Как применить символьный код по первой букве тега?

			// ################ Вывод по буквенному идентификатору #################
			if ($cstart) {
				$cstart = $cstart - 1;
				$cstart = $cstart * $config['news_number'];
			}

			$newsmodule = true;
			
			$url_page = $config['http_home_url'] . "catalog/" . urlencode ( $catalog );
			$user_query = "catalog=" . urlencode ( $catalog );
			
			$news_sort_by = ($config['catalog_sort']) ? $config['catalog_sort'] : "date";
			$news_direction_by = ($config['catalog_msort']) ? $config['catalog_msort'] : "DESC";
			
			if (isset ( $_SESSION['dle_sort_catalog'] )) $news_sort_by = $_SESSION['dle_sort_catalog'];
			if (isset ( $_SESSION['dle_direction_catalog'] )) $news_direction_by = $_SESSION['dle_direction_catalog'];
			
            if( $catalog == '0-9' ) {
                $where = "symbol REGEXP '^[[:digit:]]+$'"; // Но учтите запрос тяжелеет.
            } else {
                $where = "symbol = '{$catalog}'";
            }
			
			$sql_select = "SELECT p.id, p.autor, p.date, p.short_story, CHAR_LENGTH(p.full_story) as full_story, p.xfields, p.title, p.category, p.alt_name, p.comm_num, p.allow_comm, p.fixed, p.tags, p.muz_ssilka, p.muz_razmer, p.muz_beats, p.muz_ggc, p.muz_lenght, p.muz_search, p.muz_dcount, p.muz_track_id, p.muz_count_fav, e.news_read, e.allow_rate, e.rating, e.vote_num, e.votes, e.view_edit, e.editdate, e.editor, e.reason FROM " . PREFIX . "_post p LEFT JOIN " . PREFIX . "_post_extras e ON (p.id=e.news_id) WHERE {$stop_list}{$where} AND approve=1" . $where_date . " ORDER BY " . $news_sort_by . " " . $news_direction_by . " LIMIT " . $cstart . "," . $config['news_number'];
			$sql_count = "SELECT COUNT(*) as count FROM " . PREFIX . "_post WHERE {$stop_list}{$where} AND approve=1" . $where_date;

		} else {