The Government must approach the BBC rather than conduct an argument through the press, which is what has happened up to now.
“They could approach the BBC and the new director-general and say we have got to quell this dissatisfaction amongst the over-60s.
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“They could say, we know their campaign is being effective so let us get together and talk about it.
“The BBC would rush at the idea I am sure.
“All the Government has to do is approach the BBC and say let’s talk about a solution.”
Mr Reed also claimed his latest “gum-up the works” campaign against the TV licence fee would impact the BBC’s cash flow and force them to make changes.
Mr Reed clarified this campaign was not instructing the over-75s to not pay their TV licencing fees, however.
He continued: “The administration of collection and enforcement of the licence are bunged up.
“Also we want the cash flow of TV licencing badly impacted.
“That is our objective and it is one of the last things we have left to do.”
On the Decemeber general election campaign trail in 2019, the Prime Minister claimed he was “looking at” abolishing the BBC TV licence fee.
Mr Johnson said: “At this stage we are not planning to get rid of all licence fees, though I am certainly looking at it.
“I’m under pressure not to extemporise policy on the hoof.
“But you have to ask yourself whether that kind of approach to funding a TV media organisation still makes sense in the long term given the way other media organisations manage to fund themselves.
“The system of funding out of effectively a general tax bears reflection.
“How long can you justify a system whereby everybody who has a TV has to pay to fund a particular set of TV and radio channels?”
