RTÉ warns of more job cuts at time of 'difficult choices'

RTÉ HAS warned of further job cuts after a voluntary redundancy scheme was hugely oversubscribed.

The broadcaster had looked for a minimum of 75 redundancies across the organisation, but instead received between two and three times that number by the close of deadlines for applications last week.

The uptake of voluntary redundancies could see approximately 200 jobs disappear in the coming years following a reorganisation.

In an address to staff yesterday, director general Noel Curran warned that RTÉ’s revenues had slipped further this year.

He said “difficult choices” would have to be made and that getting the organisation back into break-even by 2013 was RTÉ’s “first priority”.

RTÉ is projecting a loss of €17 million this year following changes in last December’s budget and a downturn in advertising revenues.

The redundancy package was originally due to cost €16 million upfront and would save RTÉ €5 million a year. Both of those figures look like being revised upwards given the interest in the packages.

Mr Curran said it was “clear, given the economic uncertainty and revenue challenges, that more positions will have to be suppressed beyond the original target figure”.

He further said that the “large response” to the voluntary scheme afforded RTÉ the opportunity to do exactly that.

The package was pitched particularly at those staff approaching retirement, with those over 55 receiving an ex-gratia lump sum of up to €60,000, depending on age.

Mr Curran also said that cutting the salaries of RTÉ’s top 10 presenters by 30 per cent or more had already begun.

Those who had already had their pay cut had shown an “acute awareness” of the current economic situation within RTÉ, he added.

The organisation is to undergo a substantial transformation in the coming years. RTÉ Publishing, which currently runs RTÉ digital services, will be replaced by a new digital division and each of the television, radio and news divisions will assume responsibility for their own online output.

All merchandising activity will be consolidated within RTÉ’s new digital division and it will lead a new strategy for merchandising and e-commerce on RTÉ.ie.