Decision on full scale of bailout for RTÉ may not be made until after budget

A decision on the scale of the bailout to be offered to RTÉ may not be made until after the budget.

The national broadcaster has been seeking a sum of €55.5 million to help with its financial difficulties.

It has already sought €34.5 million in additional funding in May.

This was before the drop in TV licence fee revenues – expected to reach €21 million by the end of the year – in the wake of the controversy over former Late Lat Show host Ryan Tubridy’s pay.

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The Irish Times understands the Government is considering splitting the decision on any bailout for the broadcaster.

This arrangement could see €16 million in funding approved in the budget with a later decision to be made on a larger sum or about €40 million which will be contingent on RTÉ's plans for reforms, due to be delivered later in October.

The €16 million sum is similar to the €15 million in extra State interim funding for public service broadcasting that RTÉ was awarded in last year’s budget.

That funding came on the back of a recommendation by the Future of Media Commission.

The Sunday Independent reported today that Minister for Media Catherine Martin has received a report from the New Economy and Recovery Authority (NewERA) which had been examining RTÉ's request for extra funding and that its findings did not find against the broadcaster’s funding request.