RTE journalists are angry about management's plan to start an early-morning television news service on September 27th, to coincide with TV3's new breakfast show.
The National Union of Journalists and the managing editor of television news, Mr Cilian de Paor, are to meet this morning to discuss the station's proposal to operate the breakfast news service every day from 7.30 a.m. to 9 a.m.
RTE news staff first heard of the proposal on Monday, when senior newsroom management approached various journalists offering them positions on the programme.
"There is a lot of concern in the newsroom at the plans. The service will involve 5 a.m. starts and that represents a change in work practices. There is also concern that this new service is being rushed through without proper planning or consideration," a newsroom source said. On July 28th an RTE spokeswoman said there were "no developments in relation to the scheduling of early-morning TV". On the same day TV3 announced that Amanda Byram, a model, would join veteran broadcaster Mark Cagney to present its new breakfast programme, Ireland AM.
Last night Mr de Paor said he would meet the NUJ today "to discuss how we might get a working model for breakfast TV news". He said he could not comment further.
The Irish secretary of the NUJ, Mr Eoin Roynane, said the union would ask RTE management for details of its breakfast news plans and its rostering implications.
"People do not want to be forced on to rosters they don't want. However, we do not want to create a storm without knowing precisely what it is all about first."
It is understood that SIPTU is also seeking a meeting with RTE management to discuss the new proposals.
In September 1997, RTE invited independent film companies to make bids to run a multi-million-pound breakfast television service for RTE. Several high-profile presenters have been approached to host the show and front the packages.
At the time RTE was planning to show a four-hour mix of programmes seven days a week. The three-year contract was to be worth about £5 million. However, E last year RTE deferred its breakfast TV plans due to staffing problems and contractual difficulties with the successful independent bidder.
RTE staff said last night they were concerned that the proposed new service had not been properly planned and that proper resources would not be made available.
"This has landed on us with no warning six weeks before the launch. If we are not going to do it properly we would be better off not doing it at all," one journalist said.