Sir, - I write in response to John Waters's claim (Opinion, March 9th) that RTE Radio 1 supports "cheap radio" and that programmes like Marian Finucane cost little more than the presenter's salary. As many radio producers over decades will know, the art of radio is often not to show the strings and anyone looking at the range of topics, issues and discussions which a programme like Marian is dealing with every day will know the level of production work behind it. That show's team of three producers, two researchers and a broadcast assistant are the source of ideas and thought that goes into such a programme.
The production teams behind radio programmes such as Marian, Today With Pat Kenny, Liveline and Five Seven Live are far from "cheap" and the number of times their stories are taken up by the print media, including The Irish Times, reflects the originality and topicality of their broadcast journalism. Unlike many newspapers, our radio programmes reach a broad range of Irish society, across class, region and age. By that definition it is not surprising that from 2FM to Radio 1 there will equally be a broad range of formats from shows like The Gerry Ryan Show to Radio 1's Live and Living series every afternoon. - Yours, etc.,
Helen Shaw, Director of Radio, RTE Donnybrook, Dublin 4.