Dear Editor,

I wish to complement Mr Fyffe on his observations on the frequent fluctuations in the volume of our radio broadcasts (‘Why is the volume variable on NCN radio?’ SN, August 19). But hand-in-hand with this are the wide gaps in transmission that occurred repeatedly during the recent cricket tournament that was held in the Caribbean.  It was most annoying and much of the flow of the game was lost. The less than acceptable technical quality of our broadcasting is also very evident when the mobile unit is used. Numerous breaks in transmission occur, and I was particularly concerned at the quality of the broadcast of the commissioning ceremony of the Takutu Bridge last year, which was attended by the Presidents of Guyana and Brazil. Although we were still in Guyana, albeit some 350 miles from Georgetown, the transmission was unclear and fuzzy and the volume was unsteady at times.

But on top of all this, Editor, I wish to add the bad pronunciation and grammar that bludgeon our ears so often on the radio, as well as the unsatisfactory, at times, reading of the news. Some examples: I heard the word ‘uncertainty’ pronounced ‘un-certain-nity’ three times a few months ago on a Saturday mid-day newscast, by the person who usually reads the news on Saturdays; a young man presenting the sports news, on several occasions over the past year or so, pronounced the word ‘culminate’ as ‘calumnate.’ I called and advised him as to the pronunciation, which he corrected, but lo and behold, a week or so later he was back with ‘calumnate’! And then there is the pretty young lady who sings her way through the sports news with her unusual intonations.

Our radio broadcasts abound with these horrors, and I would not even consider the television advertisments at this juncture. What really bothers me is that, in all of this, no one at NCN seems to notice these errors or if they do, they either don’t know better or don’t give two hoots about them. Either way radio broadcasting in this country is in trouble, and we are projecting ourselves as a nation of semi-illiterates. Consider the effect of this on our young people, many of whom are experiencing immense problems with the official language of this country.

Maybe NCN should turn to persons such as Drs Jonas and Deodat, and Mrs. Lawrence, for some help with these rather serious and unacceptable shortcomings, to give our radio some vestige of respectability.  And finally I wish to plead with Mr Paul Moore, who is one of our better newscasters in terms of diction and style, to be a bit firmer and a little louder in his delivery. He gives me the impression of having a very pleasant conversation, rather than reading to a national audience.

Yours faithfully,
Lennox Applewhaite