Letter: Retune your stereotypes

Sir: God spare us Channel 5 retuners yet another onslaught from BBC people like Dennis Bardens ("God spare us the Channel 5 retuner", 17 March). As everybody knows, we take pride and delight in insulting your family, disrupting your video and smashing your ornaments, leaving you without television, food, shelter or hope for months on end.

It might be nice to hear of the millions of retunes carried out without incident, bringing a new channel at no cost. It would be nicer still to read of the countless unofficial favours performed, resolving minor reception problems or demystifying the instruction book for customers. How many viewers enjoy better reception of Channel 4 or BBC South following my visit is anybody's guess, but they must number hundreds by now.

But no, all we get is constant grief. With monotonous regularity I get called out to people intent on blaming Channel 5 and me personally for every bit of atmospherics, every unsuppressed car that drives past, or their own inability to set the video timer.

MARK PARKER

Maidenhead,

Berkshire