Dear Editors,

When I was living in Germany the only English TV I could receive was SkyNews. I hated it (to the extent of preferring CNN!), and longed for the BBC, which I believed was still the epitome of broadcasting excellence. But how wrong I was. When I returned to Britain last year I discovered that in my absence the BBC, far from being a bastion of good broadcasting, had gone over to emulating Sky, adding inane jingles and beat to the pseudo marketing of its programmes (considering that viewers have already paid through the nose for them!) and its vain self-promotion, which are an insult and acute irritation, certainly to me, and I would have thought to anyone with a mental age over 12. And as far as BBC News 24 is concerned, although I have not watched it very often, it seems to be indistinguishable from SkyNews, which I heartily loathed.

Then the other day, I was listening to Radio 4 news reporting on the dispute between themselves and the government, when they brought on an expert, a Professor so-and-so, to give his expert and presumably unbiased opinion, which he proceeded to do, slagging off the government, and Mr Campbell in particular, in no uncertain terms. I am sure that any Telegraph readers who happened to be listening would have roared their support, but I was quite shocked to realise just how far the BBC has descended into manipulative journalism, and away from its once objective and balanced reporting. I couldn't help wondering how on Earth they get away with it?  Certainly something needs to be done about it.

But what? How do you ensure a maximum level of objectivity and balance amongst journalist who, after all, are only human?

Disinfect the BBC before it poisons a new generation, 7 July 2003