Reasons to celebrate the BBC’s great value and content – Yorkshire Post Letters

IF John Doherty hates the BBC so much (The Yorkshire Post, August 15), why not just stop paying for a TV licence and stick to what he says are “internet rivals who are making far more watchable content”?

It would still be legal for him to freeload off – and whinge about – the BBC’s radio and web content (excluding iPlayer).

But missing out on at least some of its services might give him a better appreciation for the excellent value and breadth of content the BBC offers. It would certainly be expensive – and maybe impossible – to replicate that via internet subscriptions.

And many of those new entrants are losing money. As soon as audience growth tails off, expect them to bump up monthly charges and spend less on new content.

Of course, fewer licence fee payers will make it harder for the BBC to justify subsidising free licences for less well-off over-75s.

Mr Doherty also complains about a “political bias that is in alignment with the metropolitan left” and “diversity over everything”. That tells us more about his prejudices than it does about the BBC.

From: Martin Fletcher, Flanders Court, Thorpe Hesley.

I AGREE with your correspondent John Doherty and have said this myself many times.

The BBC is not fit for purpose. It is long gone as a great world news service. Either privatise it completely and then let it compete with Netflix etc.

The other way is to downsize it.

Keep the soaps and news and a few other bits and charge only £50 per annum up to 60 and then free.

Also clear out some of the radio stations. Apologies to the purists, but do we really need three BBC radio stations in Yorkshire? Especially when I can pick up Manchester and Lincoln as well and North Derbyshire. Boris Johnson, get on with it.

From: Barry Foster, High Stakesby, Whitby.

I HAVE often, and will still be, a firm critic of the BBC, but I must say the coverage of the 75th anniversary of VJ Day was outstanding, thought-provoking and something we all should remember during our lifetime.

One had only to see all the veterans. These two programmes were in my view what the BBC should be all about and the programmes should be essential for schools to learn and inwardly digest.

From: John Dawick, Bishopthorpe, York.

I HOPE those who question the value of the BBC to the cultural life of the nation watched the superbly presented, technically brilliant and deeply moving commemoration on Saturday night to mark VJ Day. To emasculate the finest broadcasting service in the world by reducing it to a mere subscription service would be deeply damaging.

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

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Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor