“RTÉ Chair Demands Future Funding Stability”

RTÉ Chairman, Terence O’Rourke is expected to address TDs and Senators on Wednesday, advocating for a future funding approach to be “adequate, reliable and autonomous”. According to the chairman, detailed plans on implementing expert group’s suggestions concerning the broadcaster’s managerial and staffing regulations would be presented to the Minister for Media, Catherine Martin, in the near future.

O’Rourke will present himself to the Media Committee on Media this Wednesday. The committee has played a significant role in scrutinizing the scandals that have emerged at RTÉ since last summer. This includes undisclosed compensations made to ex-host of the Late Late Show, Ryan Tubridy, in additional to separate matters concerning corporate hospitality and severance packages for top-ranking managerial staff.

Following the controversy around RTÉ, TV Licence Fee revenues have taken a hit, prompting the government to decide on the financing of public service broadcasting before the summer recess of the Dáil. While some, like Minister Martin, advocate for direct treasury funding, Finance Minister Michael McGrath and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe have expressed their opposition.

O’Rourke, appointed as chairman of RTÉ in March, carries a 38-year financial background with KPMG. He plans to express the board’s deep disappointment and remorse for the incidents and behaviours that prompted multiple investigative reports during his opening address. Emphasising the organisation’s learning curve, he will highlight the implementation of necessary procedures and checks to prevent future repetition of such events.

Among the challenges and opportunities for RTÉ, O’Rourke will spotlight the impact of technological evolution, shifting consumer habits, and societal necessities, which push all media to devise innovative business strategies and engagement methods or risk losing their audience. With regard to long-term economic challenges faced by the media system, he will point out the significant shift in advertising revenue from media to dominant players in the digital advertising market, exacerbating RTÉ’s funding issues arising out of increasingly unsustainable TV Licence fees.

Government officials will be advised that RTÉ has to substantially invest in novel technology to maintain its public service media mandate. To ensure this, consistent funding is crucial for the broadcaster’s strategical approach.

Mr O’Rourke expresses his gratitude for the ongoing assurances that the government is on the brink of finalising a new funding structure for RTÉ in the upcoming weeks, before the summer break commences.

He further states: “There are various options available to the government concerning the source of this funding, and it is the government’s prerogative to decide which way to go. From the board’s point of view, it is of paramount importance that the form of funding is plentiful, predictable and independent.”

Mr O’Rourke further commends the reports on Governance and HR issues put forth by the expert advisory group in May. He says, “The Minister has expressed a desire to see elaborated implementation designs within a six-week timeframe. We are right on track to present those plans to the Minister shortly.”

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