Sir, - While the punter doesn't care what channel he or she sees Coronation Street on, the point is the migration of advertising revenue and audiences from RTE to TV3 and its implications.
In all the coverage this week about TV3's deal with Granada Media, no one has asked the blindingly obvious question: what about Irish programmes? Will any of these changes mean we get more Irish programmes on TV? Perhaps the IRTC, in approving the ownership change, might begin to introduce a quota for Irish independent production.
When it comes to RTE, the dogs in the street have been aware of its long-term problems for some time now. The station must radically cut its administration budget and invest more in programmes. To do that it needs an increase in the licence fee - among the lowest in Europe - and a management capable of immediately taking tough decisions that are long overdue.
The only strategy that will save RTE in the future is to increase its spending on home-produced programmes. This will ensure some loyalty from viewers. The 1999 annual accounts show the station is spending only 45 per cent of its total income on home-produced TV programming. This percentage will have to rise significantly, particularly in the genre that most defines a station, quality drama. The search is on to find an worthy Irish challenger to Coronation Street.
Both broadcasters are quoted as saying they will increase their spending on Irish programmes as a result of the changes. The 150 production companies in Film Makers Ireland await details of these new commitments with bated breath. - Yours, etc.,
Tania Banotti, Director, Film Makers Ireland, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.