Dear Editor,

   I am writing with regards to the article 'Is the TV Dead?' that appeared in your newspaper on the 4th March. The writer Anne claimed that with the rise of the Internet, the TV was becoming less and less significant in our lives.

   I find it very difficult to agree with this view. The TV is still the main way most of us get our entertainment at home. It offers us the chance to see top musical artists, great films and documentaries and occasionally, thanks to important televised events, it has the power to bring the whole nation and all ages together in a way the Internet never could.

   The article was particularly critical of the TV for the poor quality of programmes available on the many channels we now have. It is certainly true that many of the channels offer nothing more than repeats or low budget programmes. However, I would argue that the majority of content on the Internet is also of questionable quality. I agree with the writer that it is easy to keep up-to-date with the latest news on the Internet, but I'm sure most of us still enjoy sitting down to the News on TV in the evening just as much.

   The writer is correct in stating that the Internet has become our major source for research and I think this is its main strength. However, criticising the TV for not being as good is totally unfair. Information programmes like documentaries are made for their potential as entertainment not as research tools and as such will continue to be popular with viewers.

   So in conclusion I don't think the writer should be so quick to write the TV off. On the contrary, I think it has many more years left in it!

Yours sincerely,

Samantha Johnson