Dumbing Browne
Sir: How Colin Browne (Letters, 14 Febru- ary) can have the nerve to talk of 'leaner' teams beats me, for it is common knowl- edge that since John Birt took over at the BBC umpteen millions have been squan- dered on management consultants, empire- building, and generally turning the place upside down. And all there is to show for it, as far as the licence-payers are concerned, is cultural impoverishment. Even more worrying are the implications of Mr Browne's statement of the BBC's responsi- bilities. Of course Parliament is paramount, but nobody whose heart is in the right place could have failed to put at the top of the list the BBC's raison d'etre, namely its responsi- bility to the licence-payers. Mr Browne adds insult to injury by giving priority to the BBC's accountability not simply to Parlia- ment but also to the government. The BBC is no more accountable to the government than I am; like me, the BBC is answerable only to the law of the land and the will of Parliament.
P.R. Bonnett
16 Short Close, Downham Market, Norfolk
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