Letters: In Brief

Sir: Your article on Xfm ("X marks the spot where music died", 15 September) blamed the station's owners, Capital Radio, for ruining its output.

Capital are a public company and thus have a responsibility to their shareholders to boost their profits by maximising Xfm's listenership. It is the responsibility of the Radio Authority to ensure that Xfm keeps to its promise to play music by artists "outside the mainstream." The authority has failed dismally to perform its role. It is the authority that disgruntled listeners should blame.

ARTHUR VAN HOOGSTRATEN

London N5

Sir: Carolyn Badham and Gerry Hanson (letters, 9, 12 September) should stop worrying about Christmas decorations being on sale in September, and Christmas dinners being advertised in July. Instead they should visit Sainsbury's, which is much more forward-looking. Seven months before Good Friday, this Supermarket chain is selling hot cross buns.

MICHAEL GREGORY

Iver,

Buckinghamshire

Sir: Naturally we are delighted that Susan Tritton's friends in Thailand find the BBC superior to the competition (letter, 15 September). They will be pleased to know that BBC World, the BBC's 24-hour international news and information television channel, is currently available in Thailand to over 115,000 homes via the Pan Am Sat II satellite

JANIE IRONSIDE WOOD

Director of Communications

BBC Worldwide

London W12

Sir: Keiko the killer whale is airlifted to his new home in Iceland as the Government announces its competition for tenants on problem estates to secure extra funding. Keiko is removed from his cramped, unpleasant conditions in order to avoid having to do cheap tricks, whilst the inhabitants of inner-city London, Liverpool and Manchester have to jump through hoops to escape theirs.

JOHN GALE

Manchester