Steven Bochco Lays Down the Law : WHO’S HE KIDDING?

“I f I Ran a Network . . . ,” last Sunday’s commentary by television producer Steven Bochco (“Hill Street Blues,” “L.A. Law”) has prompted a heavy response from readers. A sampling:

Is there any doubt left about the reasons behind Dan Quayle’s shots at TV producers? If you had any, all you needed to do was to read Bochco’s piece.

Talk about elitism! Could it just be that many in this country view life just a little bit differently from his Malibu-Manhattan mentality? God help anyone not praising everything Bochco does. Damn those monsters at the networks for not agreeing to pay him millions in license fees for 22 shows, sight unseen!

Bochco needs a patron, not a sponsor. Advertisers buy commercial time to sell products. This is done with the hope that the millions of Americans who have invested their hard-earned income in these companies can look forward to seeing a reasonable return on their investments.

Subsidizing Bochco’s “art” or his lifestyle is not a priority for these people. Believe it or not, Mr. Bochco, many people don’t share your views or morality. They don’t have the platform to mask their personal points of view within the story lines of a TV program seen by millions.

RALPH HARRIS

Sherman Oaks