Letter: A vote for Dyke

Sir: Your editorial states that the central challenge facing the BBC is the "need to balance quality broadcasting with the mass audiences required to justify the licence fee".

Why subject the BBC to this nexus? The BBC is a national cultural asset, just like the Tate Gallery. Would you require the Tate to attract mass audiences for every exhibition in order to justify financial support from the state?

The Government should pledge to the BBC the right level of licence fee (which should be settled after full public consultation on what the BBC should be doing with the public's money in terms of channels, radio stations, websites etc) and allow it to get on with a settled public service remit, to create a point of difference from the commercial broadcasters.

MARK AMBROSE

London W5