OPEN LETTER TO THE BBC

OPEN LETTER

Mark Thompson,
Director General
The BBC
The Media Centre
Media Village
201 Wood Lane
London W12 7TQ

Language Adviser for English

Dear Mr. Thompson,

This is to put on public record my email sent to you on your Media Show Questionary, Radio 4, 24th June. It was as follows:

“My suggestion that the BBC install a Language Adviser for English, who would be backed by 100 unpaid monitors has been public for some years, and has been approved publicly by a number of prominent people.**

You strongly oppose the idea. But what do you say to my being allowed to put the case in a public debate with you on Radio 4?

I look forward to your reply.”

Yours sincerely,

Ian B Simmonds

**

The late Christabel Burniston, Founder & President The English Speaking Board

James Cochrane, author of “Between You and I”, to which John Humphrys wrote the Forward

Professor Sir Michael Dummett

Dr. Peter Ford, MBE

Dr. Bernard Lamb, President the Queen’s English Society

Dr. Joyce Morris, OBE

Harold Edwin Price

Lord Tebbit of Chingford

Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe MP

General the Lord Guthrie

Professor Chris Woodhead, former Chief Inspector of Schools

At last, a sensible response from the BBC!

The following extract is from a letter dated 22 July to me from Joanna Bower of BBC Information. Its stimulus was my open letter.

Although I am unable to guarantee this will take place, I have registered your suggestion on our audience log. This daily report of audience feedback is circulated to many BBC staff, including members of the BBC Executive Board, channel controllers and other senior managers.

The audience logs are seen as important documents that can help shape decisions about future programming and content. They are also published on the BBC's intranet site, so are available for all BBC staff to view."