Downing Street said the prime minister wanted ‘serious reform’ of the corporation

Downing Street turned on the BBC last night — vowing to scrap the television licence fee and make viewers pay a subscription. The national broadcaster could also be compelled to downsize and sell off most of its radio stations.

In a plan that would change the face of British broadcasting, senior aides to the prime minister insisted that they are “not bluffing” about changing the BBC’s funding model and “pruning” its reach into people’s homes.

The blueprint being drawn up in government will:

● Scrap the licence fee and replace it with a subscription model

● Force the BBC to sell off the vast majority of its 61 radio stations but safeguard Radio 3 and Radio 4

● Reduce the number of the corporation’s national