Maltese on radio and TV

Like Mr Tony C. Cutajar (The Sunday Times, December 19), I think that TV and radio presenters who do not know how to express themselves correctly in our native tongue should not be allowed to be presenters at all.

However, Mr Cutajar, who suggested that the time had now come to "start naming the culprits", should have started the ball rolling.

Since my university days, as a member of the Ghaqda tal-Malti (Università), I have always been straightforward where the Maltese language was involved. Yes, we have to start the ball rolling and educators should insist on it.

To say the least, most TV and radio presenters need to polish their Maltese language where grammar and pronunciation are concerned. It is simply not acceptable either to butcher the grammar or to use dialect even when on air.

This should apply mostly to presenters of programmes with a great following, such as Tista' Tkun Int! Without diminishing the invaluable work done by this programme's team, I cannot but express disdain at the presenter's way of speaking Maltese.

Grammatical mistakes like tlett min-nies and others continue to mar the efforts which educators have to make for our children speak Maltese correctly. Experience has shown that what educators do in educational institutions is many times dismantled by the local radio and TV stations.

One last word: let us not only suggest a remedy but also start putting it into practice ourselves. To massacre also our native language would be doing away with one good thing this country can yet boast of.