I think the BBC has always gone about business with a sledgehammer, rather than a carrot. And this behaviour will drive people further from them.
Why did they not introduce a discounted fee for the over 75's? It would have been far more palatable to most.
The BBC's pursuit of "it's" license fee has also always been bullying and badly handled. When my father hit 75 years back, he stopped paying quite correctly... and I arrived one day back at his place to find a TV licence guy being quite aggressive and unpleasant and unreasonable to him on the doorstep. I soon sent him on his way. Even the old adverts they used to play were all along the lines of "big brother's watching and will catch up with you".
That kind of approach rankles with people, rightly so in my opinion. The BBC for too many decades has taken it's "Corporation" moniker too seriously, and because of it's licence fee money arriving without any problem has failed to see the competition and shift in viewing, and failed to compete.
I think it does make some great programming, but I also think it's on it's last legs, although it's size and government backing will probably see it's downfall be a slow and long and tortuous one.