RTÉ In Need Of Urgent Funding According To BAI Report

The Broadcasting Authority Of Ireland has recommended that RTÉ be given an additional 30 million euro a year in funding. After a five year review of RTÉ and TG4's funding structures, the BAI stated that both channels continue to provide value for Irish audiences, thus warranting the increase in spending. It also stated that given RTÉ's urgent funding issues, it should be made available immediately.

The state broadcaster has come under serious scrutiny in the last number of years with criticism around its creative practices, decision making, and lack of innovation in their programming.

Stars of Irish film and television also voiced similar concerns ,with Oscar nominated director Lenny Abrahamson (Room, Adam and Paul, The Little Stranger) expressing in an interview with The Independent his dissatisfaction with RTÉ and their hesitancy in approaching creative individuals and developing new projects, in contrast to UK channels like Channel 4. He said they needed to stop creating "boring" and "mediocre" TV and nurture talent. He also said:

"Because RTE for so long has been the only game in town, there is a strange perception within what is an extremely mediocre drama department that people need to knock on their door or that they're great, but actually that's not how it works anywhere."

Irish comedian and television star David McSavage voiced similar concerns, going as far to refusing to pay his T.V licence fee for what he saw as poor programming from the national broadcaster. He said he was taking a stand against what he saw as "awful output" from the RTÉ comedy department. The comedian added:

"If a plumber provided as poor a service as RTÉ, they would go out of business. It makes no sense to pay people money who are bad at their jobs; it does neither of you any good."

The report also recommended six million a year to be provided to TG4.