EAST Lancashire MP and former Broadcasting Minister Janet Anderson has launched a strong defence of the BBC after it has faced a series of attacks for "dumbing down''.

At this month's Edinburgh TV festival a string of senior figures -- led by "Chariots of Fire'' Director Lord Puttnam -- accused the organisation of dumping its traditional mission to "educate, inform and entertain'' in favour of chasing ratings.

But Rossendale and Darwen's Mrs Anderson blamed the venom on commercial broadcasters' horror at the increase in the BBC's audience share last year from 38.2% to 38.4%, while ITV's fell from 28.9% to 25.7%.

She backed BBC bosses Greg Dyke and Gavyn Davies and said an effective, licence-funded BBC had to ensure high numbers of viewers through popular programmes in order to make sure someone is there to watch its more high-brow output.

Mrs Anderson, Broadcasting Minister from 1998 to 2001, said: "For the BBC to justify the licence fee as a public tax on all television users, surely it has a duty to seek to reach every home and to maximise appreciation of its programmes and services.

"That may indeed mean a high share which others will find competitively awkward but it is essential.

"That does not necessarily mean that the BBC is losing sight of its need to educate, inform and entertain or of its public service responsibilities.

"This autumn we can, in addition to the usual high quality entertainment from the likes of Harry Enfield, Dawn French and others, look forward to The Abyss -- Live where, for the first time in television history, cameras will explore the bottom of the ocean.

"Cracking Crime will investigate in detail the true picture of crime in the UK. Sahara with Michael Palin will take us across the desert.

"I don't think this is dumbing down."