Madam, - It's about time we questioned the wholesale monopolisation of manners, mores and media by that blatantly commercial construct uncritically referred (and deferred) to as "youth culture".
In our public broadcasting system is it now the general administrative intention to continue the dumbing-down of RTÉ Radio 1 until it is clamorously reborn as just another babble-driven station for adolescents of all ages?
In that case thank God (again) for Lyric, RnaG, and (selective) BBC. And no, I won't lighten up. - Yours, etc,
MICHAEL COADY, Clairin, Carrick on Suir, Co Tipperary.
Madam, - We have all been pleased with the ability of the Celtic Tiger to give the arts unprecedented funding in recent years. As a result, we're beginning to catch up, however belatedly, with other countries in our support of culture generally, though there remain many gaps. And then, suddenly, RTÉ Radio 1 consigns its arts coverage to late at night, rendering it in one fell swoop, a "minority" interest. Instead of mainstreaming arts coverage, RTÉ goes in the opposite direction.
Where is the voice of the Arts Council? Surely its board and executive need to step in and let RTÉ know that this trend is simply not good enough. Rattlebag was an excellent arts magazine, lively and catholic in its coverage. It should have been extended, not axed. I hope Ms Ana Leddy and the RTÉ Authority are capable of listening to the voices of the arts community and reversing this inexplicable decision. - Yours, etc,
GEMMA HUSSEY, Burlington Road, Dublin 4.
Madam, - The scrapping of Rattlebag from the daytime radio schedule is beyond belief. The programme has not just served the arts well - it has served, informed, educated and entertained the public. It provided one of the very few means by which the arts could gain broad public access to the airwaves.
Moving the programme to 11pm displays an alarming lack of commitment to the arts, which have served RTÉ and this country very well. Clearly this is an exercise in chasing ratings - hardly the sole motivation for a national broadcaster with a public service remit. I call on Ms Leddy and the RTÉ Authority to review this misguided decision, as ultimately they too will benefit from a healthy and well publicised arts sector. - Is mise,
DONAL SHIELS, Chairman, Theatre Forum, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.
Madam, - Will the new head of RTÉ Radio 1 now propose changing the name of the station to RTÉ Lite FM? - Yours, etc,
KEVIN GORMAN, Maynooth, Co Kildare.