Doug Clark says the broadcaster has had its day, but Ian Bartlett believes it still offers astonishingly good value. Plus, letters from Susan Harvey and Keith FlettIt has been reported that the former culture secretary John Whittingdale led calls for a debate on the way the
BBC is funded (‘Perilous times ahead’ for BBC as director general says he will quit. 21 January). To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven … A time to keep, and a time to cast away. Listeners have complained about the low quality of much of the corporation’s cultural output – to no avail. They have complained about the low quality of interviewers on Radio 4’s Today and PM programmes – to no avail. They have even asked the BBC why it mule-headedly refuses to broaden Thought for the Day to include the thoughts of the world’s non-religious philosophers – again to no avail. The younger generation do not listen to the BBC. Perhaps the BBC has had its time and should now be cast away.Doug ClarkMidlothian, Scotland
• The debate over the licence fee and thereby the future of the BBC is utterly absurd and unnecessary, fostered by a hostile Conservative party, which boycotted appearances by its ministers on all but compliant programmes. In fact, the matter was examined at length by the Peacock committee under Thatcher’s similarly partial government, which recommended in 1986 that the licence fee be retained. So what’s changed?