RTÉ's stated vision is to "champion Irish culture" but it's the culture inside the organisation that has been under a spotlight for almost two weeks now. Arts and Media Minister Catherine Martin has now published details of two reviews into work and commercial practices at the broadcaster.
The first will examine and make recommendations on governance and the organisational culture while the second will be a review into the payment of contractors alongside other matters including gender equality and inclusion.
It is, as the minister put it "an important body of work", and although the events of recent days appear to have moved at lightning speed, it will be well into 2024 before full reviews will be completed, although some interim reports may be submitted before then.
Other work continues, including the second Grant Thornton exploration of an as yet unexplained figure of €120,000 included in the understatement of Ryan Tubridy's earnings between 2017 and 2019. And senior RTÉ executives, as well as board members will appear before the Oireachtas Media Committee once again to face further questions on issues including the company's barter account.
But while RTÉ staff, and many licence fee payers have been following every twist and turn of the recent revelations, their impact has also been felt in the wider media world.
RTÉ doesn't just produce its own programmes, it's also a significant purchaser of content from the Irish independent sector. In 2022 for example the broadcaster spent €43.6m on independent programmes across TV and radio, with household favourites like 'Kin' and ‘Dancing With The Stars’ all independently produced.
In a statement, Screen Producers Ireland, which represents a large cohort of independent producers, said they welcomed the announcement of the review and thanked the minister for recognising the role their sector plays in the production of Irish content.
Chief Executive Susan Kirby said measures must be put in place to ensure that the independent sector continues to create television content for Irish audiences, and to protect independent, indigenous content throughout the ongoing process. She also suggested that the current situation be used as an "opportunity to start anew", and to further explore a future funding model for what she termed a "reformed RTÉ".
Unions too have welcomed the details of the review, with the RTÉ Trade Union Group saying it particularly welcomed the review of contractor fees, HR and other employment matters affecting staff morale.
These groups may have taken some comfort in Catherine Martin's assurance that while an actual decision on a funding model for RTÉ has been paused, discussions on the issue are ongoing. The review process is not, she said, about "losing RTÉ" but about protecting public service broadcasting.
Production staff both inside and outside the organisation are hoping that the reviews announced are both comprehensive and effective, and will lead to stable funding for the sector on an ongoing basis.
