Sir, - Frank Folan (January 23rd) adverts to the vulgarity of the Gerry Ryan Show. But why stop there ? RTE is an exceptionally successful company - in its unremitting and often ruthless pursuit of mediocrity. When we pursue mediocrity, vulgarity is bound to be hard on our heels.
There is no use complaining to Gerry Ryan, his producers, or the RTE directors who must believe the State's "common people" (vulgus) are best served by a diet of appalling coarseness (vulgarity). Gerry Ryan and "Don't Feed the Gondolas" don't happen by accident but by official state broadcasting design.
One effective remedy is for Mr Folan and the rest of us who look to radio and television for something other than low-life and often infantile nonsense, to stop buying the goods which are advertised on these programmes. Without sales, advertising disappears; without advertising the programmes disappear. So the people to complain to are the advertisers and, after a decent interval, let them know you have stopped buying their goods. It is as simple as that - a matter of taking your money away from where their mouths are. - Yours, etc.,
Des Wilson, Springhill Close, Belfast