RALPH Prothero (Letters, February 7) highlights the BBC’s institutional bias citing its coverage of the debate on Europe, where for years it has been a cheerleader for all things in favour of the EU.

Two further examples of the corporation’s left-wing mindset: last month it emerged that staff had pinned a series of anti-Tory tabloid newspaper headlines to the walls of its Westminster studios.

Then a so-called comedian and Radio 4 presenter claimed that David Cameron’s health reforms mean that the PM ‘wants kids to die’.

What to do? Well, here’s one thing you can do to undermine the BBC’s compulsory licence (£145.50), which pays for this outrageous behaviour as well as the six-figure salaries of its bosses.

Watch television for nothing online via the BBC iPlayer. You can do this so long as you steer clear of live viewing for which a licence is required.

It’s the BBC’s little secret which it would rather you didn’t know about, which is why it is currently trying to change the rules to bring the iPlayer within the remit of the licence regime.

Once the power of the monopoly state broadcaster starts to decline in this way, it will never recover.

DOROTHY FUDGE, Totton.

Editor's note: This information is freely available on the BBC's own website. However you do need a TV licence if you watch anything live or nearly live (within two hours of broadcast) on any device, such as a TV or computer, regardless of whether or not it is on the BBC or another channel. You are legally required to delcare if you only watch catch-up services, however.