The BBC’s proposal to switch off Freeview is a threat to its universal service | Letter

Forcing households to buy broadband to access BBC television channels after 2034 would exclude poorer viewers, writes Christy Swords

Tim Davie warns that a move to subscription would mean the BBC is “no longer a universal service” (BBC faces ‘profound jeopardy’ without funding overhaul, Tim Davie says, 26 January). The outgoing director general is right: the threat to BBC universality within the next charter period is very real. But that threat in part is coming from the corporation itself.

The BBC is proposing to switch off digital terrestrial television (DTT, or Freeview) in 2034. This would force all UK homes to take out a high-speed broadband subscription or lose access to BBC services. For the first time, you’d need a subscription to watch “free-to-air” UK TV.