Some major changes are reportedly in the works for the broadcaster.
A new report claims that the Irish Government is planning to split RTÉ in two as the fallout of the broadcaster’s hidden payments scandal continues.
According to The Irish Mail, cabinet members outlined to the paper a suite of major measures that would see RTÉ reduced into what one minister called a “rump” public service broadcaster.
Among the changes reportedly being proposed include splitting RTÉ’s public service and commercial functions into two separate entities, selling off the 2FM radio station and potentially ending the licence for the second terrestrial TV station.
The measures would also see a wholesale reconstitution of the broadcaster’s management structure, which would begin with the resignations of existing board members. This is as all staff salaries and presenters’ pay would be set below the level of assistant general secretary, which is €154,160 to €176,350.
On top of this, a redundancy scheme focused on older staff and higher paid employees is reportedly planned and could feature up to 400 layoffs. Also described as being planned is the rapid introduction of fresh proposals to replace the existing licence fee.
Image via Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie
Cabinet sources told The Irish Mail that this scaled back version of RTÉ would be funded through a new hybrid model, involving exchequer funding and a “broadcast levy”.
As it stands, the broadcaster sees 55% of its income come from the Government and the licence fee, with the remainder generated through advertising and commercial activity.
An unnamed minister reportedly told the paper that there had been discussions in regard to splitting RTÉ’s commercial and public service aspects prior to the recent controversy but that the plans had been put on hold because politicians thought they would be “unpalatable with the public”. However, following the scandal, they now believe the changes would be welcomed.
‘That would then inevitably lead to the selling off of commercial interests of RTÉ, as a State-linked organisation clearly can’t be involved in the activities that have been so brutally exposed,” the minister is quoted as saying.
However, despite the payments scandal and the proposed major changes, The Irish Mail states that the Government still sees the need in maintaining a quality public broadcasting service. One Cabinet source reportedly told the paper:
“We have the opportunity for reform here, but we don’t want to bring them [RTÉ] down, for the alternative is worse. Also, we can’t lose sight of the fact that the broadcaster does an awful lot of work that would not be done without them.
“Be it news for the deaf, industrial level election coverage, the decade of centenaries coverage and everything else. But I think everybody with a bit of sense can see that this is the time to scale everything down and bring it within a purely public service remit.”
The report comes after the RTÉ Board last month revealed that presenter Ryan Tubridy’s annual earnings between 2017 and 2022 had been understated by the broadcaster.
The RTÉ Board said that Tubridy was paid over €300,000 more during this time than initially declared.
Also in The Irish Mail article, Cabinet sources are reported as saying that, in addition to appearing before the Public Accounts Committee, the presenter “must pay back all the secret payments in question”.
Main image via Mark Stedman/RollingNews.ie
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