Funding for RTÉ in the future should be “sufficient, predictable and independent”, the broadcaster’s chairman Terence O’Rourke will tell TDs and Senators on Wednesday.
He will also say that RTÉ is “on course” to provide Minister for Media Catherine Martin with detailed plans for how to implement recommendations of expert groups that examined governance and human resources issues at the broadcaster “very soon”.
Mr O’Rourke is to appear before the Media Committee on Media on Wednesday.
The Committee has been at the forefront of examining controversies that arose at RTÉ since last summer.
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These include revelations about undisclosed payments to former Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy as well as separate issues related to corporate hospitality and exit payments for senior management figures.
TV Licence Fee revenues fell in the wake of the storm engulfing RTÉ and the Government is to make a decision before the Dáil’s summer recess on the future funding of public service broadcasting.
Ms Martin has been supportive of direct exchequer funding while others like Minister for Finance Michael McGrath and Minister for Public Epxenditure Paschal Donohoe have been resistant to this.
Mr O’Rourke was appointed as RTÉ chairman in March and he will outline to the committee how his background is in finance having worked with KPMG for 38 years.
In his opening statement he will acknowledge on behalf of the RTÉ board “our profound disappointment and regret about the actions, events and behaviours which triggered the several reports that investigated those issues.
“The organisation has learned from what happened. The necessary controls and procedures are being put in place to make sure that those kinds of events cannot happen again.”
He will list challenges and opportunities for RTÉ including how “technological advances, changing consumer behaviour and social needs challenge all media to develop new business models and new ways to engage with audiences, or risk losing them.”
Mr O’Rourke will also say “The media system faces long-term economic challenges, including a decisive shift in advertising revenues away from media towards the technology firms that dominate the digital advertising market, compounded in the case of RTÉ, by the increasing unsustainability of TV Licence fees as a source of public funding.”
The politicians will be told that RTÉ must “Invest significantly in new technology to enable it to be able to continue delivering on its public service media mandate” and that the broadcaster’s strategy “will need a stable basis of financing.”
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Mr O’Rourke will welcome the “repeated assurances” that the Government “expects to finalise a new financing framework for RTÉ over the next few weeks, before the summer recess.”
He adds: “We recognise that there are a range of choices open to Government as to how that financing can be provided, and that is a matter for Government to decide on.
“From the Board’s perspective, it is important that whatever form of financing is decided upon it should be sufficient, predictable and independent.”
Mr O’Rourke will also welcome the expert advisory group reports on Governance and HR issues published in May.
He will say: “The Minister asked that we provide detailed implementation plans within six weeks and we are on course to share those plans with the Minister very soon.”
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