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		</div><p>Downing Street has signalled a new onslaught on the BBC – with a threat to scrap the television licence fee and turn it into a subscription service.</p>
<p>The Sunday Times quoted a senior source as saying that the broadcaster could be forced to sell off most of its radio stations in a “massive pruning back” of its activities.</p>
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<p>The source told the paper that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was “really strident” on the need for serious reform.</p>
<p>They said there would be a consultation on replacing the licence fee with a subscription model, adding: “We will whack it.”</p>
<p>The paper said that the number of BBC television channels could also be reduced, the website scaled back and stars banned from cashing in on well-paid second jobs.</p>
<p>The attack will be seen as a further escalation of the hostilities between No 10 and the corporation, with many Tories still angry at its coverage of last year’s general election.</p>
<p>The Government is already consulting on proposals to decriminalise non-payment of the licence fee, and ministers have suggested it could be abolished altogether when the BBC’s charter comes up for renewal in 2027.</p>
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<figure id="attachment_149611" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-149611" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-149611" src="https://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/9DC96468-0BCB-495F-B302-88C8FC3347F2.jpeg" alt="" width="600" height="400" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-149611" class="wp-caption-text">Boris Johnson is said to be ‘really strident’ about the need for BBC reform</figcaption></figure>
<p>It was reported that the review will be led by former culture secretary John Whittingdale, who was reappointed to his old department in last week’s reshuffle.</p>
<figure id="attachment_149612" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-149612" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/6B5FFB04-5FE5-436E-8229-B388CFA7A17E.jpeg" alt="" width="600" height="800" class="size-full wp-image-149612" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-149612" class="wp-caption-text">Culture Minister John Whittingdale is expected to lead a review of the licence fee</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Sunday Times quoted one source as saying: “We are not bluffing on the licence fee. We are having a consultation and we will whack it. It has got to be a subscription model.</p>
<p>“They’ve got hundreds of radio stations, they’ve got all these TV stations and a massive website. The whole thing needs massive pruning back.</p>
<p>“They should have a few TV stations, a couple of radio stations and massively curtailed online presence and put more money and effort into the World Service which is part of its core job.</p>
<p>“The PM is firmly of the view that there needs to be serious reform. He is really strident on this.”</p>
<p>The warning comes after the BBC chairman Sir David Clementi last week mounted a strong defence of the licence fee system.</p>
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<p>He warned that putting the broadcaster behind a paywall would undermine its ability to “bring the country together”.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Mr Johnson’s aides also turned their fire on highly-paid BBC stars who made huge sums from outside work, suggesting they should be forced to donate the money to charity.</p>
<p>“It’s an outrage that people who make their profile at public expense should seek to give themselves further financial rewards and personal gain,” one source told the paper.</p>
<p>“They’re basically making their names on the taxpayer and cashing in. The BBC should immediately halt this practice and give the money to good causes.”</p>
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<p>A No 10 spokeswoman declined to comment on the remarks.</p>
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