I COULDN'T agree more with Mr Joe Beardsworth (Letters, February 20) about having to pay a licence fee for a channel which, at best, is archaic with its programmes and, at worst, insulting with the amount of repeat films which we have to endure, especially at Christmas.

I refer, of course, to the old-fashioned BBC for which we have to pay in excess of £100 for a licence fee, even though we may not even watch it.

What happened to choice? I subscribe to cable TV for the sports channels and I pay for these, but I do not subscribe to the movie channel and so I do not pay for it. Is this not a fairer system?

It is like paying for electricity in our house and the gas board coming along and charging us a standing fee just because we have access to its use, even though we may not use it.

The BBC have now lost the majority of its sport such as football and cricket to Sky TV and yet we still have to pay for the dross it turns out week after week. If it weren't for EastEnders, I doubt it would have half the viewers it currently has.

Why does it not show advertisements to cover its expenses and perhaps then it could invest in better programmes with the extra revenue it would undoubtedly generate?

In fact, I would go as far as to say that half of the advertisements on ITV are better entertainment than the programmes which the BBC churns out week after week.

As Mr Beardsworth concludes and I agree, let's make a stand to get this archaic system of compulsory licence fees abolished. Write to your MP now.

TONY MEDLEY, Hawthorn Drive, Rishton.