BBC is profligate with its licence funding

I CAN only think that Councillor Chivers was writing in jest when he said we need to give the BBC more money. It certainly gave me a good laugh. I will be the first to admit we badly need to keep our local (not regional) stations, as they are a lifeline to a great many people and give jobs to local presenters.

However, while the BBC pay their present CEO £525,000 and gave the last DG a golden handshake of £190,000, I feel that sorting out the housekeeping should fall closer to home. Several presenters are paid millions and have had pay rises. Certain programmes (like sport) are very costly as well. I know the above amounts wouldn’t clear the BBC’s debt, but it does go to show how profligate the service is.

Perhaps a thorough audit would bring the rulers of this monolith to their senses. Instead of touting for extra funds, why doesn’t Councillor Chivers have a quiet word in his own local MP’s ear? Why should the paying public pay for a service that is going to be wilfully torn apart, depriving the listeners and viewers?

He says ‘the Government must fund the BBC properly’... er, as the money is the taxpayers’, shouldn’t that have read ‘the taxpayer must fund the BBC properly’?

Mrs T Newman Gloucester