BBC furore

I have always had a great affinity with the BBC - my father being one of the initial employees when it opened in Queen Margaret Drive, Glasgow.

As a family, we spent many hours listening for the third pip and the start of ‘The News’. However, even my loyalty has snapped.

I 'forgave' the debacle at the time of Jimmy Savile and others - anyone can make a mistake misjudgment.

I felt aggrieved at the furore over the licence fee for pensioners when I thought of the 'excessive' salaries paid to presenters who seemed self and apparently career-centred, increasingly interpreting 'news' as being introduced by 'should', 'could', ‘perhaps', maybe'; without the whole issue of fake news.

I was angry that news seemed to be 'valued' on its presentation interest rather than real news value – where has the plight of Yemen gone; the pandemic in India; the 'sniper alleys' of Syria?

I struggle with the triteness associated with the former 'Great BBC of Lord Reith', but enough is surely enough with the Princess Diana revelations.

Senior figures can't 'lie' about the existence of documents, re-hire without very close and detailed examination without consequence.

The time has surely come to let the BBC stand on its own feet, without subsidy and judged by its ability to attract funding. This is the ultimate accountability - as failure to attract viewers would lead to loss of income and demise.

JAMES WATSON Randolph Crescent, Dunbar