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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Chris Tryhorn

'Looking forward to more strikes'

The decision by BBC staff to strike today has provoked a surprising response from some viewers and listeners, with one licence fee payer looking forward to more industrial action as a release from "unambitious breakfast drivel".

Comments posted on the BBC News website revealed a wide spread of opinion for today's 24-hour strike, ranging from condemnation to strong approval.

But some even thought programming had improved today in the absence of normal schedules.

"Thank you for a day off from unambitious breakfast drivel and tedious regional rubbish - looking forward to more strikes in the future," wrote Frank from Wales.

And Ian from Northwich was delighted with Radio 4's alternative output: "Fantastic. It was a pleasure listening to Just a Minute on the way to work this morning [instead of Today]."

Charles Brown of London spoke for many BBC News website users, describing the 4,000 job cuts as "madness".

"The BBC staff are right to strike, both to defend their jobs but also to defend the quality of the BBC's output. To cut resources, particularly foreign cover, is madness," he said.

His comments were echoed by James of Brighton: "The BBC is a world class organisation providing an objective and rational viewpoint. I fully support staff striking to defend this great British institution."

There was support too from an expatriate listener, William Stanley, from Casablanca, Morocco.

"The BBC has been with me 30 years on five continents. You have entertained me, taught me, provided the latest news, and more often than not, you were a friendly voice in the English language. The BBC is the flagship of Britain," Mr Stanley said. But there were also plenty of people opposed the strike and were angry about losing access to their favourite programmes.

"I think it's disgraceful that BBC staff are striking - exactly what do we pay our license fee for?" asked Tina Johnson, from Warwickshire.

"We pay it to be able to watch the BBC's programmes - not to be told on Sunday evening that we will not hear our local news the next day," she added.

Others felt that there was plenty of spare capacity at the BBC and that plans by the director general, Mark Thompsons, plans to cut some 4,000 jobs were justified.

"27,000 staff? What the hell do they all do, given that the TV schedules are cluttered with so many repeats?" wrote Robert, from London.

"The sooner the BBC becomes leaner and fitter and gets back to quality before drivel, and away from paying a lot of untalented 'star' presenters and soap actors fortunes the better."

· To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 7239 9857

· If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".

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