BBC culture
Sir: The Philistines are, of course, always with us, and evidence of their fell work is all around us, but it is alarming indeed that they are active in Doughty Street, advocat- ing the abolition of the BBC's licence fee (Politics, 30 June).
No doubt there are a variety of causes of the BBC's troubles, but by far the most important is the very existence of ITV. On the side of culture history has never presented a better illustration of the opera- tion of Gresham's Law. On the side of logistics it is the story of Fleet Street all over again: absurdly high rents, over- staffing, staff poaching and a suspicion that some material is bought not for use by ITV but to prevent the BBC having it.
All this is overshadowed by the brooding threat of audience head-counting, the rat- ings. For ITV it is easy. When ratings fall, as with their breakfast-time programmes, they go down-market to something cheap- er and nastier.
However, all this apart, Charles Moore clearly hasn't heard of Friedman's first law, 'There is no such thing as a free lunch'. Make the BBC a commercial venture and costs will be transferred from being a recognisable tax to an additional VAT — a sales tax on all advertised goods — hardly a help to the low paid and certainly an inflationary factor.
R. W. Dargavel
49 Northumberland Avenue, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne
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