[chinamug]

Ireland AM is 25 years old this year - and Alan Hughes has been there right from the off, too.

So it must be doing *something* right...

I bet, too, that there are some people who *much* prefer it to GMB.

Breakfast TV isn't really watched in Ireland, It had a window of opportunity but that's gone. Ireland AM is useful to VMTV because they can do hours of output for very little money and then claim it's public service broadcasting. Much of what they put out is also put out online by individuals and Media groups, should they also be getting some cash for their public service broadcasting?

Ireland AM only came on air because TV3 had so little Irish content in it's early days. They more than doubled output with that one show. Plus it was used for filler for hours and hours at the weekends with the best of Ireland AM.

The state of Irish Broadcasting isn't great, the population of the country is going up and up and yet viewing figures for the stations is either at a standstill or going down. I do have some sympathy for Virgin Media as the market has been distorted over the years by RTE and it's Licence Fee.

It would be best to take RTE out of the commercial Market entirely. Let Advertising only on commercial stations. Give out more licences if that's what the market wants.

I'm off outside now to shake my fist and shout at some clouds.