Bloated, mediocre RTÉ would not survive in private sector

RTÉ previously released details of payments of €9.5m in fees to its top earners, with three of those top earners receiving €12.4m over the last 10 years. RTÉ sustained losses of €40m for the three years 2017-2019.

These losses are despite income from licence fees, advertising by State bodies, semi-State bodies, Government departments, (Dee Forbes stating, “last year was better for revenue than expected” during the pandemic), together with commercial income and programme sponsorship.

Despite its funding, RTÉ remains a bloated, mediocre and barely relevant broadcaster, with mediocre presenters, imported programmes and broadcasts.

The irrelevance of RTÉ becomes obvious as more of the population tunes in to other networks. Just as we don’t have public service print media, we don’t need public service broadcast media. RTÉ is less of a public media service and more of a service to its highly-paid employees together with its frequently employed and excessively remunerated contractors and ‘stars’.

Its three-year plan to the end of 2022 (‘RTÉ plan to save €60m dealt blow as staffers vote to reject pay cuts’, Irish Independent, April 8, 2021), is unlikely to succeed, forecasting indeterminate negative results in future years.

RTÉ is technically insolvent and if it were a business in the private sector it would not survive.

It has long since gone beyond its publicservice remit to become a mismanaged media conglomerate which is a drain on public finances and a tax on citizens.

The future of RTÉ requires consideration of the Government with options of closure, downsizing or sale to stem the waste of public funds.

Hugh McDermott

Dromahair, Co Leitrim