A chara, - Some journalists, columnists and commentators are allowing their antipahy to the provision of Teilifis na Gaeilge to cloud their judgements in assessing that station's performance to date. They choose to ignore the difficulties faced worldwide by all new radio and television stations in their early years.
While Conradh na Gaeilge, which campaigned for years for the establishment of TnaG, was and is unhappy with certain matters relating to TnaG, we do not allow that to prejudice our assessment of its overall performance or of the vibrancy and quality of its programming. We wanted the station to be established with its own independent authority. We deplore the fact that all too many advertisements from the State sector appear in English on the station.
Viewing figures for Irish language programmes on TnaG should be put in proper perspective.
The TAM ratings for the week ending June 28th, 1998 in the RTE Guide show that that Monday's edition of Coronation Street held the top viewing spot on RTE1. 660,000 people watched it, i.e. 19 per cent of its potential audience (cf the 1996 census figures of 3.5 million people in the State). Programme 20 on the table for RTE1, Frasier, was watched by 296,000 people, i.e. 8 per cent of its potential audience.
The TAM ratings for Network 2 are lower, as would be expected. Some 486,000 people, i.e. 14 per cent of the potential audience, watched the Romania v. England game, earning it the top slot on that channel. Programme 20 on the table for Network 2, Clueless, was watched by 206,000 people, i.e. 6 per cent of its potential audience.
As we stated while campaigning for the establishment of TnaG, its potential core audience in the 26 Counties would be about 400,000 - a figure based on professional research regarding the number of fluent or quite fluent speakers of Irish in the State.
Viewing figures for its top programmes, of between 75,000 and 24,000 i.e. 19 per cent to 6 per cent of its potential audience, would put the performance of TnaG on a par with the long-established national stations, RTE1 and Network 2. - Is mise, Sean Mac Mathuna,
ArdRunai, Conradh na Gaeilge, 6 Sraid Fhearchair, Baile Atha Cliath 2.