Sir, The present RTE Authority has been in office just one year and is therefore in a unique position to offer some insight into one of the perennial questions that has intrigued amateur and professional commentators how much how frequently and in what form does the Minister of the day who has responsibility for broadcasting interfere with the work of RTE? The question has particular relevance at the moment as an aggressive rhetorical campaign against Teilifis na Gaeilge cranks up to full steam in the lead in to the launch of the new channel in the autumn. It is not at all uncommon now to find the current Minister with responsibility for broadcasting described in various media as "interfering", "intrusive", "hands on", etc., where the implication is that he interferes in detailed programming arrangements. Nothing could be further from the truth and in the interest of healthy, innuendo free communication in Ireland, this needs to be said, just, in case silence on the part of RTE could be taken as compounding the charge.
When does the routine ministerial business of handling broadcasting policy become "interference"? Take three major events of the last year or so. The Minister published a Green Paper on Broadcasting and invited RTE (among many others) to respond. Is this interference in broadcasting? The Minister communicated various Government decisions regarding Teilifis na Gaeilge, directing the authority to construct the physical and technical infrastructure, to provide one hour of programming per day free of charge to the new channel, to recruit staff and commence commissioning. Is this interference? The Minister granted RTE's request to extend the service of Radio 1 to 24 hours, without additional commercials. Is this interference?
It is important for public confidence in public service broadcasting that unsubstantiated allegations, whether well intentioned or mischievous, about ministerial meddling should not he allowed to establish a taken for grantedness in public discourse but should instead be challenged when they occur and rebutted when they are groundless. Yours, etc., Chairperson, Radio Telefis Eireann, Dublin 4.