Sir, – We read with interest the article by former Irish Times editor Conor Brady (Opinion, April 12th) on the decision by RTÉ to close its London office. We share Mr Brady’s regret that this is deemed necessary at a time when Anglo-Irish relations are flourishing. Of additional concern is speculation that a threat exists to RTÉ’s regional studio network, including the southeast studio at Waterford.
The realities faced by RTÉ are well documented, as the broadcaster strives to balance revenues and expenditure. However, if RTÉ is to retain its pre-eminent role as the State-funded national broadcaster then it is vital that it continues to have a presence in the regions it reports on and interprets to a national audience.
If the Waterford studio is closed and the correspondent role withdrawn in favour of what Mr Brady refers to as a “visiting firemen” service, it is clear that the nuance, subtlety and detail of a region’s life cannot be provided by journalists arriving only in response to major news stories.
This type of set-piece coverage will offer none of the depth and breadth merited by the southeast and other regions. The licence-payers of this region, with a population of almost half a million people, are entitled to equity in terms of coverage and in how they are reflected to a wider world.
The southeast’s social, sporting and cultural life has a validity that a national broadcaster has a duty to reflect from the inside out.
Any centralisation move is also ultimately detrimental to RTÉ. It will undermine its claims to being a national broadcaster and fuel a legitimate debate on its geographically unbalanced service-delivery. Cutting costs may be the objective but cutting credibility could be the outcome. RTÉ does not need another credibility battle on its hands. – Yours, etc,