Sir, – T Gerard Bennett (January 24th) is unfair to RTÉ Television regarding the continuing commitment to Irish content. Referring to programmes such as EastEnderson the RTÉ Player, he suggests that overseas acquired programmes are typical of RTÉ fare. In fact, the majority of the programmes offered on the RTÉ Player are home-produced Irish programmes. On any one of the three evenings weekly when EastEndersgoes out on RTÉ One, it is with rare exceptions the only non-Irish programme offered.
Recession has severely hit RTÉ’s budgets but the commitment to Irish programmes remains, and is appreciated by the public: in 2011 all but three of the Top 50 most popular programmes watched in Ireland were on RTÉ, and of those 47 only two were not Irish-made. All broadcasters mix original home-produced programming, which is expensive, with a selection of acquired programmes, balancing both the budgets and the range of content.
Mr Bennett is right that most television content in Ireland is still viewed on home television sets, but this is rapidly evolving. Streams on the RTÉ Player rose 45 per cent in the past year, to almost 32 million; half a million unique browsers each month. More than 1.5 million RTÉ mobile and tablet apps have been downloaded. The RTÉ commitment is that the public should have access to publicly-resourced content when and how the public demands. The demand clearly is there.
The proposal from the Minister comes in the light of this evolution in technology and public viewing habits. Other countries have renewed their commitment to public media, while shifting the sourcing of the revenue which supports it – or in Ireland’s case part-supports it – away from simply ownership of a TV set. RTÉ does not set Government policy but can contribute to the debate around this, as of course will others. While that happens, our commitment is to turn the available resources into as much Irish content as possible. – Yours, etc,