I abhor advertising as much as junk mail and spam. The Beeb is my radio and tv spam filter. Radio 4 and BBC2 have no peers and remain national treasures. They should be grade I, or at the very least, grade II* listed! I consider my licence fee at £2.68 a week, less than a pint, very well spent!

Mike L, Chippenham, Wilts

What went wrong? England was once the most civilized of countries & it's TV programming was top notch. Now the Brits have overtaken the states in most violent crimes & it's TV fare is dumb downed, flimsy & vulgar. BBC America is mostly crude cops, insipid reality TV & home repair. Reruns rate best.

cathy hansen, ruckersville, virginia, USA

There's no need for publicly funded highbrow TV, either, since all that means is some ponce like Attenborough dictating to us what's good for us. How dare anyone command to us that specific niche interests are of higher value than the spending power of those interested in them?

_Felix, Nottingham,

You seem to have a higher opinion of David Attenborough than I have. Obviously I didn t listen to his speech, but I can observe that he has had plenty of opportunity to make, or assist in making, the corrections he may be suggesting, and has failed to do so. In Attenborough speak, the remark, If you want an informed society there has to be a basic understanding of science, means in that context, WE do not want an informed society. The standard of provision of information on BBC radio is abysmal. There is not just a complete disregard for accuracy but an attitude that that is proscribed.

Henry Percy, London, UK

Get rid of all that rubbish for babies and very young kids or put it all on one channel. They will only grow up to be morons if they watch that crap. Put sport all on one channel as well.

m wilson, bidache, france

David Attenborough also focused on the BBC specialist units with Bristol the only survivor as a consequence of enforced outsourcing of program production. If the BBC had other units whose expertise brought wonder to our screens like Bristol, perhaps we would get the point of the BBC again.

John, London, UK

BBC Radio 4 has no rivals for current affairs coverage. My newly purchased iPod is packed with its podcasts.

Barry, Gander, Canada

Those in the UK who seem to think BBC programming is not the correct mix need to come live in the US where there are hundreds of channels pumping out unintelligble rubbish 24 hours a day.

The only news worth watching is Public Broadcastings "The News Hour and the BBC News which is also on Public

Alexander Hogg, san diego, usa

Make the BBC subscription and see how many people pay to watch the rubbish they broadcast.
I object to having money taken off me with menaces for a service I don't use if Sky disappointed me I would cancel it, the beeb take my cash either way so its a tax on TV

mitch, Wolverhampton, England

Thank God for people willing to go the extra distance like Stuart Syvret.
Thank David for bringing it to the wider publics attention.

Sarah, Lisburn, Antrim

It's a long time since I ever watched BBC1 and for the last several years programmes on BBC 2 have had little appeal. Channel 4 does entertainment and serious current affairs far better and somehow the left liberal agenda doesn't grate so much on a non taxpayer funded channel. Great Radio 3 though!

Gina, Staffordshire, England

I think the BBC reflects modern Britain very well actually. I complained to the BBC about several things recently that were so obviously wrong and yet it was clear I was in an absolute minority - most people think the drivel is fine. It is depressing how people really think in modern Britain.

lara, Oxford, England

An over rated politically biased dinosaur that needs its wings clipping. Again people should have a choice whether they wish to fund the bbc or not. I never watch anything by the bbc, and I never listen to any radio program broadcast by the bbc, yet I still have to pay.

clive lowe, stockport, uk

The BBC is a mere shadow of its former greatness, now it is a safe enclosure for left wing guardianista's who wallow in public cash and push issues only they deem worthy! When you no longer trust a public service organisation the only option is to end it! the sooner the better....

Richard, Epsom,

What is 'rich' and 'cultural' about cursing? It's not new. It does not prove anything. It often offends. It does not contribute any more than we have already and is mostly mis-used. It does not require any brain power to use. However when it is, it fills space which could better be employed.

Jim Currie, Funchal,

'Public service broadcasting means an effective network that produces a range of well-made programmes, particularly in the less popular genres'

You get this exact coverage from the internet,, and no public money is involved

Nicholas Iles, Oswestry, Shropshire

Steve Moxon is right. The BBC is schizophrenic, hating the great unwashed (because their opinions are politically incorrect) while simultaneously pandering to the lowest common denominator (through a dread of poor ratings).

JF, Canterbury, UK

As for the BBC's politics, the management cannot get their heads round, let alone agree with, any opinion not their own. An insider told me that he'd predicted that Boris would win, only to be made to feel (like Minette) "rather sillly". The prediction was (to the bosses) quite absurd. Who did win??

JF, Canterbury, UK

From the US
BBC at it's best is wonderful and much admired on PBS here in the US. In reality the BBC has suffered a severe overall decline as I have noticed in my yearly visits to the UK over the last 30 years. Must the BBC really have to roll in the gutter with commercial TV ?

Paul, Charlottesville,Virginia,

We have the same problem with our once respected CBC Radio here in Canada.

Swearing, obscenities and expletives seems to be regarded as honesty, integrity and intelligence by those behind the micrphones.

Late at night the old CBC returns. Daytime listening is for underachievers. RIP - CBC

Frank Madigan, Capreol, Canada

The BBC is part of the political information wing of the present Nanny state. It is run by London, for London.They don't listen and will go the same way as the Govt. OUT!!
Take East-Enders, I haven't seen a jellied eel or a pearly king or even some "cockney walking" ever. Complete tosh.
BYE BYE

John , Up North,

I saw some of "Have I got News for You" last night and am usually impressed by its wit, intelligence and irreverence but they used the F word frequently and other obscenities. Whilst this is OK in fiction or bleeped as a quote it is unacceptable in guests in my house, which effectively TV is.

R Mason, London, UK

By operating as a worthy, cultural ghetto, the BBC will be ignored by the masses; then the bleat is: the license fee is elitist.

Remember, Murdoch benefits from articles like this and publishes them regularly. The BBC gets damned if it competes but will disappear if it doesn't. A life less rich.

Anthony, Thame,

I watched HAVE I GOT MORE NEWS FOR YOU on Saturday night.
Brian Blessed was guest chairman. His language was absolutely disgusting. The f word was used throughout the entire show, together with crude references to body parts/functions. Please BBC don't ever have him again.

D Walker, Burnley, England

Of course, there is also the Balen report scandal, which has cost over £200,000 of the licence payers' money.

marco, edinburgh, scotland

The BBC hac never listened to any criticism - they have displayed a belief that anything and everything they do must be right.
Peter of Somerset talks of avoiding adverts! The BBC now has as many adverts as the commercial broadcasters - albeit dressed up as 'trails' .
How about dropping sport?

Jerry Latham, Uttoxeter, England

I agree with much in this article, however I think Minnette missed the political point. The BBC no long represents the mainstream; it is driven by multi culturalism and a love of all things EU.
Often it fails to tell the truth! An example would be the lack of coverage or debate surrounding the EU.

John Stretton, Albrighton, Shropshire

I don't see any alternative to what is being proposed by Ofcom. The BBC won't change by just contunuining 'as is' so we now have to find a different formula.

I have no problem with the BBC's politics or its cheap & tacky programs. Its just I don't see why I should be compelled to pay for it.

Margaret , Berkhamsted,

Tony - You say scrap News24, meaning leave it to Sky News - no thankyou.

Remember that many people are happy to pay a licence to avoid repetitive adverts for DFS and ambulance chasers.

Peter, Somerset, UK

No need to look further than Live on Five. Victoria Derbyshire, that diva of political correctness, still young enough to have babies but so judgemental and 'knowlageable' . once she has a pet agenda she never lets go, smoking, obesity and racisim. Its not her job to campaign on issues such as these

gmonk, Nottingham,

To pay the presenter of the One Show a rather dull football fan so much of my licence fee is obscene.

Frederick, London, UK

The TV licence fee is an insistence that we all pay for our own indoctrination with the politics of the BBC and the wider establishment, which is the new fascism of 'political correctness': which in short is the hatred of the very masses for which the BBC is breaching its own ethos to boost ratings.

Steve Moxon, Sheffield,

I have another beef about the licence fee. BBC World is a commercial organisation within the Beeb that is shown everywhere in the world except the UK. Apparently, we are not allowed to see it because it carries adverts. This despite the fact that the BBC endlessly advertises itself on mainline TV.

William Thomson, Madrid, Spain

As an overseas resident in the Middle East I regularly listen to BBC radio via the internet - quite simply it is way ahead of its closest rivals! At its best, BBC television is equally impressive but I am all too often reminded of Bruce Springsteen's lyric 'Fifty-seven channels but nothing on'!

Alistair Pugh, Bahrain,

Auntie needs little more than BBC2, Radio 3, and, definitely, Radio4; Oh, and its website. For my part the rest is little more than dross.

John Lee, Ellesmere Port, UK

Why should I pay for sky AND the beeb? It annoys me as much as putting my kids through private school, and still having to pay towards state schools in my taxes.

Maverick, Oxfordshire, UK

Why does the future of the BBC have to be dictated by the desires and needs of commercial broadcasters? In return for my licence fee I receive the ability to access an excellent range of services and yet year-on-year the BBC is told to reduce the scope of its output in order to appease its rivals.

Andy Baxter, Milton Keynes , UK

The licence fee has become far too expensive to be justified. The BBC should not compete with the myriad of commercial channels or chasing audiences. BBC2 and Radio 4 are the jewels; BBC 3,4 , News 24,Radio 3 are worthless in the commercial market so why continue with them. Radio 1 should be sold

Tony Gee, London,