Why pay Jonathan Ross a fortune from our money - to stop us watching him on another channel!?

Ed, Solihull, UK

Axe the licence fee and do it quickly. Put them out of their misery.
Overstaffed, biased and not fit for purpose.
Get rid!

Dave Clemo, Kettering,

would someone explain to me why tax payers are forced to pay for bbc radio? its not even paid for by the license fee!. there are independent radio stations all over britain, why should the bbc get tax payers money to compete with legitimate business?

will, grimsby, uk

The BBC is a state sponsored dinosaur that has grown fat on coercion. Sky, ITV etc don't send me endless threatening letters because I don't pay the license fee (and never will). Anything I want to watch these days comes over the Net. When the BBC catches on they will be braying for an ISP tax.

Dirk Bruere, Bedford, England

A good point.
If the BBC is so good and popular.

Then allow us the choice to have it or not.
We have no Choice..
Let those who want the BBC pay for it.

I'm scrapping my TV anyway.
Get no more licence fees from me.

rick, newcastle, uK

The BBC is an instrument of statecraft, and must go, if we are in a free democracy. Their license goons harass people, and present the ugly face of 'dear old auntie beeb' Start by cutting salaries, and reduce two newsreaders to one - and stop reading the papers on air -- we do that ourselves!

M.O., London, United Kingdom

The BBC is primarily the mouthpeice of the Labour party. Not only is it bias, it seems less and less bothered about disguising the fact!
Anything else is an afterthought.

Phil Bailey, Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Just tune into any BBC local radio station and then ask yourself the simple question - 'What is the point of this garbage?' . It exists simply as a result of Frank Gillard's successful political campaign against local commercial radio back in 1967. It is a waste of money - as is regional TV.

Millsy, Chichester,

The BBC was supposed to be a public service broadcaster & never in it's wildest dreams will it ever compete with the commercial stations! I feel where it lets the public down most is in it's biased reporting which I suspect is controlled by this government! No one will debate the Family law issue!

Dave Farmer, Broxbourne, England

Tthe World Service is almost totally in thrall to the USA. The language ("ahead of", "this hour"), so many "experts" being from the USA and much else I can't explain in 300 characters means the BBC has totally lost its identity. Reform it or get shot of it, but don't leave it to look ridiculous.

John Orford, Balingasag, Philippines

"The BBC is quality broadcasting with no tiresome ads four times per hour".
You may say or think this depending on your views and bank balence, but I would like to be given a choice as to whether I watch BBC and pay £140 a year OR watch ITV and pay nothing.

Sid Jacques, Durham,

The BBC should be left to die a natural death. I am sick of watching lies on climate change it is so desperate to persuade those of us able to research to prove them wrong, the over reliance on Scottish presenters and the political bias towards Labour. The panic now because they fear Tory success.

Vanessa, London,

Dean in Oxford, the BBC is not fundamental to the lives of the majority and it certainly is not a media company. To describe the BBC as a company would suggest it has willing customers rather than poll tax it enforces with threats of prison.
Digital switch over, perfect time to encrypt and CHOOSE.

Mike, Leeds, UK

Advertising isn't going to be an option for the Beeb, since the advent of on-demand and the fast forward button, it's no longer going to be a major source of income for commercial broadcasters.

The alternative to the license fee is too horrific to contemplate, just look at the standard of TV abroad

Charles, Doncaster,

I live in Paris & have to watch BBC Prime as one of my few English language channels. It's not unusual to have 2 or 3 episodes of the same programme (normally 2 or 3 years old), one after the other. eg tonight we have (ancient) "My Family" at 6 & 6.30 & then at 10 & 10.30. Ah, the mighty BBC.

Jeff, Paris, France

Try this little exercise on your next local news programme (ITV or BBC).

Count how many reports are based on a crime, details of which are provided by the local police. Count how many actually begin with the words "Police are..."

Regional output is expensive and vapid - let it go.

Andrew, Darlington,

The BBC should not be able to access more financial resources than it's commercial rivals. Either the licence fee should be distributed or the BBC should become a subscription channel and stand on its own two feet. Otherwise we end up as we were pre 1955, with a monopoly broadcaster.

Mark B, Hull, UK

Very interesting to listen to the phone-ins on Fox Talk radio etc where the public can criticise government actions. The BBC hosted no such debate, it maintained its propaganda role and the bail out went ahead unquestioned. I can't see the BBC serves any purpose at all. O for freedom of speech!

John Ledbury, Kings Lynn, England

The BBC should be scrapped now. Its stifling the creativity of new media companies in this country. For the money it costs it doesnt produce anything like the necessary quality you'd get from private enterprise.

Simon Harper, Reading Berks, UK

I totally disagree. The BBC is the greatest media company in the world and is fundamental to the everyday life of most of the people in the this country - certainly for us students. Frankly, commerical TV can go down the tube for all I care, so long as the BBC remains well funded and independent.

Dean Rodrigues, Oxford, UK

Local schmocal!! Who needs more cat up a tree stories, or endless film of pensioners rummaging through the photo album and making each other cups of tea? The BBC decided long ago that its role was to out-trash the competition and to ignore its public service role. Scrap the tellytax

John Ledbury, Kings Lynn, England

The BBC is quality broadcasting with no tiresome ads four times per hour.
Who else can make historical drama and educational science programmes like Aunty does?
I would be happy to pay more in licence and have another channel or two of quality and substance.

Dee (ex-pat), Paralimni, Cyprus

Years ago,the BBC was the last word in quality programes& impartial news.Now,it's nothing more than the governments mouth,a propaganda machine churning out what the government wants us to see.I can't be the only one who really resents being forced to pay for it.Let it sink or swim on its own.

Sue, Highlands, Scotland

Matthew, Bucks...

England football? What about Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland? It's the BRITISH BC, not the English BC.....

Andrew Boyd-Bell, Hitchin, United Kingdom

The BBC have contributed to the housing collapse by doling out programmes on "how to get rich quick"with buying property to sell on......They should also be barred from paying out CASH to winners of quiz shows....as for Jonathon Ross...and the £10Million on air fares.. 400 staff at the olympics Etc

Tony, Derby, UK

Scrap the licence and let the beeb survive on handouts from advertisers. At a time where everyone is having to be careful with their money, this huge wasteful goliath needs to be brought down to earth.

Stiv, London,

The BBC should go back to being a pure TV or Radio Auntie.
For many years it has fallen back on market reaction rather than broadcast innovation. As night follows day--this has resulted in countless examples of poor financial decision making and a subsequent slicing or merging of services.

William Grierson, kIMPTON, UK

The BBC should not be competing for overpaid staff or content. If they demand more than is reasonable let the commercial stations pick up the tab. Reserve content that is of national interest - England football, cricket, rugby the Commonwealth games, Olympics etc for the BBC to be show.

Matthew, Bucks, UK

Well, I vote for the BBC any time, advertisment now spoils a programme - don't we have to suffer approx 15min of advertisment in an hour programme.
Now in hard times the competitor want BBC to help, well guess what my answer is.

Charles, Huddersfield, UK

Get rid of the licence tax so we can stop paying millions to the likes of Jonathan Ross and the "actors" of eastenders Make it compete in the real world like we and all the other TV stations have too. i have got better things to do with my cash than pay into Fiona Bruce's ISA /holiday fund.

Carl, Manchester, UK

But today's BBC is neither. It's a vast and growing self-serving bureaucracy, barely distinguishable in output from the rest of the media, and whose contribution to public service is minimal.
Trim it down to 2 quality TV and radio channels or make the lot selectively subscription based.

gordon, wallingford, UK

Sell the BBC and use the money to help pay towards some of these endless bank bailouts and axe the license fee. Then we will have a level playing field

Steve, Derby, England