Letter: Radio 5 proposals wrong-headed

Sir: Once again the BBC has taken a stupid decision, this time regarding Radio 5. Bowing, uncharacteristically, to sustained public pressure, it has at a stroke lost a golden opportunity. During the Gulf war, it broadcast an embryonic rolling news service on FM, leaving the long-wave and medium-wave stations alone. Surely this was the simplest answer to the problem? This solution would have been popular with the majority of potential listeners to the service. It is likely that in future we shall have a rolling commercial news service on FM - if so, it will win hands down.

Yours sincerely,

CHARLES DOWNING

Chorleywood,

Hertfordshire

12 October