JULIAN Cole's column ('Oh, just let it Beeb', March 10) about the BBC raises more questions, the critical one being how the BBC is funded.

The corporation sounds like a big baby wanting to be independent of Government, parliament or any commercial interest, only to be thoroughly reviewed about once in ten years and requiring about £2.8 billion a year, with no taxes to pay.

In the real world you have rent arrears in York running at more than £1 million (March 10), so many people find paying their way difficult. Every year, thousands of people are prosecuted for not paying the licence fee.

The public service broadcaster could reflect public services. So, why not share the running costs between Government departments including health, education, employment, pensions, transport, defence, sports and the arts etc.

The BBC's direction would be towards helping people with information and entertainment, consumer affairs such as tenants' rights and obligation, helping with education as they do now and protecting/assisting the public. I suggest at the end of programmes (not during) five minutes of adverts be allowed to help reduce the publicity costs for the various departments in return for their support. There should also be a system of access to any complaints via the web so viewers could read of any complaints or concerns and know if the reporting was fair and unbiased. The BBC board could also be required to report monthly on any aspect of possible reporting bias or misleading advertising.

Culture Minister Tessa Jowell could commission a report into all the costs, prosecutions, legal aid of running the BBC and provide a cost and social analysis of the suggested proposal and publish it within four months to give the public the choice in funding.

Colin Clarke,

The Crescent,

Stamford Bridge,

York.

Updated: 10:22 Tuesday, March 15, 2005