A publication called the Boston Business Journal puts out a book of lists every year primarily oriented toward business interests, but that also includes items of general interest. I like to peruse it as a demonstration of the importance of the arts in Boston, and every year one organization never fails to emerge as number ONE among performing arts organizations in the area: the Boston Symphony Orchestra. It plays before a total of over 623,000 ticket holders during the Symphony Hall season (the BBJ omits attendance at Tanglewood and the Pops concerts along the Charles River, a space called the Esplanade, where 200,000 turn out for the July 4th Fireworks concert alone). The budget figure is $74-million; the revenue stream is $70-million (oops, that's a $4-million-dollar deficit. No wonder the tickets are going up in price.) I suspect that this is small potatoes next to the two major spectator sports franchises, the Red Sox and Patriots, but less than the Bruins (when they play) and the Celtics. Considering the significance of the Orchestra in the City (and ancillary businesses such as hotels and restaurants), it's a puzzlement why local media fail to provide coverage of events below the Beethoven sign. The TV stations will cover opening night galas, then ignore the BSO for the rest of the season. The Boston Globe newpaper is most prominent in coverage of this Orchestra, plus visiting orchestra and the more high-profile musical events, but even they have cut back on the number of personnel who write reviews and feature stories. Not so ephemeral performers and organizations that don't approximate the impact of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. I won't even mention the lesser paper in town that has substantially dropped the ball in this area. (A sports metaphor is appropriate because their Sports section after a few staff cuts is still a huge portion of their operation). Perhaps some members of the media in town will observe this list and rethink their dismissive attitudes toward classical music! To quote Steve Martin..."nah". Laurence Glavin Methuen, MA