Former BBC man Peter Snow has urged the Government to scrap its plans to ditch free TV licences
for the over-75s.
The “Swingometer” legend, 81, who is presenting Planespotting Live on BBC4 next week, blames the Government for the row and says it left the Beeb with no choice.
The Government have previously funded the free licence fees but has now told the corporation to foot the bill.
Snow said: “It’s the Government’s problem.
“They pushed it on to the BBC and the BBC simply said, ‘If you are going to do this, we’re going to have to cut programmes’.
“I think the public would agree with me that, yes, it’s nice for over-75s to have a free licence, but it’s not really down to the BBC.
“It’s down to the Government who thought of the idea originally.
“If the BBC funded it, it would mean less variety and less quality.”
The former Newsnight anchor also backed the idea of giving war veterans the free licence — but only if it’s funded by the Exchequer.
He added: “But again it’s the Government’s business. I think the Government will find the money in the end.”
Planespotting goes out over three nights but Snow admits he struggles to identify most planes.
He said: “I find it very difficult to tell the difference between a 787 and 777, and also the A350 and the Boeings. It’s not easy.
“But on the programme they want me to be the ordinary man in the street who is querying the interest people have in this thing.”
