Cat Lewis, CEO of Nine Lives Media, has accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of “student politics” and said she would have to make 35 staff in Manchester redundant if he presses ahead with reported plans to scrap the licence fee.
Yesterday the Sunday Times reported that a blueprint was being drawn up by the Government to scrap the licence fee and replace it with a subscription model. According to the report, there were plans to force the BBC to sell off the vast majority of its 61 radio stations, reduce the number of national television channels and scale back its website.
Senior aides to the PM insisted they were “not bluffing” about changing the BBC’s funding model and “pruning” its reach.
Lewis, who is also the chair of the Royal Television Society in the North West and executive producer of Songs of Praise, tweeted: “Hey Boris Johnson. I create jobs in the North – just the kind of person you need right now – but if you axe the licence fee I will have to make 35 staff in Manchester redundant.
