Sir, - "We are servants of the public," announced Mr Joe Mulholland of RTE on the News at One recently. In that case, how about reducing the bombardment of toy advertisements on RTE in the run-up to Christmas. This advertising, aimed at children and broadcast from early morning, puts many parents under enormous pressure. According to an Irish Times article (John Waters, December 15th, 1998) toy advertising during the October-December period represents less than 1 per cent of RTE's advertising revenue. This amount is disproportionate to the misery caused to parents at this time of year.
Christmas toy advertising should be reduced, or better still, stopped altogether. Now that would be public service broadcasting. - Yours etc.,
Barbara Cullinan, Sion Hill Avenue, Harold's Cross, Dublin 6W.