BBC and TV licence offer insufficient value – Yorkshire Post Letters

IF former Batley & Spen Conservative MP Elizabeth Peacock is so concerned about TV licences no longer being free for all over-75s, then maybe she can use her party contacts to get a meeting with Chancellor of the Exchequer and Richmond MP Rishi Sunak (The Yorkshire Post, September 19).

Then tell Mr Sunak to overturn predecessor George Osborne’s decision in 2015 to bounce the BBC into funding them. Judging by other letters, it must have been a popular decision by Labour’s Gordon Brown to make them free for all over-75s – and paid for by the Government – in 1999.

Obviously, some BBC talent is well-paid. At least we can see – or hear – what they are paid for.

Harder to fathom why the seemingly untalented Conservative MP and ex-minister Chris “failing” Grayling is being paid so much by Hutchison Ports Europe for seven hours a week (Tom Richmond, The Yorkshire Post, September 19).

From: Bill Tetlow, Bedale.

IN the week that the BBC doled out obscene salaries to its so-called stars, I received a demand from them informing that I no longer have a free licence and I would have to start paying again in order to watch an ever deteriorating service.

The letter I received motivated me to research why someone like Gary Lineker received such an eye watering amount of money, to put it into context even with his reduction in salary he will still receive three times more than America pays its President.

Departing director general Tony Hall says that you have to pay these salaries for presenters of their flagship programmes. This brings into question what does Tony Hall defines as a flagship programme.

Meanwhile Zoe Ball loses a million listeners in 12 months, and instead of facing redundancy as she would in a private organisation, the BBC gives her a salary increase.

With logic like that, is it any wonder that the BBC is becoming a very expensive laughing stock which unfortunately we are forced to pay for?

From: John McCloy, New Lane, Burton Salmon, Leeds.

HAVING now received the request for the BBC licence fee, I have no argument with Gary Lineker per se; if he can persuade the BBC to pay him such a salary, good luck to him.

My argument is with the BBC and not only the BBC. Being an expert, why does Mr Lineker need so many more experts with him during his discussions before, during and after each his sports presentations? ITV seemed to have managed with less for the Tour de France presentation and they were on for the best part of an afternoon!

Are three in the studio, two or more in the commentary box and how many more on the pitch side necessary? Everyone who has attended a match knows full well that the best experts are the supporters on the terraces!

From: Paul Morley, Ribblesdale Estate, Long Preston, Skipton.

HERE’S a nice simple way to save the BBC the thick end of one and a half million a year and get back a million Radio 2 listeners.

Get rid of the annoying Zoe Ball and her morning show and replace it with repeats of the great Sir Terry Wogan’s morning show. Money saved, listeners happy, dead easy.

From: Ray Marshall, Mirfield.

IN my youth, people told me if there’s nothing wrong with it don’t fix it! Yet the BBC is altering A Question Of Sport and getting rid of the the great presenters who have been with us for years.

It’s lovely to see Sue Barker and her team each week – a sad loss. For the licence we have to pay, it seems nothing but repeats and major changes. Dreadful.

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James Mitchinson