Sir, - Michael Foley raises some interesting questions about Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? (Opinion, August 7th). He maintains that RTE's decision to have an Irish version of the programme was determined by its capacity to generate advertising revenue. He concludes that the arguments in favour of a licence fee are "increasingly hard to take in the light of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? "
So, RTE is to be damned if it goes in search of commercial revenue because of a low licence fee, but is to be denied such a fee if it does so. Michael Foley's argument could also be put the other way around: perhaps RTE, to continue to fulfil its public service remit and pursue excellence in programmes, should be fully funded from the public purse and dispense with advertising altogether. But can anyone guess what a licence fee might then cost?
The BBC, which he compares with RTE, operates from a far greater population base and can survive on funding from the licence fee alone to finance its programming. In RTE, financial resources are far more limited while the operational costs are the same. Hence the need for commercial revenue.
In an increasingly competitive environment, RTE would be foolish not to produce its own version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Mr Foley's qualms about Eircell's involvement in the choice of presenter can be allayed: it is on the record that Gay Byrne was already associated with the programme before a sponsor was identified.
RTE Television, operating in a competitive market of a dozen or more channels in this country, holds the loyalty of over 50 per cent of the Irish audience each year. This achievement is observed with admiration by other public service broadcasters in such countries as the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands. By any fair analysis, ours is a remarkable achievement - all the more so when one considers that this is done at a cost to the Irish licence-payer of just 19 pence a day. €1 and nearly 40 per cent on Network 2 originating in Ireland, RTE continues to offer a varied schedule - of which Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? is one, very entertaining, element. - Yours, etc.,
Deirdre Henchy, Public Affairs Manager, RTE, Dublin 4.