Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for Paul Waugh’s review of the BBC’s new Politics Show. I’d been thoroughly put off by the flippant promotional clips I’d seen, but, like the author, wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt. I watched the first 5 minutes before turning it off. Although failing to understand the importance attributed to the absence of ties, the review confirmed my brief impression, and that I was right not to waste my time watching any more (First Sight: Politics Show, BBC1, 3 February 2003).

I have returned relatively recently from living on the continent, where I only had access to Sky News and CNN via satellite and pined for the “good-old" BBC.

Although I’m English, I much preferred CNN to Sky News, but there was something about both of them that I hated. I find it hard to describe exactly what it was, but at its core were trivialisation and commercialism, the fact that they were always trying to sell something. “Infotainment”, I think, is the word that has been coined to describe it. They cannot offer you something in a sober, informative fashion; it has to be jazzed up and impressed, if not physically forced, on you. The best (i.e. worst) examples are when they show a promotional clip for one of their own programmes (be it a film, documentary, or whatever - especially “sports coverage”).

I found it absolutely repulsive and longed for the serious, grown-up attitude  of the BBC. But what did I find on arriving home and turning on the box? That the BBC has changed its mature style and followed the nauseatingly superficial, "sell-it-to-'em" example of the commercial TV stations.

I do not pay a TV licence, and I wouldn’t – out of principle. I’d rather go to prison!

It is not just the media that are being thoroughly corrupted by commercialism, but virtually everything.  Over the years it has become worse and worse, and is so all-encompassing that we barely notice it. Occasionally it is noticed - and lamented - but it is quickly forgotten and ceases to be noticed because it is so normal and taken for granted.

Just one other example I’ve noticed in today’s press is the trivialisation and commercialisation (the two almost invariably to go together) of the Glencoe Massacre.  One wonders how long it will be before the same is done with the gas chambers of Auschwitz . . .

Commerce has always been at the very centre of civilisation, but today’s commercialism will be our undoing - unless we come to grips with it soon.

We have already gone a long way down a road which is leading us towards disaster, but it is not too late to call a halt and change direction – or at least to start thinking about it.

Most people are still unaware of the magnitude and imminence of the threat, or of the fundamental changes that must be made to our values, attitudes and aspirations, and the economy and lifestyles they engender, if disaster is to be averted and our children are to have any hope of a happy and prosperous future.

Daily Telegraph:  Clan chiefs attack Glencoe massacre 'chamber of horrors', 3 February 2003