Sir, – Further to "NCH to take over National Symphony Orchestra from RTÉ" (News, July 5th), it seems that RTÉ's campaign to be rid of the symphony orchestra has apparently paid off!
The funding of radio symphony orchestras across Europe is under threat and our national public service broadcaster has finally worn down the Government, which has agreed in principle to rid them of this public service cultural burden (there are very few votes in supporting symphony orchestras) rather than grasp the nettle and address the issue of the gross underfunding of public service broadcasting.
I am amazed at the speed with which the Government was able to arrive at this decision. One wonders who, if anybody, it consulted before arriving at the decision. RTÉ published the Boaden report on April 23rd and less than three months later on July 5th the Government was able to arrive at this absolutely bizarre decision. It must constitute a record.
The decision is comparable to the suggestion of the Danish minister for culture in 2017 that the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra be taken from Danmarks Radio and put under the management of the Danish Royal Theatre which apparently is always short of funds.
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Of course the details will have to be worked out by a many humped “camel” committee but the unseemly haste of the Government in arriving at the decision speaks volumes as do the facile comments of the two Ministers concerned following the announcement. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL GRANT,
Lucan,
Co Dublin.