THE news analysis feature 'What now for the BBC?' (March 3) was very interesting.

Culture minister Tessa Jowell's remit was for a "strong and independent" BBC. So the public consultation on the Beeb and its funding is directed not towards considering all the evidence, costing all aspects and finding the best outcome for the public good, but to keeping the corporation going.

The BBC is socially and politically above all others. It is independent of Government, accountable to little boards and does not compete for funding like the National Health Services, defence or education.

It receives more than £2 billion from the licence fee. The licence fee is unfair in charging a single, low-income person the same as a household with several incomes and several TVs.

Concessions for some pensioners and not others, based on age, is arbitrary and not based on principles.

You are not allowed to watch ITV, Channel 4 or 5 without a TV licence, paid to the BBC, which is unfair competition and restricts rights. You should be able to watch these other channels that are funded by advertising without a licence fee paid to another, entirely separate, organisation.

Whatever the quality of BBC programmes, some good, some bad, these are less important issues and they can be improved. The Government could fund the BBC without a licence fee being issued and thousands would not be fined, court costs or imprisonments would not occur for not having a licence. All the political parties seem tied to a BBC no matter what its faults and the Beeb keeps giving the public a one sided story.

Colin Clarke,

The Crescent,

Stamford Bridge.

Updated: 09:35 Tuesday, March 08, 2005