Cash-strapped RTE have revealed they are under an “impossible strain” and are now operating at a loss of €13 million, despite trying to reduce costs.
The national broadcaster’s annual report said special events last year such as the Pope’s visit, the Presidential election and coverage of the FIFA World Cup cost it €7.2 million.
Director General of RTE Dee Forbes said the current TV licence system was losing millions of euro.
She added: “Excluding the cost of special events, RTÉ reduced costs again across the year through the further suppression of essential investment in content and more staff departures.
“However, a highly competitive and uncertain commercial environment, coupled with an unreformed TV Licence system, one that is losing tens of millions of euro every year – means that RTÉ cannot sustain the breadth of its public-service responsibilities.
“RTÉ will work hard to deliver the best public service that we can.
"However, without a combination of public funding reform, commercial growth and a continued focus on efficiency, RTÉ will not be able to adapt for the future.
“Nor will we be able to return to financial stability, fulfil our remit or continue to provide the range of services that we currently provide.”
The Montrose boss pointed the finger at the government for failing to communicate on revamping the TV licence in creating revenue.
"TV licence payers want us to do more and deserve more from us.
“However, it will not be possible for RTÉ to maintain and enhance what we do and fulfill our remit without action from Government and a solution to the funding of public service media in Ireland.”
Forbes added that the case for increasing public funding has been made in numerous independent reports over the past five years, including the most recent BAI review conducted in 2018 which recommended an immediate increase in annual public funding of €30 million for RTÉ.
She said that the case for reform of the TV licence system “has also been made in numerous reviews, however, to date, there has been no substantial response from Government.”
You can read the full report at https://www.rte.ie/annualreport/ .
She said: “We want to do more. We are full of programme ideas, but every day we have to curtail our own ambitions and the creative ambitions of the broader independent production sector due to our constrained resources.
