THE BBC makes an incorrect assumption in saying that the free licences to the over 75s will cost it £745m as the provision of free licences costs it almost nothing.

An anticipated loss of income which it does not currently receive is not a cost and just because there are up to 3.7m pensioners affected, it doesn’t mean that given a choice, those pensioners would actually pay £154.50 per annum to watch the BBC.

Given a choice I wouldn’t pay for a TV licence which is actually a tax, as for example over the last two weeks the only programmes I realised I actually watched on the BBC were news programmes and I could easily watch ITV or Sky News, both of which are free, in that event.

In terms of the BBC saying it doesn’t do advertising, there are far too many adverts on the BBC for its own programmes, to the extent that they are totally annoying, so if the corporation needs extra money, I see no reason why it doesn’t accept paid adverts and show them when it would otherwise be advertising its own forthcoming programmes.

Ian Thompson, Spennymoor

ONCE again, the people who have worked all their lives, paid taxes and helped this country through the post war years have had a slap in the face by being asked to pay for a TV licence.

Some may be eligible for Pension Credit but don’t know how to claim or be too proud to ask for help, in the last few years of their life.

What a sad country this is.

GO Wright, Sadberge