John Humphrys, presenter of Radio 4's Today, has said the BBC is too big, but is still "a profound force for good".

Humphrys added that he thought the licence fee would be renewed in upcoming negotiations with the government, but does not expect a "generous settlement".

However, echoing comments made by another veteran BBC presenter, David Dimbleby, he said further cost cutting was required to reduce the BBC's size.

"I think the licence fee will continue. But questions will be asked. It will continue, I profoundly hope it will continue. I still think the BBC is a profound force for good," Humphrys told a Media Society event in London on Wednesday evening.

"A generous settlement, I suspect not. I think they are making the right steps cutting costs. But it is far too big."

Humphrys suggested the BBC should make further cuts to management, saying there were still too many executives. "Ask how many meetings there are. Ring up someone, and they are in a meeting," he said. "Reporters matter above all others. The reporters on the road that report. You can do without almost everyone else."

He added that he is worried that the BBC's Reithian values and mission – to inform, educate and entertain – were being affected by intense competition, and "entertainment was being pushed up too far" on the agenda.

There was also a concern about news programmes responding immediately to "self-serving groups with an axe to grind" on Twitter and social media sites.

Revealing that he did not tweet, Humphrys added: "We have to be terribly nervous about the whole social media [area]."

He said that he switches off all his phones at 6.30pm the day before he presents Today, to relax and read fiction, and does not specifically prepare for the famous 8.10am interviews until he arrives in the studio at about 4.10am, unless it is the prime minister or chancellor.

He said that he does not write out questions, adding that the key was to hold viewers' attention at breakfast time, and ask the questions they would like answered. "They have to think they are listening to a conversation, spontaneous, anything can happen."

Humphrys added that he believed nothing should be off-limits in an interview.

He said he had respect for politicians, but avoided meeting them socially. "No I don't believe they are all venal. We need them, they are part of the process."

He is anxious about the future of journalism – which offered him a route out of a poor working class family background in Cardiff aged 15, when he went to work for the Penarth Times – and the lack of entry points for the next generation.

"I worry about the demise of local newspapers. My advice is, don't be a journalist, unless not being one will make you profoundly unhappy for the rest of your life. If you are a teacher, architect, engineer, doctor you have to have qualifications," he said.

"They prove you can do the job. You can never qualify as a journalist, you're only as good as someone thinks you are."

He said career advancement depended heavily on being lucky, and getting breaks, and not everyone did.

He confided that the person he would most like to interview would be the Queen, and that he had requested one after he was invited to a private lunch at Buckingham Palace.

"She said 'No'. 'What's more, if one were to do an interview it would not be with you.'"

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