Sir, – Let us limit State funding to the elements of public broadcasting considered essential, for which RTÉ can then tender for their share alongside other broadcasters, newspaper publishers and websites of repute. Retain the transmission network but sell off the entire Donnybrook site to the benefit of the State, privatise RTÉ (with an employee stock ownership plan, no doubt) so that the State gets out of creating broadcast content as a business venture. This would free time for the Minister to focus on key communications areas, such as regulation of communications, innovation and broadband, rather than the production and transmission of content. – Yours, etc,
CONN CLISSMANN,
Citywest,
Dublin 24.
:fill(white):background_color(white)/static.themebuilder.aws.arc.pub/irishtimes/1647534191476.png)
Sir, – Rather than increasing the licence fee or pursuing those who have either ceased to pay or never pay, Dee Forbes, the director general of RTÉ, should concentrate her attentions on eradicating the liberal bias that wholly prevails in that organisation, which has now become so unrepresentative of so many people that many find RTÉ’s very existence objectionable. Failure to address its “agenda” will only result in more people ceasing to pay, and who could blame them? – Yours, etc,
JOHN BURKE,
Clontarf,
Dublin 3.
Sir, – The director general of RTÉ, Dee Forbes, says she would like to see a doubling of the licence fee which, at €160 per annum, she describes as “incredible value for money”.
Perhaps Ms Forbes should be reminded that April 1st is not until next week. – Yours, etc,
FINIAN SLATTERY,
Blessington,
Co Wicklow.
A chara, – While there is talk of redundancies within RTÉ, quite a number of the “talent” continue to be paid considerably more than the Taoiseach on the basis of contracts that were clearly ineptly negotiated on behalf of the licence-payers. Many of them are jaded and simply going through the motions, with no apparent review of performance, and would have no chance of getting their jobs if they were to audition for them now. – Is mise,
DAVE SLATER,
Kilkea,
Co Kildare.