15 January 2009
The television licence fee may be reduced in the future if there is any money left over from the sum earmarked for digital switchover support, the BBC has confirmed.
Some £600 million has been set aside to help elderly and vulnerable households prepare for the switch to digital TV and the broadcaster believes the overall costs may be less than anticipated.
Indeed, Caroline Thompson, the BBC's chief operating officer, told a House of Lords committee that there could be a underspend, although this will become clearer once the Granada region has switched later this year.
This means there would be surplus cash, which could be used in the future to bring down licence fee rates for consumers, the BBC suggested.
The UK's first full-scale digital switchover took place in the Scottish Borders in November.
The process was completed in two stages, with analogue BBC Two being switched off first, followed by all other terrestrial channels later in the month.