A chara, - What a relief! News of Gay's departure from our screens had me somewhat worried. Would RTE be able to repeat their ingenious response to his departure from radio, when even the hint of novelty was quickly snuffed by an admirable reshuffle which left daytime listening absolutely unchanged?
What joy! RTE has once again saved us from the worrying tendency to innovation, imagination and change occasionally exhibited by some other broadcasters. What brilliance, after 37 years the Late Late Show is to be replaced by . . . the Late Late Show! RTE's genius for preserving everything absolutely unchanged remains undiminished.
They have rightly ignored those lunatic few who argue that concepts such as innovation, experimentation, developing new talent and challenging programming should form any part of a national broadcaster's ethos. RTE knows well what public service broadcasting means. It means giving the public what they want, and of course what the public wants must never change, ever, under any circumstances.
What a stroke of preservative genius. The relief of being able to turn my radio or TV on any time of any day and know I will be able to hear the same type of voice broadcasting the same type of programme.
Imagine the shock if the nation had been forced to listen to something new, something novel. Imagine the turmoil if we actually had to refer to programme schedules to know what would be on at a particular time!
So carry on, RTE, ignore the knockers. If it hasn't been on our airwaves, daily, for at least the past 20 years, then it smacks of dangerous new-wave long-haired pinko nonsense and is not for the nation's delicate sensibilities. Six broadcasters are more than enough to front a national TV and radio service. What nonsense to suggest that we should ever need new ones. - Is mise, Brian MacGabhann,
Conamara, Co na Gaillimhe.