I have some questions for the BBC to answer

THERE has been a considerable amount of controversy surrounding the BBC for quite a few months now, and the turmoil and agitation is continuing as I write.

At least two issues have been prominent in the noisy debate. One is the up to now traditional exemption from television licence fees for everyone over 75.

In future the numbers exempt will be many fewer, and only the poorer segment of the pensioner population over 75 and in receipt of certain social benefits will continue to be eligible.

A range of different issues relating to the BBC include the question of what is a suitable salary for a new BBC chairman in what turns out to be only a part-time job involving three or four days work per week.

Notwithstanding the part-time nature of the job, the next holder of the post is scheduled to earn £160,000 a year, an increase on the existing figure of £100,000.

There is only one BBC chairman at a time, but there are other salary earners at the BBC whose remuneration would seem to a reasonable fair-minded person to be excessive.

This could arguably include newsreaders, an important responsible job surely, but hardly worth what some of these folk earn.

The other thing is whether the BBC has a political bias, whether to left or to right.

With the present Conservative Government, there is a strong feeling in Downing Street and the “eagle’s nest” where Dominic Cummings resides that the BBC is biaised to the left.

A point to bear in mind here, though, is that most of the commercial Press is definitely right-wing so that a public body without advertising could redress the balance a little.

I recall that when some past Labour governments were in power, Labour politicians like Harold Wilson and James Callaghan felt the Press was not fairly reporting on government policies.

Since from time to time both sides politically are capable of criticising the BBC for bias, that is thought by some BBC officials to be evidence of fair-mindedness, their being shot at from time to time from both sides.

I think the BBC can be unnecessarily extravagant for their coverage of pop festivals etc.

Do they need so many there reporting or is it for some yet another perk?

This for working in an organisation which was very formal and rigid in the days of Lord Reith, the first Director General, but in some ways may have had higher professional standards than nowadays.

That will have to remain a subject of continuing debate, however. Michael O’Neill

Penarth

I think the BBC can be unnecessarily extravagant for their coverage of pop festivals etc

Michael O’Neill Penarth