A BBC that simply chases ratings has no right to public funding

SIR – Reports (September 12) that the BBC has succeeded in reducing Radio 4’s responsibilities as a public service broadcaster must mark the beginning of the corporation’s end.

Many of us are only willing to tolerate the BBC’S soft-left political bias for fear that addressing that bias would endanger the superlative nature of some of its minority-interest and public service programming. If it is simply permitted to chase ratings in an attempt to compete with commercial competitors, it becomes just another broadcaster.

Either the BBC should remain a public service broadcaster or it should be privatised, and the money it currently receives from the licence fee given to an organisation which wants to fulfil that role.

Alternatively, why not split the money and get some competition in the provision of public broadcasting? That way we may get some balance in political reporting. L H Balfe

Windsor, Berkshire SIR – Presumably, now that the BBC does not deem it necessary to merit its licence fee funding by producing public service broadcasting, we will see a reduction in that fee to match the reduction in its obligations. Phil Coutie

Exeter, Devon

SIR – If Radio 4 is no longer required to broadcast programmes on religion, science, the arts, consumer affairs, education, health, business, farming and disability, what is left? Pop music and The Archers, presumably.

Radio 4 is forever trying to attract younger audiences. Instead, perhaps it should accept that young people tend to listen to pop music, which is provided by other radio stations, and are not generally interested in talking programmes until they reach their forties. Jill Smith

Stalbridge, Dorset

SIR – BBC viewers and listeners should be assured that Ofcom will ensure the national broadcaster provides highquality programmes, across a range of genres.

We are proposing to increase the number of original documentaries that Radio 4 must broadcast, and maintain the existing safeguard for religious programmes. We also plan to maintain or increase historic quotas on the BBC across vital areas such as news, current affairs, music and children’s shows, some of which have declined in the years before we became the BBC’S new regulator.

Our job, set by Parliament, is to hold the BBC to account – not to schedule TV or radio services, which the BBC must adapt to changing audience needs. We will not accept falling standards. On the contrary, we will scrutinise the BBC’S performance and distinctiveness each year. If the corporation falls short, we will step in for licence-fee payers. Kevin Bakhurst

Group Director, Content and Media Policy, Ofcom

London SE1