LLike most other Monmouthshire and Newport residents my TV aerial points toward Bristol rather than Cardiff.

I have tried looking in the other direction but get so fed up of programs in Welsh turning up at the times that English people are watching decent TV programs like Eastenders or Big Brother. Pobol y Cwm just doesn't compete.

The disadvantage of this is that my regional news all relates to events that have happened in Brissle, Bath, Midsomer Carnage or Stoke Pogis, which does not interest me one iota. Sure I can always look at HTV or BBC Wales News via satellite but there is a real danger then that I could suddenly be subjected to some Welsh Woman prattling on and speaking in tongues - which is very, very scary.

I just wonder how many people actually sit through the news in Welsh or do they switch channels when it comes on. I see that when BBC are broadcasting in Welsh HTV are broadcasting in English and vice versa. They must have realised that this is a good way of increasing their viewing figures for those times when the other side are being forced to stick with their charter.

I guess that, when you are making as much money as HTV are or being subsidised as much as the BBC is, you can afford to pander to the minorities but it is interesting to see how organisations like the Argus, who have to make a profit, never even consider publishing items in the Welsh language.

They know that if they went down that route their readership would tumble along with their advertising revenue.