RTÉ warned on public service content

RTÉ COULD lose some of its licence fee if it continues to broadcast large amounts of bought-in foreign programming such as British soaps and American dramas and sitcoms during prime-time hours.

Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan has warned that RTÉ cannot "just go chasing ratings", and must broadcast more public service content at prime time.

He made his comments ahead of the introduction of the Broadcasting Bill 2008, which is due to come before the Dáil shortly.

The Bill provides for the dissolution of the RTÉ Authority, the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) and the Broadcasting Complaints Commission and their replacement by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI).

The BAI will have "beefed-up powers", according to a department spokeswoman, with extra powers of supervision in order to ensure that RTÉ lives up to its public service commitments.

The Bill also has a strengthened emphasis on the use of the licence fee and will contain a series of oversight mechanisms to review the level of public funding made available to RTÉ and TG4 to deliver on their public service remits.

Mr Ryan has said that the Bill will reflect a recent agreement between the State and the European Commission, which brought an end to a complaint being pursued by the commission in relation to public funding of RTÉ. The complaint was brought by TV3, which claimed RTÉ was using the licence fee to outbid the rival station in buying high-ratings programmes.

The commission has dropped the complaint on the agreement that greater transparency and oversight in the use of the licence fee and greater mechanisms of redress for breaches of broadcasting legislation will be introduced in the new Bill.

RTÉ will be subject to a yearly review of its commitment to public service, along with a more in- depth review of public broadcasting every five years in a public broadcasting charter.

It will still be permitted to show high-ratings foreign programming at prime time; however, it will be at greater risk of losing licence fee funds if the Minister feels there is not sufficient emphasis on the public service element.

RTÉ yesterday refused to comment on the Mr Ryan's warning. A spokeswoman said the station was waiting to see the Broadcasting Bill and would reserve comment until then.