Letters

RTÉ – a week of revelations that shook the national broadcaster

A reputation bartered away

Sat Jul 01 2023 - 00:11

Sir, – I notice RTÉ's daily mantra of “You must have a TV licence” has been put on mute the past few days. – Yours, etc,

LIAM DALY,

Foxrock,

Dublin 18.

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A chara, – Being unable to justify continuing to pay the licence fee, I have decided to ditch the telly. TV licence inspector, please note. – Is mise,

GREG SCANLON,

Shannon,

Co Clare.

Sir, – Notwithstanding the requirement for RTÉ to be transparent and trustworthy, the rhetoric from politicians in particular on this affair constitutes nothing more than a witch-hunt.

We all know RTÉ has been a well-run organisation in the grand scheme, and we all know that Ryan Tubridy has brought dignity to his broadcasting, especially though the pandemic and for the youth of Ireland through his amazing stewardship of the Toy Show; so while we indeed expect this current controversy to be scrutinised, any suggestion that RTÉ is in crisis is simply not the case. We are talking about petty cash in the grander scheme of things; and if contracts had to be tweaked around the edges to secure talent – something done in all walks of life – it might also be considered that had recent governments not gutted RTÉ of its subvention in the first place, special financial arrangements would not have been necessary. – Yours, etc,

KEVIN NOLAN,

Rathfarnham,

Dublin 16.

Sir, – It seems that the 9am RTÉ Radio 1 programme is still called “The Ryan Tubridy Show”. Surely a time for a name change at this stage of proceedings! – Yours, etc,

TADHG McCARTHY,

Bray,

Co Wicklow.

Sir, – I know the phrase “these people” can sometimes be taken to be quite offensive, but really – these people! – Yours, etc,

ADRIAN WHITE,

Knocknaccara,

Galway.

Sir, – I was employed by RTÉ for most of my working life, circa 1966-2002, first as a news journalist and later (after a short break) as a television producer/director. For some of that time I was a trade union representative, and negotiated with many of the senior managers.

I can say with absolute certainty that nothing like the present situation could have occurred while managers of the calibre of Tom Hardiman, Michael Hennigan and Conor Sexton were in senior positions in RTÉ. They made it their business to know what was going on, and would never have tolerated concealed or disguised payments in any area or for any reason.

I still remember, as a young journalist on a late shift, looking up from my typewriter to see the then-director general Tom Hardiman walking through the deserted newsroom. “Work away, don’t mind me”, he said. “Just checking that everything is all right”.

The decline in executive calibre since then has been gradual, but the cumulative effect has been disastrous, as we can see. – Yours, etc,

CIAN Ó HÉIGEARTAIGH,

Dublin 6.

A chara, – RTÉ promotes a so-called progressive and liberal agenda. There is no room for discussion or debate with people who have a more traditional and so-called conservative upbringing, although they would account for about a third of the population.

Our “public service” and so-called “national broadcaster” will proceed with its self-important, arrogant and self-promoting agenda.

I do feel sorry for some ordinary employees of the station but a bit of humility and self-reflection would be a good starting point in the process of self-reflection and reinvention. – Yours, etc,

PETER MURPHY,

Ratoath,

Co Meath.

Sir, – Those in RTÉ responsible for the current debacle can perhaps take succour from the American actress Tallulah Bankhead: “I’m as pure as the driven slush”. – Yours, etc,

PETER DECLAN O’HALLORAN,

Belturbet,

Co Cavan.

Sir, – Such a pity there’s not a crock of gold for everyone in the audience. Instead, we’ve been dealt a crock of something else. – Yours, etc,

ROB SADLIER,

Rathfarnham,

Dublin 16.

Sir, – Perhaps someone could advise RTÉ's decision makers to look beyond their highly publicised “top 10 talents” and consider the talent that can be found behind the placards on their very doorstep. – Yours, etc,

LIZ BRICKLEY,

Booterstown,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – Move the entire operation out of Donnybrook to a site in a cheaper location; sell the Donnybrook site for housing, thereby helping to solve a major problem which currently exists; install an entirely new board of directors; and ensure that the incoming director general is given the power and resources to completely rationalise his existing team and make any new appointments deemed necessary to restore trust in the organisation. – Yours, etc,

DAVE McGRATH,

Foxrock,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – I commend our public representatives for their questioning of RTÉ executives about the lack of appropriate controls over certain payments and expenses in that organisation. I trust that they will have no objections to a similar questioning of themselves and their colleagues in the Oireachtas about their own unvouched expenses? – Yours, etc,

BRIAN KEANE,

Whitehall,

Dublin 9.

Sir, – Whatever one may think of the debacle in RTÉ, I have never felt so appalled and disgusted by the treatment of the board of RTÉ by our elected members of the Dáil who questioned them. They tried to humiliate them.

It is shocking behaviour so that they can look good with their fellow TDs and the electorate. – Yours, etc,

BRIGID CONNAUGHTON,

Mount Merrion,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – A sanctimonious feigning of horror at what was obviously a necessary tweaking of commerce relating to the entertainment industry. – Yours, etc,

ROB JACKSON,

Sligo.

Sir, – Outrage. Scandal. Crisis. Calls for accountability, transparency, resignations. Dáil committees, extensive media coverage, political condemnation.

So what is the nationally vital subject of all this coverage, and political energy? The homelessness situation? The crisis in our health service, both mental and physical? Poverty levels? The climate?

I find it truly disheartening that the expansive media coverage, political umbrage, time and energy is being expended on such a paltry issue. Wait, I hear people say, it’s the principal of the issue. Really? What about the principals of providing, a home, a functioning health service, enough food, a sustainable environment, for all our inhabitants.

I also find it sad that the media and politicians actually consider this situation deserves more coverage and action than the real crises we as a country are undergoing. – Yours, etc,

FINNIAN E MATHEWS,

Skerries,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – I think that in the light of the outrageous cover-up from RTÉ, everyone with a TV licence should refuse to pay the next payment. We are the people with the last say in this catastrophe. – Yours, etc,

Fr TOM GRUFFERTY,

Knock,

Co Mayo.

Sir, – I’m aghast at what’s being revealed about RTÉ accounting procedures, simply because there was a clear failure at corporate and executive board level to ensure the integrity and reputation of RTÉ as our national broadcasting service.

It is amazing that the incoming director general appears to have the power to reconstitute the executive board. Surely that’s a matter for the corporate board! – Yours, etc,

JOE HARRISON,

Spanish Point,

Co Clare.

Sir, – An overpowerful director general seems to have been part of the problem in RTÉ so why should the new director general be allowed reconstitute the executive board of RTÉ? – Yours, etc,

JOHN O’BRIEN,

Clontarf,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – Could funding have been channelled through the “I can’t believe it’s not barter” account? – Yours, etc,

JUDITH GOLDBERGER,

Dublin 4.