Re your report (BBC accused of ‘hiding’ Oxbridge bias on University Challenge in deepening elitism row, 27 March), my charge against the BBC can be reduced to one simple question. The BBC’s argument is that there are around 300 “independent” colleges eligible to take part in University Challenge. How, then, for the 10 years for which there’s information on the BBC website, is there an average of 10.9 Oxbridge colleges competing each year, out of a total of 28 entrants? A yearly miracle? Or blatant favouritism by Oxbridge graduates supporting Oxbridge colleges?
If the BBC remains intransigent, let the invitation to those 300 colleges be honest. It should read: “Please participate in next year’s University Challenge, which, of course, we will be rigging in favour of Oxbridge.” Far better for the director general to intervene to save more reputational damage and drag this programme from the 1960s into the 21st century.
