RTÉ Unions Prepare Response as Second Round of Cuts Looms

Unions at RTÉ are set to meet next week to formulate their response to the next phase of cutbacks at Ireland’s national broadcaster, following approximately 100 job losses and the closure of its documentary unit at the end of last year.

According to Siptu divisional organiser Adrian Kane, staff attitudes have hardened significantly after the initial restructuring phase. Sorcha Vaughan, secretary of the RTÉ group of unions, noted that “the reality of cuts had hit” due to changes implemented in recent months, signaling growing discontent within the organization.

On Tuesday, Siptu officials and union members working at RTÉ’s Montrose headquarters briefed Opposition TDs about the ongoing situation at the broadcaster. They argued that RTÉ has become increasingly vital to the Irish public since June 2023, when the organization was plunged into crisis following revelations about undisclosed payments to presenter Ryan Tubridy.

“The ground has shifted so much in terms of the digital world we are living in, with more and more of the media being owned a tiny elite, a quite extreme group of people,” Kane explained. “I think people are increasingly worried, not just about public-service broadcasting but about the relationship between the citizen and the State. There’s a huge, profound shift taking place and people want to be assured about where they are getting their media from.”

When questioned whether unions had missed their opportunity to resist the scale of changes underway at RTÉ, Kane disagreed, stating that “nothing is being ruled in or out at this stage.” He noted a significant shift in member sentiment, saying: “I do think there’s been a sea change in attitude among our own members, a feeling that we need to make a stand.”

Kane suggested tensions could escalate when an imminent feasibility study on outsourcing flagship programs The Late Late Show and Fair City is delivered. This comes after Siptu members recently passed an overwhelming vote of no confidence in RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst.

However, Kane acknowledged that avoiding the planned 300 additional job losses and substantial outsourcing of program production would require a shift in the Government’s position on funding the broadcaster. This highlights the financial pressures driving the current restructuring efforts.

Eileen Culloty, deputy director of the DCU Institute for Media, Democracy and Society, emphasized the crucial democratic role of public service media during the briefing. She described it as “part of our critical democratic infrastructure” and warned that undermining it would leave the broader media landscape vulnerable to “influence and manipulation.”

“This is happening right now,” Culloty cautioned, pointing to geopolitical tensions, increasing centralization of media ownership in the United States, and what she characterized as moves by tech company owners aligned with “anti-democratic forces.” She criticized the lack of programming aimed at young people as “bonkers,” especially when this demographic is being targeted by media of “dubious quality.”

Several staff members also addressed the meeting. Stephen Kelly, a percussionist with the RTÉ orchestra and Musicians Union of Ireland representative, expressed concerns about the orchestra’s future given Bakhurst’s recent suggestions that RTÉ’s Radio Centre, where the orchestra is based, is likely to close in coming years.

Ruth Kennington, an RTÉ radio staff member and Siptu representative, identified funding as the central issue, noting a direct correlation between funding levels and how important populations in different countries consider their public-sector broadcasters to be.

The unfolding situation at RTÉ reflects broader challenges facing public service broadcasters globally, as they contend with digital disruption, changing audience habits, funding constraints, and increasing competition from streaming platforms and social media channels.