The launch this week of the first phase of RTÉ's four-year plan to reduce its staff by more than 20 per cent is a significant moment for the national broadcaster. By the end of the process, the current numbers of more than 1,700 will have been cut by 400, delivering substantial payroll savings for an organisation that has struggled financially for some time.
Those difficulties were exacerbated by revelations two years ago of failures in governance and financial reporting, with a drop in licence fee revenue due to negative public reaction. The broadcaster has now been given a guarantee of €725 million in State support over the next three years, including €62 million for redundancies.
The Government has made clear that this funding is contingent on RTÉ achieving the yearly targets set out by director general Kevin Bakhurst and the RTÉ board in the strategic plan published last year. That is understandable, given the breaches of trust that came to light in the wake of the controversy over payments to former presenter Ryan Tubridy.
But there is cause for concern that Ministers may adopt a more hands-on approach to how RTÉ goes about its business. The core principle of an arm’s length relationship between the public service broadcaster and the government of the day must be maintained. Creative choices should be left to programme-makers. And it goes without saying that there must be no question of political interference in editorial decisions.
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It is no secret that many in RTÉ believed the last Media minister, Catherine Martin, was more sympathetic to their vision of public service broadcasting than her successor, Patrick O’Donovan. The fact remains that Martin failed to convince her ministerial colleagues to adopt the new funding model which she favoured. And her record was tarnished by the controversy over the departure of RTÉ chair Siún Ní Raghallaigh.
O’Donovan now has the opportunity to prove that he understands the challenge facing Bakhurst and his team, and to support them in their task.
