RTÉ is considering the sale of 10 acres of land at its 32-acre headquarters at Donnybrook, south Dublin. Property sources said the cash-strapped State broadcaster could generate about €30 million from the sale of prime property.
No decision has been reached by the RTÉ Authority, although the proposal is known to be included in a refined strategic plan presented to members at a meeting yesterday morning.
It is understood that the consultants - KPMG and Logical - will present a final report to the authority soon, based on the presentation and the comments of authority members.
The strategy agreed by the authority will be presented to the Forum on Broadcasting. It will be implemented on a rolling basis, as the company attempts to reverse an overall deficit last year of almost €71 million.
While the plan is likely to see a greater use of independent producers, there is strong reluctance to withdraw altogether from production.
The land at Donnybrook is in one of the most valuable areas of Dublin and it would be expected to realise a high return for RTÉ. It is thought the property has a mixed zoning reflecting its designation for institutional, commercial and residential purposes.
It is unclear how access to the land could be secured. Sources said the provision of access from the busy N11 or from minor roads nearby would present difficulties to planners. Although some observers believe a valuation exercise is already under way, it is still uncertain what areas of the site might be sold.
A €30 million valuation would realise €3 million per acre. However, sources said the value put on individual tranches of land on the site would be determined by the zoning and access situation.
RTÉ has sought a €45 increase in the television licence fee to €152. It wants a decision from the incoming Government before the end of the year, four months ahead of the deadline mooted by the outgoing arts minister, Ms Síle de Valera. RTÉ has warned the Government that it faces "death by a thousand cuts" if the Government fails to grant the €45 increase in the fee.
It is speculated that the authority will move towards a greater use of outsourcing under the new strategy, which is expected to be finalised at two further meetings before the end of June.
In addition to the potential sale of land, the company is considered likely formally to split its television, radio and news divisions into separate "output units" with their own management teams and chief executives. Such teams would have responsibility for the finance, IT, publicity and human resources functions.
Informed figures believe this model would bring costs closer to where they are being incurred, diminishing the function of central management in the organisation. The emphasis will be on cost reduction, according to sources.
The deficit last year included a once-off charge of €21.5 million to pay for an "emergency" programme to reduce the net staff number by 150.
