Sir , – For almost a moment I was in sympathy with RTÉ’s line-up of top-earners whose annual stipend is now less than a quarter of a million euros in some hard-pressed cases.
However, the same 6pm news bulletin that brought me this salary news also informed me that students had that day recited updated 1916 Proclamations which “they had wrote themselves” (quote).
An even higher-ranking earner than that newsreader has equal difficulty with his past-participles – almost daily telling us that someone has “just rang in”. Outside the top-10 earners is the hapless sports-anchor who brings to vivid life all those searing shots on goal that “have just went wide” – the ones that I’m “gonna wanna” see again on YouTube.
As the national broadcaster, I feel RTÉ should be held to some standard in respect of the spoken language. Perhaps a grammar version of the office “swear box” – the contribution to be linked to audience listenership and salary level!
– Yours , etc,
TED NEVILLE
Co Cork.