Sir - Full marks to Tom O'Dea for his wonderful piece on the mind-numbing drivel that is Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? (An Irishman's Diary, January 13th). It does seem that television in Ireland (and not just RTE) subsumes any trace of regional identity in favour of cardboard-flavour global advertisements. Wall-to-wall voyeurism, celebrity puffery - and always the background throb of musak - account for most of the current schedule. Even Network 2's news cannot do without a gush of special effects spliced between items. Mistah Hyde - he certainly dead; but Mistah Murdoch - he lives! - Yours, etc.,
Willie O'Kane, Gortinure, Maghera, Co Derry.