JUDGING by the vitriol in Andrew Parkes' condemnation of the BBC (Who Gives A Beeb, News Shopper, May 25) he has not only suffered at the hands of an overbearing BBC journalist in the past but also been refused a job by the corporation probably more than once.

Society's whingers always moan at the licence fee but forget how much it provides us.

The over 75s already get free licences. For the rest though, is 34p a day really too much for such quality programming?

You can't even get a good newspaper for that price!

Try going without the BBC for a week and see whether the resulting £2.38 in your pocket makes up for an unremitting diet of quiz shows, reality TV, imported programming and, of course, advertising aimed at the lucrative 18-34 market on the other channels.

Andrew Parkes maintains the corporation "takes our licence fee" and spends it on "crazy programming".

In value for money terms, the 4.7p per viewing/listening hour the BBC costs the average household compared to the 38.5p for a Sky family pack is money well spent from my household budget.

In my view the BBC's quality speaks for itself.

We have little enough the rest of the world envies this one is a world-class winner.

Sarah Beacock, Shearwood Crescent, Crayford