Audience Council
RTÉ Audience Council Communique - Wednesday, 20th September 2006
Present:
Mark Connolly, Dublin (Chairman); Paul M. Kinsella, Leinster; Ruth Gallagher, Dublin; Pádraig McGinn, Connacht/Ulster; Des Sheridan, Community & Voluntary Pillar Congress Centres; Eddie Sheehy, County & City Managers' Association; Patrick O'Leary, The Equality Authority; Maolsheachlainn Ó Caollaí, Foras na Gaeilge; Maria Killian, Ex Officio Member/RTÉ Authority; Alison McCullagh, Northern Ireland; Eilís Boland, Northern Ireland; Mary Gallagher McBride, Connacht/Ulster; Valerie Keegan, Social Partners IBEC; Niall Madigan, Social Partners IFA; Beverly Hanly, RTÉ (Secretary to Council)
Regrets:
Sheena Walsh McMahon, Leinster; Anthony Kelly, Munster; Oliver Donohoe, Social Partners ICTU; Paul McDermott, The Irish Sports Council; Stephanie O'Callaghan, The Arts Council; Alan McCormack, The Irish Council of Churches; Anne O'Donnell, National Children's Office; Adrian Ó Donnabháin, Munster.
RTÉ:
Tom Quinn; Deirdre Henchy; Ana Leddy, Head of Radio 1; Lorelei Harris, Editor Arts, Features and Drama Radio; Aodán O Dubhghaill, Head of Lyric FM; Kevin Dawson, Commissioning Editor Factual (TV); Jane Gogan, Commissioning Editor Drama (TV) and David McKenna, Executive Producer Music and Arts TV.
1. Report from Secretary
The Secretary reported on various events which had taken place corporately since the Council met in June.
Feedback from RTÉ
The Secretary reported to the Council on the responses received from RTÉ to the feedback from the Audience Council following its last meeting. The Council noted and welcomed the responses from Radio and Television. However, they recorded their concern that no response had been received from News.
Heads of Broadcasting Bill 2006
It was noted that the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources had published the Heads of the Broadcasting Bill 2006, which included a provision that the Audience Council would in the future be established on a statutory basis. An e-consultation was taking place with the closing date for receipt of submissions being 4th October 2006. The Council were advised that, as they are currently constituted, their role is an advisory one to the RTÉ Authority and any submission they might wish to make should be made as part of the RTÉ submission. Individuals are, of course, entitled to make a submission in their own right. The main area of concern for the Council has been and continues to be the issue of continuity and the fear that the wealth of experience and knowledge built up over the past couple of years could be lost to any new Council. Both the RTÉ Group Secretary and the ex officio member who is Chairman of the RTÉ Authority Programme Sub-Committee, assured the members that this concern would be included in the RTÉ submission. A member disputed the advice that the Council should not make a separate submission because it has not been constituted on a legal/statutory basis. Any group should be free to do so and they wished this view recorded.
It was agreed that if any member had any issue, other than that of continuity on the Council, that they wished included, they should contact the Secretary by lunchtime on Friday, 22nd September 2006.
2. Review of Recent Programming
Schedule Changes on RTÉ Radio 1
Before the discussion proper, the Chairman brought the Council's attention to one particular email which he had received following his interview in the RTÉ Guide which suggested that the audience should be consulted in advance of any future schedule changes. The Council were unanimously of the view that this is outside their remit as their role is an advisory one to the RTÉ Authority and felt it would be inappropriate for them to become involved in the manner suggested vis a vis RTÉ's scheduling and/or editorial decision making process.
Following the discussion and concerns expressed at the previous meeting, it had been agreed that the schedule changes on RTÉ Radio 1 would be discussed again at this meeting. Some members still expressed their concerns about what they considered to be a demotion of the arts. Ms Leddy pointed out that this was absolutely not the case, in fact the opposite was the case - there was a desire to bring arts to the schedules across the day in an effort to reach out to the audience. It is a process of change and only part of the schedule has been rolled out to date and The Eleventh Hour does not commence until early October. After some discussion, Ms Leddy said she took fully on board all the views expressed and suggested that she would come back to a future meeting once the schedule changes have been fully implemented.
RTÉ and the Arts (visual arts, literature, music and drama)
Mary Gallagher McBride had prepared a comprehensive presentation on this topic which formed the basis for the ensuing discussion.
Messrs Dawson and McKenna gave the Council details of the wide range of programming on the arts on television, including the extra programming being produced following the substantial increase in the licence fee over the past number of years. There is ongoing cooperation between Radio (particularly Lyric fm) and Television on areas of mutual interest. It was pointed out that RTÉ, across its two television channels and four radio channels, does as much if not more than any other public service broadcaster across the world in this area. Ms Gogan briefed the Council on her plans for drama commissioning.
The Council thanked for the RTÉ executives for their attendance and input.
Any Other Business
At the end of the meeting, the Chairman asked each member present if they had any particular issue which they wished to raise. He started by stating that his interview in the RTÉ Guide over the summer had elicited some emails and the particular issues raised included:
Why was it felt necessary to revamp the News set - it was explained to the Council that the move to widescreen transmission necessitated a re-design in any case.
Why were Junior Doctors and Legend scheduled at the same time on RTÉ One and RTÉ Two?
Other issues raised included the apparent reduction in business news in the evening on radio; a request for a breakdown of listenership across the day with reference to the new radio schedule (it was pointed out that the next 6-monthly JNLR will be capture this); what are RTÉ's plans for succession planning vis a vis presenters; concern at the amount of time given to conditions in the K Club/Ryder Cup on Morning Ireland earlier in the day; a wish to revisit the theme of diversity and the fact that this covers more than just race; subtitles in English on TG4 for some sports coverage (Wimbledon, Tour de France)
Date of Next Meeting
Wednesday, 8th November 2006