BBC spending could fall 20% in real terms over the next five years under the government’s plans to hand the corporation the bill for providing free TV licences to the over-75s, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility’s analysis of Wednesday’s budget. The OBR predicts BBC spending will fall by about GBP400m from GBP3.9bn this year to GBP3.5bn in 2020/21 as the BBC takes responsibly for the bill in phases. The cost to the BBC at the end of the five years is expected to be GBP745m annually.