This is a good start. The BBC needs to become more accountable to the majority of the public instead of burrowing its own biased agenda. Competition for the taxpayers money may restore the credibility of the BBC that the current employees have squandered

David Cartright, Birmingham,

If this is agreed will it mean that there will be less advertising on commercial television? I would certainly hope so!

Dave Thomas, Flixton, Manchester, UK

I think the license fee should be scrapped altogether. Britain is the only country where people have to buy a license to own a television. It's a disgrace. I rarely watch the BBC (and even then it's usual BBC News 24 on cable - which I already pay through the nose for) but still have to pay my license fee. I think the Pay-To-View idea above is a great one - let people who want the BEEB to pay for their repeats.

Tracey, Edinburgh, Scotland

Licensing to watch commercial TV makes no sense at all. The word 'commercial' tells us that they are in it for the money and they will make a profit or go out of business. Taxation to support the poor is bad enough; taxation to support the rich is beyond the pale!

Ron Gerard, London,

i dont know what the problem would be , we get to watch BBC programs with adverts in them. and they are still crap.

michael barnett, woodville, new zealand

Presumably the BBC would then be allowed to advertise like the other channels. There would then be nothing for those who do not want to be deluged with the claimed benefits of x, y or z.

M. Cawdery, Portadown, UK

How can you say the UK is a democracy when you license a television set or go to Jail?

90% of the UK is commercial broadcast, encrypt the BBC and charge those that want it, surely thats the only fair way

Peter, Camberley, UK

I think that the BBC is a fantastic resource which needs to be funded properly, either directly from the government or via ia specific tax... the actions of the government show two things - a desire to stiffle the free voice of the BBC and make it subserviant to the requirements of the government, and a lack of understanding in that having a truely independent public broadcaster is important fro democracy, because unlike channels such as SKY, they are not beholden to foreign owners with their own political agenda...

Paul Singh, London, Uk

When the digital transfer is complete, would it not be possible to transfer tp 'pay per view'. That way, if you don't want the BBC
then you needn't pay for it. Sky seem to operate this system fairly easily.

KC Somerset

Kenneth Coomes, Bristol,

Ann, Worcester Park - Dont blame the BBC for the ;amount of repeats they have to show - blame the government for limiting their fundiing, and therefore, curtailiing their abilty to make new programs

Simon Albion, London, Uk

We have already paid for most of the prgrammes on the BBC as they have been repeated and repeated. Very few shows are new and we are expected to accept this. Get rid of the BBC - they are going to the dogs anyway and taking our money with them. When I complained to the BBC I was told that the majority of people have been requesting repeats !!! They have lost my families watching - how many more people have stopped ?

Ann, Worcester Park, UK

This totally avoids the point, which is: 'Why do we have to pay this tax anyway?' Spreading it around a few other companies does nothing to alter the fact that we have this tax extorted from us, merely to have a Tv set installed in our homes. The BBC now 'lets' us watch TV via the internet. Well, who pays for the internet? US!!!! So we pay twice. Get a grip. The TV Tax has to go.

Bryan Lawrence, Hampshire,

Wow....who is going to spout the endless newlab. propaganda now?
Lay you 10 to one on the 'culture' secretary, Purnell is out of his job within 3 months if this proposal proceeds.

Ripsnorter (ex-pat), Malaga, Spain

The BBC tax should not be shared out with other companies. The BBC tax should be scrapped all together. The BBC is VERY poor value for money these days, and I have to listen to their New Labour propaganda - which I have to pay for by threat of prison!!! The BBC has long ago given up on this thing they claim called quality television, let alone public service tv, and I have given up watching the BBC.

If the BBC is so confident of their quality tv, why don't they make their channels scrambled and therefore subscription tv, but paid for per hour instead of a flat fee. Then they will see how little they are liked.

Andzej.S, London, England

"I would gladly sell my house and give all the proceeds to the BBC"

C/o Rowan Atkinson...NOT THE NINE OCLOCK NEWS

Conrad, Newcastle, Tyne & Wear

All that will happen is that the cost of the licence will spiral out of control and it's the viewer who will suffer. BBC is not that good. I pay all that money to watch Eastenders and Dr Who.

Billie, York,

I certainly would not pay more for the very few good programmes that BBC1 show. If they were of the same calibre as "Cranford" I might change my mind. But reality shows - Strictly Come Dancing" and the many repeats do nothing to attract me.

A.Lear, Derby, UK

The BBC now seems to see itself as the unvoted for power in the land that can dictate what we all think and do, and spend the tax they extract from us on the fat cats they employ - it is so sick in so many ways - dump it.

Marty, London, England

And It's an extremely large community that want the BBC TV Licence scrapped altogether as opinion polls show...Let the people free

John, Salford, England