26 JULY 1946, Page 14

THE B.B.C.'S INCOME

SIR,—We certainly are—or have regrettably become—a docile people. Some months ago the Postmaster General, by a mere stroke of the pen, doubled the charge for our wireless licences, and the B.B.C. increased its income from £5,000,000 to Lio,000,000. And what benefit has the ordinary listener derived from this extraordinarily arbitrary action? The answer is, of course—exactly nothing. True, television has reappeared —a miracle at present enjoyed by less than r per cent. of listeners, who incidentally, pay an extra £i for the privilege. What justification, there- fore, has the B.B.C. for offering exactly the same meagre choice of pro- grammes although its income has been doubled?—Yours faithfully,