RTÉ ANNUAL REPORT & GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2005

Charter

The Public Service Broadcasting Charter, published by Government in June 2004, identifies the guiding principles for RTÉ and includes a number of specific reporting requirements. These reporting requirements have been dealt with elsewhere in this report, other than as set out below.

Audience Council
The Audience Council was established in November 2003 for a four-year term and is an advisory group to the RTÉ Authority. The Council comprises 22 members.

Structure and Composition

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The Council acts as an advisory group to the RTÉ Authority
The Chairman of the Authority’s Programme Committee is an ex-officio ordinary member of the Council
The Council consists of representative and individual members who have a general interest in broadcasting and, in the case of representatives, a specialist interest in one or more of the key strands of programming
Each Council has a life span of four years and elects a Chairman annually from among its members. A designated Secretary will be provided by RTÉ.

The members of the Council participate on a voluntary basis, being reimbursed vouched expenses only.

The Council held five meetings during 2005. Revd. Dr Alan McCormack was elected unopposed to the post of Chairman of the Council at the January meeting.

The Director-General of RTÉ, Cathal Goan, met with the Council at its January meeting. A useful exchange of views took place. The Director-General assured the Council that RTÉ attaches great importance to its work and its views are taken seriously and fed back into the internal editorial processes. In response to a request from Council at a subsequent meeting, the RTÉ Group Secretary prepared a paper outlining the detail of this feedback/input. It was agreed at the January meeting to focus on specific genres of programming at subsequent meetings to enable the Council to be more effective and that relevant RTÉ executive(s) would be invited to participate in these discussions.

In March, the Council hosted a joint meeting with the BBC Broadcasting Council for Northern Ireland, where issues of mutual interest were discussed. It was agreed that there would be ongoing contact between the two Councils as this inaugural meeting had proved useful. There will be a reciprocal visit to Belfast during 2006. One of the Council members also attended at a BBCNI Roadshow held during March.

The issue of diversity continued to be discussed during 2005 and will continue to be a focus of attention for the Council. The draft document on multi-culturalism had been agreed by RTÉ Television management and RTÉ took note of the Council’s request that it be re-titled Policy on Diversity. The Council commended RTÉ on being proactive in producing this document.

The strands of programming reviewed by members and discussed during the year included: television soaps; business reporting on radio; daytime schedules on RTÉ One and RTÉ Two; non-music Arts programming on Radio and Young People’s programmes on Television.

The Council reviewed coverage of the death and funeral of Pope John Paul II and the election and installation of Pope Benedict XVI. Overall, RTÉ’s coverage was considered satisfactory. The Council also considered RTÉ’s coverage of the National Day of Commemoration and the general consensus was that this had been well done and contributed to the importance and solemnity of the occasion.

At the end of its second year, the Council was of the view that it had settled in and was now more effective and constructive in its discussions during the year.

Statement of Commitments
In the first quarter of the year, RTÉ published its Statement of Commitments 2005. The document was disseminated widely in hard copy and was placed on RTÉ.ie. The statement detailed quantitative commitments in relation to corporate and output activities that were independently assessed, on behalf of the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, by Indecon, International Economic Consultants, in November/December 2005.

The following charts summarise the commitments made and the level of achievement in each case.

Corporate Commitments	Results

In 2005 RTÉ will:
Focus on year one of implementation of the Guiding Principles – Implementing the Public Service Broadcasting Charter to ensure we meet our responsibilities under the Public Service Broadcasting Charter	Commitment achieved

Work with the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to facilitate the development of the most appropriate Digital Broadcasting Strategy for Ireland	Scenario submitted to Department of Communications, Marine & Natural Resources during Q4 2005

Develop a position on the organisation’s Corporate Social Responsibilities for consideration and adoption by the new Authority and subsequent publication	Policy ready for consideration by RTÉ Authority Q1 2006

Ensure the organisation is in a position to meet the new legislation language requirements - likely to be scheduled for implementation by RTÉ in late 2005 or early 2006	Preparations made

Facilitate the work of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in the development of a new legislative framework for RTÉ and other Irish regulated broadcasters	Ongoing

Develop, for consideration and adoption by the new RTÉ Authority, a five-year business plan based on principles articulated in RTÉ’s Guiding Principles – Implementing the Public Service Broadcasting Charter	Work in progress, plan to be submitted by agreement to Department of Communications, Marine & Natural Resources at end of Q1 2006

Be the Premier Partner of Cork 2005 (European Capital of Culture) and work with the organisers to maximise the opportunities for the city and the country while benefiting RTÉ’s output and relationship with the region	Commitment achieved

Consolidate the strategic relationship developed in 2004 with Metro Éireann and the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland	Commitment achieved

Ensure corporate sponsorships deliver maximum output opportunities for IBDs	Commitment achieved

Maintain the very high level of accountability and transparency developed over recent years as evidenced by the Code of Fair Trading, new format Annual Report, Complaint Procedures etc.	Commitment achieved

RTÉ RADIO

RTÉ Radio 1 Commitments	Results

Minimum of 26 hours of Social Documentaries (factual)	Commitment achieved

Minimum of 30 hours of Drama/Comedy for Younger Audiences	Commitment exceeded by 25%

Minimum of 60 hours of Regional Focus (cross genre) including OBs, Agriculture, Special Events Coverage ex Regions, Local Government	Commitment exceeded by 60%

Sport - RTÉ Radio 1 Up to five new voices on air	Commitment achieved. Four new voices on air

Irish Language (cross genre) - New three hours	Commitment achieved

1,265 hours of News & Current Affairs	Commitment 99% achieved

OFF AIR SUPPORTING Commitments: - annual nationwide effort - All Ireland Musical	Auditions commenced 9 November 2005
(News & Current Affairs) - establishment of Investigative Unit	Commitment achieved

RTÉ 2fm Commitments	Results
Student Access - nine hours of examination focus and ten hours made by transition year students	Commitment achieved
Children’s & Education - 25 workshops	Commitment exceeded by 24%

New & original music production to include: Two major festivals 40 sessions 45 hours	Commitment achieved Commitment exceeded by 7% Commitment exceeded by 33%

Minimum of 180 hours of programming from the regions (cross genre)	Commitment exceeded by 41%

Minimum of 50 hours of Sports programming	Commitment achieved

Minimum of 416 hours of alternative music	Commitment achieved

Minimum of 469 hours of News and Current Affairs	Commitment 99% achieved

RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta Commitments	Results
Minimum of ten hours of Drama programming	Commitment exceeded by 20%

Minimum of 68 hours of Factual programming	Commitment achieved

Minimum of 30 hours of Young Peoples programming (Children’s & Education)	Commitment exceeded by 23%

Minimum of 108 hours of programming from the regions (cross genre)	Commitment exceeded by 38%

Minimum of 874 hours of News and Current Affairs	Commitment exceeded by 3%

RTÉ lyric fm Commitments	Results
Education & Outreach - minimum of 40 school visits	Commitment achieved

Minimum of 215 Outside Broadcasts of regional festivals, venues and events	Commitment exceeded by 6%

Music commissions - ten commissions and ten broadcasts	Commissions exceeded by 30% Broadcasts 40% achieved

Speech commissions (factual & arts) - nine hours	Commitment achieved

Minimum of 133 hours of News	Commitment achieved

EBU - 40 offerings	Commitment achieved

RTÉ TELEVISION

RTÉ One - Peak Time Commitments	Results

Minimum of 117 hours of Drama including new and returning series	Commitment exceeded by 7%

Minimum of 353 hours of Factual programming including Arts, Education and Religious	Commitment exceeded by 2%

Minimum of 240 hours of Entertainment and Music	Commitment exceeded by 11%

Minimum of 557 hours of News, Current Affairs and Weather	Commitment exceeded by 4%

RTÉ Two - Peak Time Commitments	Results
Minimum of 20 hours of Drama	Commitment exceeded by 170%

Minimum of 95 hours of Entertainment and Music	Commitment exceeded by 32%

Minimum of 40 hours of Factual including Arts, Education, Religious	Commitment exceeded by 27%

Minimum of 78 hours of News, Current Affairs and Weather	Commitment exceeded by 3%

RTÉ Television - across both channels, all time	Results
Subtitling - increase to 3,900 hours	Commitment exceeded by 24%

Minimum of 1,069 hours of News, Current Affairs and Weather	Commitment exceeded by 5%

Minimum of 650 hours of Young People’s programming	Commitment exceeded by 13%

700 hours of Sports programming	Commitment exceeded by 10%

RTÉ PERFORMING GROUPS

Commitments	Results

RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra (RTÉ NSO) - 58 performances	Commitment exceeded (62)

RTÉ Concert Orchestra - 82 performances	Commitment exceeded (89)

RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet - 28 performances	Commitment achieved (28)

RTÉ Choirs - 6 performances	Commitment achieved (6)

RTÉ NSO with the RTÉ Philharmonic Choir - 8 performances	Commitment exceeded (9)

Guest ensembles - 3 performances	Commitment exceeded (5)

75 education related performances and workshops	Commitment exceeded (94)

RTÉ PUBLISHING

Commitments	Results

RTÉ Guide will publish
Twelve monthly supplements for Cork 2005, European Capital of Culture, to mark RTÉ being the event’s Premier Partner	Commitment achieved
Other occasion special event supplements	Twelve supplements, four posters, one DVD, three CDs
A weekly Irish language column	Commitment achieved

e-Publishing will
Publish comprehensive guidelines outlining RTÉ.ie’s editorial and commercial policies on the Web	During 2005, the proposal was scoped and the full extent of additional legal requirements was realised (e.g. the inability to police children accessing the website with different requirements in different jurisdictions). e-Publishing will develop comprehensive guidelines with a view to submitting a draft proposal to the RTÉ Authority by the end of 2006
Make RTÉ broadcast content available for distribution on broadband platforms (computers and mobile phones)	Commitment achieved - 40 hours of broadband content available on RTÉ.ie per week covering News, Sport and Lifestyle
Grow the current RTÉ web audience by endeavouring to increase the average monthly page impressions by at least 20%	Commitment achieved - e.g. October 2005 monthly traffic up 52% on October 2004 monthly traffic
Launch new web sites, RTÉ Shop and RTÉ Travel	Commitment achieved
Redevelop the About RTÉ section into a better quality point of access for the audience	Commitment achieved
Maintain the analogue RTÉ Aertel teletext service as a popular and reliable ‘one stop-shop’ for general information service	Commitment achieved - latest measurement shows that 858,000 households use Aertel (92% of all Aertel homes). Source: Nielsen Establishment Survey. 2.06m individuals access the service. Source: Behaviour and Attitudes

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