The recent news that more resources are going to be wasted on detection methods to find TV licence evaders made me cringe. It's stupidity piled on wastefulness and laced with idiocy. You'll gather that I don't support the move.

The whole TV licensing farce supports a massive and expensive bureaucracy which is totally unnecessary. It might have made marginal sense over fifty years ago when a tiny minority of the population owned a TV set, but the world has changed since then surely. In 2003, the great majority have a TV at home, and even those who don't have access to TV in pubs, gyms, shops, you name it.

All that happens now is that a state hammer is used to crack a pathetic nut. Next time you see a list of TV licence offenders listed in the press, just think what it means. Most "offenders" who are nabbed are people (often women at home) who are living on the breadline and make the not unnatural decision to spend on life's necessities rather than over £100 a year for not much.

The other thing that's changed since the fifties, of course, is that there's a massive choice of channels and the very variable quality of BBC TV means that its power is long gone.

So what's the alternative?

For a start, scrap the licence fee, thus saving a very large amount of money on a silly exercise. Funding for quality broadcasting (more necessary than ever) can simply come off the tax bill in the same way that other public services are covered. That also ends the current unfairness which means that a millionaire and a person on benefits pay the same fee.

My crucial difference, though, would be that, at regular intervals, a public referendum (perhaps through a TV vote!) would decide which broadcaster would get the lion's share of the funding. Such a move might encourage the BBC to end its diet of game shows, makeovers and pillocks. If it didn't, someone else would have a licence to provide the quality.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

On to intentional comedy, and this coming Sunday (6 July) at the Studio in Hartlepool you can see the splendid Gavin Webster performing a 60 minute preview of the show he will be taking up to this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Gavin has recently been supporting the likes of Lee Evans and Jack Dee, and he regularly appears on TV and radio. Gavin will be supported by the quirky Seymour Mace, a uniquely styled comedian who has been touring the country this year, up and coming local lad Peter Vincent, and Warren Speed as the effervescent resident compere. Doors open at 7.30pm, with the comedy kicking off at 8.30pm. Admission is £5/£4 concessions. By the way, the comedy club in Middlesbrough has fizzled out, but the Hartlepool version is getting stronger and stronger. I'll leave you to tell me your (comedy) reasons for that! More on www.funnybonescomedy.co.uk

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Talking of Middlesbrough, I bumped into Mayor Ray Mallon at a bit of a do the other day. He's looking very chipper despite a gruelling job, but I didn't miss the chance to tell him that the town would be doing OK once you could cross the Newport Bridge without thinking "yuk".

First impressions do mean a lot. In the last couple of weeks, I've spend time in Manchester and Leeds, and, city centre ambience wise, Lancashire looks Premiership with Yorkshire a few divisions down. I noticed that, so visitors notice us too!

Published: 02/07/2003