Welsh Journals

two and a half million people in Wales constitute a small audience of manageable size by Television standards; and if there are any immigrants these are not enough to threaten any progress which may have been gained in the way of audience appreciation up to the time of their admission. Whilst a Television audience needs to be a mass audience if the Service is to be successful, I see no reason for neglecting a minority within that audience such as the Welsh-speaking viewers. If the Service were wholly designed for the Welsh nation then a percentage of the viewing time-at peak hours as well as at other times-could be allotted to Welsh language produc- tions, comparable to the percentage of the audience who are Welsh- speaking. As in this case there would be both English and Welsh produc- tions on the same Service both types of programme would be governed by the same body, so ensuring that artistic development in both languages progressed equally. There seems at present to be a severe shortage of good material for Television, and an even greater lack of writers. Mr Roberts states that a dramatist must 'learn his craft the hard way by becoming deeply involved in production and its problems'. While I could not agree more with this point of view, I think that university courses on Television would not help at all. The only way to learn any art is to practise it, and the only way to learn Television is to work in a Television Studio. Ideally a writer should spend not less than two years in a studio, and during that time should regard Television from every conceivable angle. He should study production methods, help to build sets, to paint them and light them, gaining from the specialists he works with in each department, from Assistant Floor Manager to Producer, a little more of the knowledge he will inevitably need in his work. What I have written here is nothing more than a few thoughts which occurred to me on reading Mr Roberts' article. I hope he will accept my criticism of him as fair argument, for I am sure that he, like myself, wants nothing more than to see all the people in Wales receiving good Television they all enjoy. One day perhaps we shall see a Welsh Television Service: I hope so. Then it will be up to us, not as actors, producers or viewers, but as Welshmen, to see that its audience gets the highest possible standard in Television Entertain- ment. Yours faithfully, Ray Smith 52a Dennington Park Road West Hampstead N W 6 'Zoonoses' sir Whether a stable human com- munity without canine company has ever existed or could do so is open to doubt. Dog bans by well-meaning auth- orities threaten our race and arc now excused on a global basis with the terrifying word — 'zoonoses' (diseases we share with animals). Who will join a World Dog Defence Campaign? R Harvey Johns 23 Grovelands Road London N 13