Annual Reports - RTÉ

ANNUAL REPORT & GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2007
Charter
The Public Service Broadcasting Charter, published by Government
in June 2004, identifies the guiding principles for RTÉ and
includes a number of specific reporting requirements. These
reporting requirements have been dealt with elsewhere in this
report, other than as set out below.
AUDIENCE COUNCIL
The Audience Council was established in November 2003 for a
four-year term and is an advisory group to the RTÉ Authority. The
Council comprises 22 members.
Structure and Composition
- The Council acts as an advisory group to the
RTÉ Authority
- The Chairman of the Authority’s Programme Committee is an
ex-officio ordinary member of the Council
- The Council consists of representative and individual
members who have a general interest in broadcasting and,
in the case of representatives, a specialist interest in one or
more of the key strands of programming
- Each Council has a life span of four years and elects a
Chairman annually from among its members. A designated
Secretary is provided by RTÉ.
The members of the Council participate on a voluntary basis, being
reimbursed vouched expenses only.
The Council held four meetings during 2007, the September
meeting having had to be cancelled due to lack of a quorum.
Uncertainty about a quorum has been an ongoing difficulty over
the lifetime of the Council and will be addressed for any future
Council.
Paul Kinsella was elected unopposed as Chairman at the January
meeting. During the year two members resigned from the Council:
Rev Alan McCormack (Irish Council of Churches) and Oliver
Donohue (ICTU). Due to a change in the composition of the RTÉ
Authority Programme Sub-Committee during 2007, Ian Malcolm
replaced Maria Killian as the ex-officio member on the Council.
A delegation from the Audience Council met with the Authority
Programme Sub-Committee in March.
The current term of office of the Council was due to end in
December 2007. Throughout 2007 the future of the Audience
Council was discussed in depth by the Council itself and with
the Director-General, including its role and the importance of
continuity to ensure the wealth of experience and knowledge
built up was not lost. In the absence of clarity re the status
of any future Council and pending the proposed broadcasting
legislation to be introduced by the Minister for Communications,
Energy and Natural Resources in early 2008, the RTÉ Authority
decided at its November meeting to recommend to the Minister
that the term of office of the current Council be extended for one
year, having earlier established that the Council members would
be willing to serve for this further year. The Council at its meeting
in November prepared a Final Report and Recommendations
for the Future which the Authority considered at its November
meeting and agreed to adopt insofar as is practicable (Its life
span was extended by one year by the Minister).
The Chairman of the Council, along with the RTÉ Group
Secretary and Secretary to the Audience Council, met with the
Regional Trustee/Chairman of the BBCNI Audience Council
and Head of Governance & Accountability BBCNI in October.
Under the BBC Charter, the BBC Trust had been established
in January 2007 and new Audience Councils for each region
appointed. Therefore, it had not been possible to hold a joint
meeting during 2007 but it was agreed that efforts should be
made to hold a joint meeting early in 2008 once the future of
the RTÉ Audience Council had been clarified.
The Council received comprehensive briefings on the procedures
in place to ensure balance coming up to and during the General
Election campaign, including the establishment of the Election
Steering Group. The Council conducted an in depth review at its
June meeting, which was attended by the Director-General, and
congratulated RTÉ on its superb coverage.
Topics discussed with RTÉ executives included Interculturalism;
Corporate Responsibility (including the Road Safety DVD which
the Council agreed was an excellent initiative); the activities
of the RTÉ Performing Groups; the role of the RTÉ Authority;
Arts Programming. There was continued concern about the
mispronunciation of place names; certain items discussed on
Liveline; some aspects of RTÉ’s coverage of crime and lack of
coverage of minority sports. Other topics discussed throughout
the year included RTÉ’s relationship with the AA; advertising (with
particular reference to publicity surrounding one from Trocaire);
the revised Radio schedules; St Patrick’s Day coverage; European
Parliament Report and the RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival.
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