Sir, - The revolt by striking journalists in Prague brought forth some ringing declarations in defence of freedom of the press and of democracy in the Czech Republic's state television station. It also brought some 100,000 people on to the streets in support of the self-proclaimed watchdogs of democracy.
Some comparisons with our own situation might be instructive. Here, an amiable detente exists between the politicians who make appointments to the board, on the one hand, and on the other, those who run things on the shop floor. Neither the board members, nor broadcasters are elected or accountable in any sense, yet they hold a position of enormous influence over the public.
The Government of the day is quite happy with this state of affairs. How else could it happen, for instance, that RTE, the Broadcasting Complaints Commission, and the State came together early last year in a joint appeal to the Supreme Court against a complaint by a citizen (the "Coughlan" case) which had been upheld by the High Court?
Right now, a Broadcasting Bill is making its way through the Seanad. There is not an iota in it to change the complaints procedure from the charade that it has been for the past 24 years.
Broadcasting, like the telephone, no longer requires a monopoly physical structure for delivery. It is time we were set free from the joint bondage of the State and the State broadcaster. - Yours, etc.,
Donal O'Driscoll, Dargle Road, Blackrock, Co Dublin.