AS I SEE IT
MARIANNE HERON
With RTE holed below the waterline following the latest crisis, when Media Minister Catherine Martin forgot the use of her phone, would we miss it if it sank?
Some wouldn’t, that’s the 60 viewers a day who aren’t paying their €160 licence fee – maybe they think non- payment is a protest about the culture of entitlement for an elite in RTE, who get large salaries and golden handshakes while others struggle like the rest of us.
Personally, I would miss RTE 1’s news programmes and I wouldn’t like to be without Nationwide either, with its good news stories from around the country. Bu,t like many, especially young viewers who are turning to streaming, Netflix and podcasts for their entertainment, I watch less TV.
I certainly won’t miss the ongoing headlines and interrogation of RTE by not one but two Dáil Committees which read like a pantomime. There’s the invisible woman (Dee Forbes) haunting the show, principal boy (Ryan Tubridy), lots of look-out-behind- yous (exit packages), the genie with transparent magic lamp, (Kevin Bakhurst) and a raided treasure chest (our money).
Just when we thought there was some hope of plain sailing, Catherine Martin, having been low profile throughout, suddenly rears up and effectively fires RTE Chairwoman Suin ni Raghallaigh on Prime Time for something Suin “neglected to recollect” and which the minister should have known.
Not that the sums involved at RTE are large compared with the massive €2.2 billion, and rising, for the children’s hospital. But it’s the principle of accountable governance that’s involved here and the absence of oversight by Minister Martin and her department.
Beyond the immediate crisis what is the future for RTE? We are told that we need RTE as a public service broadcaster and the Government has yet to decide how it is to be funded, by the State or continue with the present dual system.
Bearing in mind that old adage “he who pays the piper calls the tune” being funded directly by the Government may make the station more answerable.
On the other hand, it may make news coverage less impartial. Suppose Sinn Fein were in power, wouldn’t the fact that they are suing RTE in several instances be a bit embarrassing?
The station’s dual funding, part licence fee, part revenue from advertising, reduced in recent years by competition from other stations and online advertising which isn’t enough, RTE runs at a loss. By far the largest share of the budget for all of RTE’s different activities goes to RTE1 TV where the biggest spend is on news and current affairs, RTE2 gets about half the amount with the main spend on sport and TG4 only around a sixth of RTE 1.
The station needs to be cost effective, slim down and at the same time woo extra viewers to win more advertising revenue. Perhaps viewers might value and pay for a service if they felt more invested in it with more consultation about what they want to see on their screens.
Viewing figures signal which are the most popular programmes but not the things that are not available or that we don’t get enough of, like programmes with Irish content. One of the remits of public service broadcasting is to promote national pride. It’s hard to see how showing imported soaps as do overseas channels does that.
Kevin Bakhurst undertook consultation with all stakeholders involved from the independent production companies to us the public. The results of that process have shaped the four-year plan for RTE from 2024-to 2028. This promises a 20% reduction in staff, better governance, a doubling of Irish drama, new digital products, more content for young people and a doubling of input from independent production companies, among other things.
RTE are statutorily required to use independent content but at present they commission just a fraction over the required amount: a pity given the success of productions like Coco Content which produces popular Room To Improve with Dermot Bannon and hits like ShinAwil’s Dancing With The Stars.
It’s hard to plan though, without knowing what the budget will be for the station. The Government have given RTE a modest €20m. handout but they urgently need to make a decision about funding. It’s time to stop lamenting over the past and get on with the next act and to let Genie Kevin Bakhurst achieve his magic.
