A chara, - I am very troubled to read of RTÉ's financial difficulties (Editorial, May 22nd) and even more worried to learn that there are those in Ireland who believe that the solution is an American-style free broadcasting market. Commercial broadcasting in the United States is mostly drivel, aimed at the lowest common denominator, and usually projects the political views of producers and owners.
Cutting RTÉ funding would virtually destroy the Irish television industry, further flooding Irish airwaves with cheap imported rubbish. Ireland would effectively lose its voice in Europe and the world.
RTÉ's continuing health is of great importance to many emigrants like myself who seek an impartial source of information from home. RTÉ's internet service is a magnificent tribute to public service broadcasting at its best. Would any other commercial broadcaster in Ireland have the resources or desire to cover national elections or provide minority broadcasting such as TG4, Raidió na Gaeltachta, or Lyric FM? - Yours, etc.,
BRIAN Ó BROIN,
Madison,
Wisconsin,
USA.
... ... * ... * ... * ... ...
Sir, - I have tears in my eyes as I read of RTE's financial plight, but the tears are for the compulsory licence fee of €107 I'm forced to pay whether I avail of its services or not.
I support the concept of public service broadcasting but your TV listings for today have me struggling to identify it in RTÉ's schedules. The vast bulk of the long schedule for both channels seems to consist of imported soaps, cartoons, movies and serials. Apart from news bulletins, the only home-produced item on Network 2 seems to be The Den. On RTÉ 1, there's a two-hour slot between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. with four home-produced programmes, including Fair City and House Hunters. Neither of these strike me as meriting licence fee or tax-payers' support.
I find RTÉ's recent self-congratulatory advertising irritating, as it wastes even more taxpayers' money to tell us RTÉ costs us only 29 cents a day. For that it seems that we also get a plethora of non-core activities such as orchestras, choirs, etc. - which I've rarely seen on RTE television.
RTE does some things very well indeed, particularly in current affairs and sport, and I certainly don't want them to disappear. But I can't see any rationale for spending even more of my money on Network 2. I would also question the need for RTE to run 2FM and suggest it should leave the orchestra and choir business. Let the Government find alternative ways of funding and supporting such activities if that's required. - Yours, etc.,
PETER MOLLOY,
Haddington Park,
Glenageary,
Co Dublin.