Television programmers have made a startling scientific discovery

If you ever thought that competence and credibility due to wisdom and insight come with age and maturity, then the nation's television programmers are there to disabuse you.

Television programmers have made the important discovery that attractive young women in their twenties are the most competent people to preside over the reporting of national and international political and social events, commentaries on economic and business affairs, and analyses of scientific developments.

The Nine Network programmers seem to have added to this wonderful scientific discovery with the finding that the blonder and more beautiful the twenty-something female media performer, the greater the competence and credibility. Nine's 'Today' show has just positioned the stunning blond Oriel whatshername at the 'Today' desk to present its business reports.

Steve Liebmann, who has been fronting the 'Today' show for years, could not be blamed if he felt threatened by the building and pushing bevy of blond twenty-somethings around him. Unfortunately (the Nine's programmers will tell him) he will have to resign himself to the fact that a fifty-plus male will have lost all competence and credibility at his stage of life.

There is an important corollary, however, to the programmers' remarkable discovery. It is an intriguing phenomenon that a twenty-something blond beauty completely loses her competence and credibility by the time she passes the thirty mark. The workings of nature are wonderful, are they not?

Tracy Grimshaw, I would worry if I were you.