Introduction

In late 2019, RTÉ presented its Revised Strategy 2020–2024 to Government, a plan to bring Ireland’s public service media to sustainability and addresses many of the challenges RTÉ faces. This set out a new blend of complementary live and on-demand services, offering audiences compelling and varied content, at times and on devices that suit them. RTÉ’s direction for the years ahead remains encompassed in its vision: To champion Irish culture by, captivating audiences with trusted, engaging, and challenging content, celebrating our country’s rich diversity, and cultivating Ireland’s talent.

2021’s Commitments reflect this context and set out six commitments under three headings or strategic objectives: Audience, Content, and Sustainability.

Audience – Deliver content relevant to all Irish audiences, serving everyone, everywhere

1. Put the audience at the centre of decision making

2. Be where the audience is – provide universal access, optimise linear, and adopt digital first

Content – Captivate audiences through a more varied mix of quality content that tells Ireland’s stories

3. Provide trusted, challenging and engaging content

4. Champion Irish culture

5. Celebrate diversity and cultivate Irish talent

Sustainability – Protect the future of public service media through a sustainable RTÉ

6. Protect the future of PSM through a sustainable RTÉ

The context to 2021’s results

In early 2021, consumer confidence was at its lowest in over a decade. As the pandemic entered its second year, restrictions on personal freedoms aimed at protecting public health had an immense impact on our social, working, and personal lives, as well as delivering severe financial blows to many members of Ireland’s business community. People were asked once again to spend more time at home than many might have wished. This backdrop led to a national sense of frustration and at times fracture, when compared to the unifying dynamics of 2020’s pandemic experience. While consumer confidence and the public mood picked up throughout the course of the year, it faltered towards the end of the year with the emergence of the so-called fourth wave of Covid-19.

This backdrop impacted our media behaviours and choices, where consumption levels remained generally higher than pre-pandemic. There was continued growth in subscriptions and viewing to well-financed global streaming platforms that strongly influence and raise audiences’ user-experience expectations: a trend which accelerated among all groups during the pandemic. Covid-19 and related stories continued to dominate the news and current affairs agenda, leading to news fatigue among some cohorts. The effects of production challenges from 2020 that rolled over into 2021 were felt on screens, with the absence or curtailment of certain content. While RTÉ fully acknowledges that these external factors did not exclusively influence the public’s perception of the organisation and its output in 2021, this complex set of drivers certainly played into the mix. It is also notable however that, against a similar and challenging backdrop in 2020, RTÉ performed very well across its full set of metrics. RTÉ takes these 2021 scores seriously we are examining other research that will help us to contextualise and better understand these results. In parallel, there are a range of plans in place and in development intended to reverse or correct these trends over 2022.

Pursuant to section 102(3) of the Act RTÉ’s APSC 2021 was submitted to the BAI and the Minister in April 2021, and a summary was subsequently published on RTÉ.ie. A summary of fulfilment of 2021’s commitments is presented here in compliance with section 102(5) of the Act. In compliance with section 102(4) of the Act, a separate and more detailed report on fulfilment or otherwise of commitments was submitted to the BAI and the Minister in April 2022.

Audience

Deliver content relevant to all Irish audiences, serving everyone, everywhere.

Commitment	Intended Public Impacts	Target Measure	Result
1. Put the audience at the centre of decision making	Audience needs are central to the delivery of PSM in Ireland. Irish people feel ownership and connection with their PSM.	Maintain public perception that RTÉ is relevant to people in Ireland today at >80%	Commitment not achieved. 68% of Irish adults agreed. See contextual commentary in Introduction.
		Maintain public perception that RTÉ has high quality content and services at >75%	Commitment not achieved. 65% of Irish adults agreed. See contextual commentary in Introduction.
2. Be where the audience is – provide universal access, optimise linear, and adopt digital first	The media needs of all segments of Irish society are fulfilled. Young people are engaged by Irish content and services. Innovation in media production will engage digital natives with Irish content. People will have easy and immediate access to Irish content on their device of choice.	Maintain average weekly reach for all RTÉ services at or above 90% (18+)	Commitment achieved
		Maintain average weekly reach for all RTÉ services at or above 90% (18–34)	Commitment not achieved. Average weekly reach was 84%, dropping to below 90% for the first time in over five years. In a highly competitive media environment, it is increasing challenging to maintain near-universal reach for this age group, without the required investment-injection a public funding settlement could provide.
		Grow RTÉ’s average weekly reach via mobile and online to >57%	Commitment not achieved. Average weekly reach was 52% and RTÉ remains committed long-term growth via online and mobile. Other indicators are very positive, with time spent, streams, and traffic all trending upwards for RTÉ Player, rte.ie, and the RTÉ News app.
		Maintain RTÉ television share (adults 15+, all day) at 26%	Commitment achieved
		Maintain RTÉ radio share (adults 15+, all day) at >30%	Commitment largely achieved. RTÉ radio’s share was 29.5%.
		Monitor and report on Time Spent with RTÉ (adults aged 15+ & adults aged 15–34)	Commitment achieved
		Maintain public perception that RTÉ programmes and services are easily accessible on a range of devices at >70%	Commitment achieved

Content

Captivate audiences through a more varied mix of quality content that tells Ireland’s stories.

Commitment	Intended Public Impacts	Target Measure	Result
3. Provide trusted, challenging and engaging content	In the era of fake news, Irish people have a trusted news source. The powerful in Irish society are held to account, wrongdoing and bad practice in Irish institutions is exposed. Education in Ireland is enriched through the inclusion of different perspectives and ways of learning.	Maintain public perception that RTÉ provides trusted N&CA at >80%	Commitment not achieved. 75% of Irish adults agreed, however RTÉ remains the most trusted source of news in Ireland. The international erosion of trust in media trend RTÉ takes very seriously: one which underscores the importance of quality journalism and media literacy in combatting the influence of mis- or disinformation in unregulated media. In 2021, RTÉ was the first Irish news organisation to sign up to Journalism Trust initiative, the European standard for trusted journalism awarded by the Irish Standards Office. See contextual commentary in Introduction.
		Maintain public perception that RTÉ generates national debate and gets people talking at >80%	Commitment largely achieved. 79% of Irish adults agreed.
		Maintain public perception that RTÉ keeps me well informed at >80%	Commitment largely achieved. 77% of Irish adults agreed.
4. Champion Irish culture	Public discourse is stimulated and a mirror is held up to contemporary Irish society. Irish people will benefit from the rich audio-visual heritage delivered through a state-of-the-art PSM archive. Pride in our national identity is strengthened through engagement with the cultural and sporting experiences that bind us as a nation. Irish children will see their experiences and hear their own voices on screen, on radio and online. The Irish language will grow in prominence and become an integral part of the Irish media landscape.	Maintain public perception that RTÉ is an important part of Irish life at >80%	Commitment largely achieved. 78% of Irish adults agreed.
		Maintain public perception that RTÉ enables me to connect with national events at >80%	Commitment largely achieved. 79% of Irish adults agreed.
		Maintain public perception that RTÉ devotes the right amount of time to children’s programmes at >50%	Commitment achieved
		Maintain public perception that RTÉ provides a comprehensive service for Irish speakers at >60%	Commitment achieved
		Maintain RTÉ RnaG weekly reach among adults 15+ at >3%	Commitment not achieved. Weekly reach was 2%, however among listeners, satisfaction with the station has been trending up. RnaG also won Radio Station of the Year at the 2021 International Celtic Media Festival.
		Meet the ‘365 provision’ to TG4 as per S120 of the Act	Commitment largely achieved. 2021’s hours were just slightly short of the required level, due to Covid-19 related production restrictions. RTÉ aims to compensate for the shortfall before the end of the 2018-2022 protocol agreement.
5. Celebrate diversity and cultivate Irish talent	People from every part of Irish society see their experiences represented in their PSM organisation and feel included. There is a heightened awareness of the diversity of Irish society and enhanced social cohesion. Ireland has a consistently creative and innovative PSM. The creative economy in Ireland experiences growth and is strengthened and developed. Ireland’s existing and emerging creative talents are showcased and celebrated. Compelling Irish stories are told in a universal and powerful way. Access to the arts will be broadened and democratized, enhancing public appreciation for our distinctive culture and heritage.	Grow public perception that RTÉ reflects current Irish society to >80%	Commitment not achieved. 66% of Irish adults agreed. See contextual commentary in Introduction.
		Grow public perception that RTÉ has a range of new faces and voices on air to >62%	Commitment not achieved. 45% of Irish adults agreed. RTÉ remains fully committed to improving diversity of representation. Among other initiatives, the first RTÉ Creative Futures event provided media skills training for people from communities traditionally under-represented in the Irish media. The absence of live studio audiences due to Covid-related restrictions is likely to have impacted this score. Also see contextual commentary in Introduction.
		Maintain high proportion of RTÉ Radio’s FM output as first-run indigenous at >80%	Commitment achieved
		Maintain high proportion of indigenous hours as a % of total peaktime hours on RTÉ One at >75%	Commitment largely achieved. 72% of total peaktime hours on RTÉ One were indigenous hours.
		Statutory spend requirement met	Commitment achieved
		Grow public perception that RTÉ One is good for Irish drama to >70%	Commitment not achieved. 64% of Irish adults agreed, however other indicators are very positive. Commissioned drama provided a strong ratings-fixtures on Sunday nights and is very popular on RTÉ Player: with KIN attracting 2.7m views to date. RTÉ dramas KIN, Hidden Assets and Smother had 26 IFTA nominations between them, with KIN winning six. Despite Covid-related production challenges, and subsequent disruption all soap viewing habits, Fair City re-established its loyal audience. Also see contextual commentary in Introduction.
		Maintain public satisfaction with the quality of culture and arts on RTÉ at >67%	Commitment not achieved. 55% of Irish adults agreed. Despite the negative impact of public restrictions on arts and cultural activities, RTÉ continued to provide its audiences with access to outstanding high-quality arts and culture programming across its platforms and channels. Also see contextual commentary in Introduction.
		Maintain public perception that RTÉ provides a broad range of orchestral music at (% agree)	Target revoked in 2021

Sustainability

Protect the future of Public Service Media through a sustainable RTÉ

Commitment	Intended Public Impacts	Target Measure	Result
6. Protect the future of PSM	The future of PSM in Ireland is protected and is sustainable. It is run effectively and efficiently. It is supported by RTÉ commercial activities. It is open, accountable and transparent. PSM legitimacy is strengthened and protected in Ireland.	Meet annual budget	Commitment achieved
		Deliver RTÉ’s portfolio of services within budgeted operating costs	Commitment achieved
		Operate RTÉ’s commercial activities efficiently to maximise the net return for RTÉ’s public service activities and achieve Group commercial revenue targets	Commitment achieved
		Total content and distribution spend as a % of Operating Costs is >80%	Commitment achieved
		PROC* target achieved *Personnel Related Operating Costs	Commitment achieved
		Maintain public perception that RTÉ is valuable to Irish society at >85%	Commitment not achieved. 76% of Irish adults agreed. See contextual commentary in Introduction.
		Maintain public perception that RTÉ is trustworthy at >75%	Commitment not achieved. 69% of Irish adults agreed. See commentary under Commitment 3: trust in RTÉ N&CA, and in Introduction on public perception scores. This result likely reflects a general public shift towards declining trust in media outlets, which RTÉ takes seriously and is acting on.

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