Twitter: BBC objects to 'government-funded media' tag

The BBC is objecting to a caller statement describing it arsenic "government funded media" connected 1 of its main Twitter accounts.

The corp says it is speaking to Twitter astir the designation connected the @BBC relationship to "resolve this contented arsenic soon arsenic possible".

In a statement, it said: "The BBC is, and ever has been, independent. We are funded by the British nationalist done the licence fee."

Twitter has been contacted for comment.

The level of the £159 ($197) yearly licence interest - which is required by instrumentality to ticker unrecorded TV broadcasts successful the UK - is acceptable by the government, but paid for by idiosyncratic UK households.

While the @BBC account, which has 2.2m followers, has been fixed the label, overmuch larger accounts associated with the BBC's quality and athletics output are not presently being described successful the aforesaid way.

The relationship chiefly shares updates astir BBC-produced TV programmes, vigor shows, podcasts and different non-news material.

The statement links done to a leafage connected Twitter's assistance website which says "state-affiliated media accounts" are defined arsenic "outlets wherever the authorities exercises power implicit editorial contented done fiscal resources, nonstop oregon indirect governmental pressures, and/or power implicit accumulation and distribution".

The BBC Charter states the corp "must beryllium independent", peculiarly implicit "editorial and originative decisions, the times and mode successful which its output and services are supplied, and successful the absorption of its affairs".

Twitter's caller labelling of the BBC's relationship comes aft it did the aforesaid to US nationalist broadcaster NPR's handle.

Initially the societal media steadfast described NPR arsenic "US state-affiliated media" - a statement fixed to outlets including Russia's RT and China's Xinhua News.

The designation was aboriginal changed to the aforesaid "government funded media" tag present applied to the @BBC account. NPR had said it would halt tweeting from the relationship unless it was amended.

The licence interest raised £3.8bn ($4.7bn) successful 2022 for the BBC, accounting for astir 71% of the BBC's full income of £5.3bn - with the remainder coming from its commercialized and different activities similar grants, royalties and rental income.

The BBC besides receives much than £90m per twelvemonth from the authorities to enactment the BBC World Service, which predominantly serves non-UK audiences.

The nationalist broadcaster's output is besides paid for done the enactment of commercialized subsidiaries similar BBC Studios, arsenic good arsenic done advertizing connected services offered to audiences extracurricular of the UK

By law, each household successful the UK has to wage the licence interest (with immoderate exemptions) if they:

Collection of the the licence interest and enforcement of non-payment is carried retired by backstage companies contracted by the corporation, not the UK government.

TV licence evasion itself is not an imprisonable offence. However, non-payment of a fine, pursuing a transgression conviction, could pb to a hazard of imprisonment - "a past resort" aft different methods of enforcement person failed.