BBC faces ‘real jeopardy’ as licence fee payments fall faster than expected

Director general Matt Brittin says funding model ties corporation to the past as number of licences falls by 539,000

The number of people paying the BBC's licence fee has fallen faster than expected in the last year, with half a million more households opting out of the payment.

Matt Brittin, the BBC's director general, said the broadcaster faced a moment of real jeopardy", as the licence fee funding model ties us to the past".