BROOKE GLADSTONE: This is On the Media. I'm Brooke Gladstone.

BOB GARFIELD: And I'm Bob Garfield with some of your letters. Brooke's interview with Ted Koppel about his moderating the Democratic debate a week ago drew a strong response. Virginia Pfeiffer of New York City was exercised over Koppel's performance in the debate. She wrote: "I took 90 minutes out of my extremely busy holiday schedule to watch the debate in hopes of learning more about the candidates. I was very annoyed to have half of that time wasted by Ted Koppel's attempt to make it 'interesting.' Your interview with Ted Koppel just showed his contempt for the voters. As Al Sharpton pointed out, the people who are looking for entertainment are watching Saturday Night Live -- not the debates."

BROOKE GLADSTONE:Marceline Krafchick of Emeryville, California writes: "Koppel couldn't have made it much clearer his priority is to render events into show business. When events are not as dramatic as an Iranian hostage-taking or a World Trade Center cataclysm, his job is to tease out whatever drama he can. His is the ultimate insidious reality show, blurring the difference between actual events and entertainment. That's his job. I see yours as exposing his game, and I think you were rather easy on him."

BOB GARFIELD:Recently we addressed the many ways in which the advertising industry tries to cope with commercial-skipping technology. Ron Schaffer of Northridge, California wrote in with a fascinating pitch for how advertisers can get their spots seen. He wrote: "Why not make commercials interesting?"

BROOKE GLADSTONE:Well, that's not exactly what he said. He suggested that advertisements be as interesting as they are in Europe. But then he went on to write "Maybe Madison & Vine have already thought of this and rejected it, because batches of great commercials would make the programming seem insipid."

BOB GARFIELD:Thanks for your letters. You can write to us at onthemedia@wnyc.org, and please don't forget to include your name, how to pronounce it, and where you live. [MUSIC]