AN attack on the the "strong political agenda" of RTE was made by Mr Shane Ross (FG). He also claimed the national station had a disproportionate "loading" of the same people on some of its current affairs programmes and that, before the divorce referendum, panelists in favour of divorce were always in the majority.
He was speaking in the course of Statements on Broadcasting which were opened by the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Mr Higgins.
The Minister said when he turned the sod at the site of the headquarters of Teilifis na Gaeilge recently, he referred to the debate about the Irish station as being about national self respect. He was interested to see this taken up by Professor Finbar Bradley in The Irish Times yesterday, when he wrote that there is more to a broadcasting service than making money. "He recognises the contribution a service can make in social, cultural and economic terms" through what it does for national self confidence and a spirit of self reliance.
The State is undoubtedly at a crossroads over the impact of technology on the lives of citizens particularly in relation to the media. "Broadcasting can have a fundamental impact on how we think, how we shape our views and how we evolve our system of values".
Mr Ross said it was time they talked openly and plainly about the fact that the RTE Authority is politically appointed.
"From this fact stems the whole ethos running through RTE. This is not the fault of the Minister but of all governments. It is a perk of the office of the Minister of the day to appoint those whom he considers to share his philosophy to the RTE Authority. There is no point in pretending otherwise."
Mr Ross said recently he wrote to a large number of semi state bodies for information on the attendance of members at board meetings because they are paid with public money.
"I was especially interested in RTE because it is the promoter and champion of openness and transparency. I understand the chairman of the Authority is remunerated to the amount of approximately £6,000 a year, while it is £4,000 in respect of other members.
"Most semi state bodies provided me with attendance records. RTE wrote back and told me to jump in a lake it was not my business or of anybody else to know if members are attending or not.
"These are the people who are promoting the interrogation of politicians, industrialists, trade unionists and everybody on the air every day of the week. They bare beating their breasts every day us we have to answer questions, left, right and centre to satisfy public curiosity. Will the Minister give a direction or ask RTE to reconsider this decision?
"Being a monopoly, RTE has, unfortunately, a strong political agenda. This would not be objectionable if it did not champion the idea of public service broadcasting.
"However, the evidence that RTE has a political agenda is so damning that I am surprised people do not notice it more often. In terms of politics and an exchange of ideas, Questions and Answers is possibly the most influential programme on RTE. Television is a powerful medium it is much more powerful than radio and newspapers.
"Questions and Answers" is a very entertaining programme and compulsive viewing for most people interested in politics. However it is a loaded programme. The same people with the same views appear on it time and again".
Mr Pat Magner (Lab) Like the Sunday Independent.
Mr Ross We are not subsidised by public money.
Mr Ross was rebuked by the acting Cathaoirleach, Mr John Dardis, for naming The Irish Times columnist, Mary Holland, who, Mr Ross said, was on the Questions and Answers panel "three times in less than four months" Mr Dardis said she was not in the Chamber to defend herself.
Mr Ross said he was not attacking her. She was an especially able journalist with especially articulate and strong views. "However, are there not 1.5 million other women in the country who could appear on the programme?
"Week after week before the divorce referendum, panellists in favour of divorce were always in the majority because somebody somewhere chose them. It could not be justified by saying it reflected the balance of opinion in the country because the only indication we had of public opinion on the issue before the last referendum was that a majority were against divorce, by two to one.
"Let nobody tell me this is not an agenda. It is. RTE did not show balance on the issue. In addition, I do not believe that many of the broadcasters themselves or those who chaired these programmes were against divorce. On these programmes probably four out of five participants were in favour of divorce. This is not fair or balanced broadcasting.
"On the issue of high profile cases involving the Roman Catholic Church, the treatment of the Bishop of Ferns by the media generally, including RTE, has been deplorable. Nobody deserves to be treated in the way that man has been treated by the media. That person is entitled to a presumption of innocence, and as far as I am concerned, he is still innocent. The allegations, which have been given prominent coverage, are unjustifiable", Mr Ross said.
Independent, who popped up each, week.
Mr Maitner said the Sunday Independent had written extensively about the peace process. Week after week it said it would never last. Is this what the newspaper wanted? he asked. He asked if Mr Ross was asking his questions its a business editor or as a politician.
However, Mr Magner said he had his own "crib" about RTE. He did not like the fact that friends and children of programme makers and presenters turned up on light entertainment programmes. "It looks like a private party".
When the ceasefire was announced last year, he saw it on the BBC. RTE continued with the cartoon it had been showing. There was no break. Mr Magner said he rang Mr Joe Mulholland, director of news, to complain. Shortly after, the news of the ceasefire was carried.