They offer us old films dug up from the graveyard of B grade movies from the early years of the  previous century and back to back commercials for funeral and life insurances. 

We can no longer rely upon their published programs. 

Clearly they exist for commercial revenues with no thought of offering the public reliable quality entertainment. 

How many times are we expected to watch 20-year-old United Kingdom soaps that we have already see countless times over and over again for the last few years, and films about Willy chocolate makers, hungry sharks and how-America-won-the-war movies?  

How many times can we watch Are You Being Served, Keeping up Appearances and their ilk? 

Where once we had dedicated show business personalities and professional technicians offering us quality and varied entertainment we now have a gaggle of amateurs. 

Len Langan, Longford.

DIANNE Scetrine’s letter (Letters, The Examiner, January 23) wonders why cyclists stay close to the white line rather than nearer the kerb in cycle lanes.  

I thought the same, but now I am a cyclist myself I realise it’s because there is so much loose gravel and bits of broken glass in the area closer to the kerb. 

Maybe councils need to sweep these areas more often.

Estelle Ross, Riverside.

“HELP me government” said the private health insurer.

Private Healthcare Australia have presented the government with a pre-budget submission, which advocates raising the Medicare levy on high income earners to “encourage” them to take out private health insurance.

Because it is cheaper to pay the levy than private healthcare premiums, it seems people are opting out of their policies.

What a surprise.

So rather than lower their premiums to entice more people into taking out policies and therefore broadening their pool of funds, the private health sector is now seeking to use the government to effectively extort people.

The simple fact is, particularly with stagnant wage growth, the cost of private health insurance far outweighs the benefits that many policy holders are likely to receive.

We have a world class public health system which is mostly adequate for the needs of the young and healthy.

We either have a free market or we don’t, and that is the market working.

People should be able to choose how they spend their money – yes, even the rich - and not bullied into one option or another by companies with failing business models.

Cody Handley, Hadspen.

IT SEEMS to be a sign of the times. 

The escalators in a prominent supermarket in Launceston were not working recently, and what dumbfounded many shoppers – including yours truly – was the wording on the safety signage.

It was written unbelievably,  in Chinese - not a skerrick of English anywhere. 

People had to ask an attendant what it meant (no explanation given why it was in Chinese). 

I kid you not.

Well, I suppose,  given that lots of supermarket items are made in China, plus increased Chinese visitor numbers as well as Chinese investors buying large amounts of Tasmanian and mainland property - maybe the sign says it all. 

Robert Lee, Summerhill.

IT SEEMS that the coalition's "el cheapo" cop out with the NBN is finally coming back to bite them.

Anyone with even the most basic grasp of technology understands that combining 21st century fibre optic technology with 19th century copper is never going to be remotely satisfactory.

For those people who still have difficulty understanding why, imagine if you will, leaving Launceston for Hobart on a Redline coach, zooming along the highway as far as Oatlands where it all changes and the rest of your journey is on a horse-drawn stagecoach.

Obviously you're never going to make the grade time-wise and so it is with with this botched up job of the coalition's.

Richard Hill, Newstead.

I REFER to the letter titled "Compassion" (Letters, The Examiner, January 19). 

Tasmania is a very small community compared with the other states so there is not a lot of money to share out to those in need. Before reading this letter I was perusing the annual report of one of the government owned enterprises and was surprised to see its board is paid over $500,000 in salaries. 

This is followed by the CEO nearly another half million and then a dozen or so executives another couple of million. This is before we get to the staff and infrastructure requirements. 

I feel that Premier Will Hodgman and his fellow politicians could well do to take a look at salary structures within the large number of government boards and executives needed to run the state. There would be many qualified people to assist in this regard. 

Lyle Cook, Shearwater. 

THEY ARE are talking once again about salmon farming and the way it is expanding, especially one particular company. 

All I can say to both the company and this government, remember that institution called Gunns, which got too big for its boots. It floated belly up for a while before sinking completely.

Glennis Sleurink, Launceston.