RTÉ execs’ refusal to face accountability shows need for reform at state broadcaster

Its now been almost eight months since the RTÉ secret payment scandal sent shockwaves through the Irish media landscape, as highest earning presenter Ryan Tubridy was disclosed to have been paid €345,000 more than his believed salary between 2017 and 2022.

This revelation opened the floodgates on a barrage of information about years’ worth of gross mismanagement of taxpayer money, but even still, those responsible for the farcical running of our state broadcaster refuse to face accountability for their actions, showing the urgent need for reform at Montrose.

Chair of the Oireachtas Joint Committee investigating the broadcaster, Niamh Smyth, this week pleaded for those involved, including former director general Dee Forbes to appear before the committee so they could conclude their deliberations.

These appeals fell on deaf ears however, as a staggering eight witnesses failed to present themselves, a clear indicator of the rotten culture that has taken hold among the higher ups of the beleaguered station.

Some of the more ridiculous expenses seem plucked straight from the depths of Celtic Tiger extravagance such as €111,000 for trips to Japan, €260,000 for a Champions League trip and perhaps most bizarrely of all, €5,000 on 200 pairs of flip-flops for a summer party.

The loss of faith in the general public is clear to see from the 13% reduction in those paying their licence fees over the past year, a decline of 123,000 people.

It doesn’t take a Grant Thornton audit of these figures to tell us that public trust in RTÉ is broken, and the broadcaster needs comprehensive change to regain the loyalty of those who make its existence possible.

The takeover of the network by those who’d rather line their pockets with overinflated salaries and bonuses than play their part in the creation of media excellence has been reflected in the decline of overall quality of programming.

RTE’s back catalogue is a far cry from that of British state broadcaster BBC, with rampant nepotism and unimaginative direction leading to disasters such as Toy Show the Musical which lost an eye-watering €2.3 million over its three week run in theatres.

The broadcaster’s output is not all doom and gloom however, quality documentaries and current affairs exposes have continued to fulfil the role of public service programming, while original series like Love/Hate and Hardy Bucks have been exported and enjoyed all over the world.

We are a nation who’s knack for creativity far exceeds our size and population, there are talented people in all section of the media who are eagerly awaiting their chance to shine, all they need is a platform on which to do it and those willing to give it to them.

The Irish people have been failed for far too long by their state broadcaster and now, while the focus remains on those who have abused their positions, there’ll never be a better chance to clean house and make RTE an institution that we can all be proud of once again.