Letter: Not so dumb

Sir: Terence Blacker (Comment, 5 November) blames the "dumbing down" of Talk Radio on the pursuit of a male audience. That argument depends on the definition of masculinity which is adopted.

If, like the rest of the media, Talk Radio is now premised on the male stereotyping prevalent in our society, where little effort is made to understand and cater for men's real needs - in work, the family, health care, education - it is no wonder its audience has spurned it.

Commercial television, aware that women control spending power, switched to rampant feminisation, being funded by adverts aimed at women. The resultant dumbing down - schedules of soaps, celebrities, sex and food - was eventually mimicked by the BBC.

It is assumed on all sides that men are content with a diet of football, snooker and "vroom-vroom" motoring programmes. This ignores the fact that most of our high culture was male-generated. Dumbed-down broadcasting is a symptom of feminisation and male stereotypes set up to serve the feminist agenda.

WILLIAM COULSON

Syston, Leicestershire