134-542: RTÉ News: Six One is RTÉ 's evening news programme broadcast on the Irish television channel RTÉ One and simulcast on the RTÉ News channel at 6:01pm. The bulletin airs until 7pm on Monday to Friday and until 6:30pm on Saturday and Sunday, when it is styled as RTÉ News and Sport . Six One airs after Nuacht RTÉ (news in Irish), which airs at 5:40pm, and The Angelus at 6pm. It
268-414: A Rainbow Coalition . Reynolds remained acting Taoiseach until John Bruton took office on 15 December and then returned to the opposition backbenches. On 4 February 1995, Reynolds was interviewed at length by Andrew Neil for his one-on-one interview show Is This Your Life? , made by Open Media for Channel 4. At the beginning of 1997, Bertie Ahern allegedly encouraged Reynolds to run for office in
402-567: A 20-seat parliamentary majority, resulting in Jack Lynch returning as Taoiseach . Reynolds remained a backbencher until 1979. Pressure mounted that year on Lynch, the incumbent Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader , to step down. Reynolds became a member of the so-called "gang of five" politicians of a strong rural background, with Jackie Fahey (Tipperary), Mark Killilea Jnr (Galway), Tom McEllistrim (Kerry) and Seán Doherty (Roscommon), which aligned itself to Charles Haughey and supported him in
536-598: A Corporate Headquarters. The Irish-language channel, TG4 , was operated as a subsidiary of RTÉ (Serbhisí Telefís na Gaeilge Teoranta) prior to its separation from RTÉ on 1 April 2007. The RTÉ Board appoints the Director-General of RTÉ who in effect fulfils the dual role of chief executive and of Editor in Chief. The Director-General heads the RTÉ Executive Board , which comprises the company's top management and includes
670-632: A Fianna Fáil– Progressive Democrats coalition. In his second term, he was head of a coalition between Fianna Fáil and the Labour Party . Albert Martin Reynolds was born in Kilglas, near Roosky , on the County Roscommon – Leitrim border on 3 November 1932. His father was a carpenter and coachbuilder . In reference to his background, Reynolds's political enemies would call him a " country bumpkin ". He
804-522: A TD; he was quoted in 2007 to state: "I don't bear any grudges over Ahern". Reynolds was involved in a long-running libel action against British newspaper The Sunday Times over an article published in 1994, which alleged that Reynolds had deliberately and dishonestly misled the Dáil regarding matters in connection with the Brendan Smyth affair that brought down the coalition government. The newspaper claimed
938-532: A cabinet meeting, the Taoiseach (Ahern) gave a typically ambiguous speech which seemed to encourage his cabinet to support McAleese. Reynolds won the first round of voting with a comfortable margin. Still, supporters of O'Kennedy backed McAleese, who was successful and became the Fianna Fáil nominee and the eighth president of Ireland. Reynolds retired from politics at the 2002 general election , after 25 years as
1072-617: A car allowance of €25,000 and pension contributions of €56,000, for a total package of €306,000, while the Chief Financial Officer earns around €200,000 plus car allowance of around €25,000 (any pension element not disclosed). The total staff of the broadcaster is around 1,800, plus contractors. In 2022, 119 employees had basic pay of over 100,000, 22 of those having salaries of €150,000 – €250,000. 179 staff had salaries of €80,000 – €100,000, 550 between €60,000 and €80,000, and 740 €40,000 – €60,000. It further emerged that aside from
1206-497: A coalition with the four-year-old free-market-centric Progressive Democrats (PD). Reynolds headed the Fianna Fáil negotiation team with another minister, Bertie Ahern . A programme for government was finally agreed upon almost a month after the general election, and Reynolds returned as Minister for Finance in a coalition government that he described as a "temporary little arrangement". The failure of Fianna Fáil candidate Brian Lenihan to be elected as President of Ireland added to
1340-890: A consequence made an important contribution to the development of the peace process which eventually lead to the Good Friday Agreement . The funeral was held at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Donnybrook , on 25 August 2014. It was attended by President Michael D. Higgins , Taoiseach Enda Kenny, former British prime minister John Major, former SDLP leader John Hume, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams , Northern Ireland secretary Theresa Villiers , former president Mary McAleese, former Taoisigh Liam Cosgrave , John Bruton, Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin and
1474-492: A defence of qualified privilege concerning these assertions based on their supposed benefit to the public, but a High Court jury found in favour of Reynolds in 1996. The jury recommended that no compensation be paid to the former Taoiseach. The judge subsequently awarded contemptuous damages of one penny in this action, leaving Reynolds with massive legal costs, estimated at £1 million. A subsequent court of appeal decision in 1998 declared that Reynolds had not received
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#17330942006491608-544: A fair hearing in his High Court action. The case continued to be heard in the House of Lords . This case led to the recognition under British law (and later introduction into Irish law as the "defence of fair and reasonable publication" ) of the so-called Reynolds defence of qualified privilege for publishers against whom libel actions regarding defamatory comments made in media publications are being taken. In 1999, General Pervez Musharraf became President of Pakistan following
1742-555: A fresh resignation tendered on 26 June was accepted, obstructing its work, and while the question was not fully answered, the chair did accept that the potential impact on investigation of the controversy was not noticed by the board prior to their acceptance of Forbes's resignation. Senior executives attended a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee the next day, which heard that RTÉ used its controversial barter account to pay €275,000 for tickets and travel for clients for
1876-623: A greater emphasis on off-beat regional stories and satire. Newsbeat was quickly reduced to 30 minutes but remained in an early evening slot shortly after 6 pm. By 1967, the early evening bulletin reverted to a separate programme. Newsbeat was broadcast for the final time on 11 June 1971 with News returned to its original 6 pm slot but reduced to a short five-minute bulletin. The early evening bulletin expanded to 15 minutes in October 1972 and change timeslots on several occasions to suit various programming. In January 1975, RTÉ introduced
2010-456: A leadership struggle in his party, an overly-emotional, tearful Collins pleaded with the man challenging for the leadership, Albert Reynolds , not to "wreck our party right down the centre" and "burst up government". Collins's own chances of leadership were perceived to have been destroyed by his overly-emotional performance. In 1992, Duignan left his position as presenter to become government press secretary under Albert Reynolds . Éamonn Lawlor
2144-542: A meeting of the Oireachtas Media Committee on 28 June, which heard that RTÉ Board chair Siún Ní Raghallaigh, after a recommendation from a board committee, but without consulting the relevant minister, asked Forbes to resign on 16 June, and Forbes refused, after which a disciplinary process was begun, and that Tubridy was due a €120,000 "loyalty bonus" which for some "unexplained reason" was credited against his earnings between 2017 and 2019. The committee asked why
2278-539: A military coup . At the time, the White House did not recognise governments that came to power through a coup d'état. Business associates asked Reynolds to travel to Pakistan and meet Musharraf. Musharraf asked Reynolds to act as an advisor to him and to contact US president Bill Clinton to reassure the White House as to the intentions of the new government of Pakistan. Reynolds claimed in later interviews that because of
2412-469: A new format incorporating national, international and regional news as well as live interviews and sports coverage. The programme's first anchors were former political correspondent Seán Duignan and long-standing newsreader Eileen Dunne (replaced two years later by Anne Doyle ). Six One established its own place in Irish television and politics when the expected winner of the 1990 presidential election campaign, Tánaiste Brian Lenihan delivered what
2546-543: A news summary for the deaf and hard of hearing to the early evening bulletin. January 1980 saw the early evening news extended to a 25–40 minute slot, returned to 6 pm and relaunched as Newstime , incorporating more regional news coverage, alongside a regular Countryside feature and the deaf news summary. A separate early evening news at 5.45 pm was reintroduced in January 1987. On Monday 3 October 1988, RTÉ launched its first hour-long news programme Six One News ,
2680-493: A nightmare" after the broadcaster made the allegations. The issue was serious enough to be discussed in both houses of the Oireachtas . In November 2011, the priest concerned reached an out-of-court settlement with RTÉ, in which RTÉ agreed that it had seriously libelled him, and paid the priest a significant amount of money in damages. As a consequence, managing director of news Ed Mulhall retired, current affairs editor Ken O'Shea
2814-484: A number of non-Catholic faiths, notably the Church of Ireland , have called for its continuation, regarding the minute as offering a chance for reflection amid a busy television schedule. (The broadcast no longer carries Catholic imagery, and instead focuses on images of people contemplating.) Because of this, the radio and television news bulletins start at 6.01 pm, hence the name. Some critics have campaigned to abolish
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#17330942006492948-483: A pet food company, a bacon factory, a fish exporting operation and a hire purchase company. Reynolds also had business interests in local newspapers and a cinema. He developed a network of business contacts both nationally and internationally. Although his dance hall empire required late-night work, Reynolds abstained from alcohol . Reynolds married Kathleen ( née Coen , 1932–2021) in 1962 and they had seven children. Reynolds became interested in politics during
3082-630: A policy statement. On 9 June 1994, Fianna Fáil lost two seats in the Mayo West by-election and the Dublin South-Central by-election to the opposition Fine Gael and Democratic Left , placing Reynolds under pressure, as he could no longer depend on Spring to remain in government. The report on the Beef Tribunal was published in July 1994. The Labour Party had threatened to leave the government if Reynolds
3216-531: A serial child abuser priest, Brendan Smyth , due to the implications that such an action concerned the accountability of certain prominent members of the Catholic hierarchy . It was later revealed that Whelehan, in his capacity as Attorney General (AG), had mishandled an attempt to extradite Smyth to Northern Ireland, where he was facing criminal charges. This was covered on the British television station Channel 4 , which
3350-578: A statement defending her record. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar described the failure as a breach of trust and truth between RTÉ and the Government, the Oireachtas and the people. On 26 June 2023, Forbes tendered her resignation with immediate effect. Adrian Lynch, Director of Channels and Marketing, was appointed to the position of Deputy Director General and also assumed the role of interim Director-General following Forbes' suspension and resignation, and prior to
3484-682: A statutory corporation, but renamed the RTÉ Authority as the RTÉ Board and made changes to the way it is appointed. It also renamed the corporation Raidió Teilifís Éireann. with the Irish Times noting that this thereby fixed a "spelling error that lasted 40 years". In the meantime, the Broadcasting (Amendment) Act 2007 awarded RTÉ control of one multiplex for digital terrestrial television and gave it responsibilities in relation to broadcasting outside
3618-402: A substantial donation. O'Callaghan was then heavily lobbying for state support for a stadium project at Neilstown , County Dublin. According to the report, O'Callaghan felt compelled to donate a sum of IR£ 80,000 to Fianna Fáil to get funding for the stadium. The Mahon Tribunal did not find the payment corrupt. However, the report noted that pressing a businessman to donate money when he
3752-523: A system of self-censorship. A small minority of programme-makers also emerged who approved of Section 31, particularly supporters of the Workers' Party (formerly Sinn Féin the Workers' Party), including Eoghan Harris , and Gerry Gregg who opposed that party's official policy. Opponents of censorship were portrayed as secret IRA sympathizers, including then reporter, later Irish President, Mary McAleese. She described
3886-474: Is Radio 2RN, Dublin calling'. Regular Irish radio-broadcasting began on 1 January 1926. Unfortunately, most Irish people could not receive 2RN's (1.5 kilowatt) signal. When faced with numerous complaints from Cork regarding the writers' inability to tune to the signal, Clandillon remarked in The Irish Radio Review , a magazine dedicated to the service, that they did not know how to operate their sets. 6CK
4020-551: Is a statutory body, overseen by a board appointed by the Government of Ireland , with general management in the hands of a committee of senior managers, currently a Temporary Interim Leadership Team , headed by the Director General. RTÉ is regulated by Coimisiún na Meán . It is financed by the television licence fee and through advertising , with some of its services funded solely by advertising, while others are funded solely by
4154-569: Is a statutory corporation. Under its original governance arrangements (under the Broadcasting Authority Act 1960) its board was known as the RTÉ Authority. The members of the RTÉ Authority were appointed by the Cabinet upon the recommendation of the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources . The RTÉ Authority was both the legal owner of RTÉ (under the 1960 Act, it was RTÉ) and
RTÉ News: Six One - Misplaced Pages Continue
4288-477: Is an Irish public service broadcaster . It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television , radio and online . The radio service began on 1 January 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on 31 December 1961, making it one of the oldest continuously operating public service broadcasters in the world. It is headquartered in Donnybrook in Dublin , with offices across different parts of Ireland. RTÉ
4422-511: Is co-presented by Sharon Tobin and David McCullagh , the former co-presenter of current affairs programme Prime Time . The programme is produced by RTÉ News and Current Affairs , a division of Raidio Teilifis Éireann . Teilifís Éireann made its first news broadcast at 6:00pm on 1 January 1962, the first day of full programming for the new television station. The ten-minute bulletin was read by Charles Mitchel , who remained as RTÉ's chief television newsreader until his retirement in 1984. He
4556-570: The Arms Crisis in 1970, a controversial episode in which two government ministers, Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Neil Blaney and Minister for Finance Charles Haughey , were removed from the government over an attempt to send arms to Northern Ireland , where thousands of Catholic families had been driven out of their homes, of whom 1,000 had fled across the border to the Republic of Ireland . Blaney and Haughey were later acquitted in court. In
4690-528: The BBC based in Washington. Sharon Tobin took on Perry's role on Monday 4 September 2023, with McCullagh continuing to be co-anchor. The programme usually begins with the two presenters in the middle of the studio welcoming the viewer to the programme and introducing the main headlines. The opening theme then plays and the programme is begun by one of the presenters. Either one of the co-presenters normally sits down at
4824-771: The Broadcasting Act 2009 ), RTÉ is externally regulated by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland . The RTÉ organisation is divided into six integrated business divisions (termed "IBDs" within RTÉ): RTÉ Television , RTÉ Radio , RTÉ News and Current Affairs , RTÉ Network , RTÉ Digital and RTÉ Orchestras Quartet & Choirs , together with Centrally Incurred Shared Services (Group Communications, Legal & Treasury, Central HR & IT Support, Group Insurance & Pension, Property and Site Facilities, RTÉ Guide Production, Publication & Advertising Sales) and
4958-586: The European Union regional aid budget in the aftermath of the Danish rejection of the Maastricht Treaty . A tribunal of enquiry into irregularities in the beef industry referred to as the " Beef Tribunal ", was established to examine the "unhealthy" relationship between Charles Haughey and beef baron Larry Goodman . This revealed to the public a substantial conflict of opinion between the two party leaders. At
5092-550: The February 1982 general election . Reynolds returned to government as Minister for Industry and Energy . He was responsible for developing the Dublin to Cork gas pipeline. That government fell in late 1982, and Reynolds was back on the opposition benches. During the 1982–83 period, the Fianna Fáil leader, Charles Haughey, faced three no-confidence motions. Reynolds gave him his support at all times, and Haughey stayed in power. In 1987, Fianna Fáil returned to government, and Reynolds
5226-550: The IRA and other named organisations. RTÉ was also banned from broadcasting interviews or reports of interviews with spokespersons for any organisation banned in Northern Ireland under the UK 's Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1973 . The directives were reissued on an annual basis, up to January 1993. During the late 1970s, RTÉ was accused of extending the censorship rules into
5360-521: The Iraqi regime . The fact that Reynolds seemed prepared to issue risky state-funded export insurance, effectively subsidising the Goodman business empire which now accounted for 12% of national GDP, when the country was in deep recession, shocked the electorate. Support for the party fell by 5%. The Labour Party under Dick Spring ran a campaign independent of its traditional coalition partner Fine Gael . It
5494-516: The Kippure transmitter site near Dublin . Eamonn Andrews was the first Chairman of Radio Éireann, the first director-general was Edward Roth. The name of the authority was changed, at the suggestion of Áine Ní Cheanainn , to Radio Telefís Éireann by the Broadcasting Authority (Amendment) Act 1966, and both the radio and television services became known as RTÉ in that year. Section 113 of
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5628-460: The Lord Mayor of Dublin , Christy Burke . Other guests included former ministers Charlie McCreevy, Padraig Flynn, Dermot Ahern and Noel Dempsey, fashion designer Louise Kennedy and racehorse owner J. P. McManus . An unexpected visitor from overseas was the frail but vigorous Jean Kennedy Smith , former US ambassador to Ireland , who was the last surviving sibling of John F. Kennedy . Reynolds
5762-679: The National Concert Hall took control of National Symphony Orchestra (Ireland) , along with cor na og, the Philharmonic Choir and RTÉ Quartet. RTÉ's Director General, Cathal Goan , in October 2009 said there was "no question that by today's standards" the salaries paid to its top presenters in 2008 "were excessive. I have to repeat that they were set at a different time in a different competitive reality where some of this talent might be up for poaching by other organisations and in RTÉ's view at
5896-456: The Ryder Cup golf tournament and as chairman of a broadcaster involved in a row over broadcasting rights. This occurred after Irish government proposals to add the tournament to the list of sports events that must be broadcast on free-to-air terrestrial television, to which British Sky Broadcasting , the rights holders, were objecting. On 22 February 2006, Mary Finan was appointed Chairperson of
6030-542: The Supreme Court found that abortion was permissible where there was a threat to a woman's life from suicide. The case strained relations between the coalition parties. Reynolds tried to find a middle ground but alienated both the Catholic Church and those who sought abortion rights . Three amendments to the constitution on abortion were put to referendum. The wording of the constitutional change caused tensions between
6164-638: The Angelus on RTÉ, sometimes in newspaper letters pages, despite the Angelus at 6 pm being one of RTÉ's most popular television programmes and is Ireland's most-watched religious programme with an average of 433,000 viewers per day. It is unknown if RTÉ would move its bulletin back one minute to 6 pm when the programme would compete for viewers at the same time as other stations. RT%C3%89 Raidió Teilifís Éireann ( pronounced [ˈɾˠadʲiːoː ˈtʲɛlʲəfʲiːʃ ˈeːɾʲən̪ˠ] ; Irish for 'Radio [and] Television of Ireland'; RTÉ )
6298-674: The Anglo-Irish agreement of 1993; on 15 December, the Downing Street Declaration was signed in London. Reynolds remained involved in discussions with Northern Ireland's nationalist parties and, along with John Hume , persuaded the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) to call a complete ceasefire on 31 August 1994. Major was quoted at the time as saying: Let me now say something that may surprise you. Throughout
6432-584: The Authority. The new Authority held office for not more than six months, due to changes planned under the Broadcasting Act 2009 which became law on 12 July 2009, dissolving the authority, and replacing it with an RTÉ Board. Under Section 179 (3) of the Act, any person who was a member of the Authority when the Act was signed into law continues as a member of the Board until the end of their term of office on 24 August 2009. Unlike
6566-580: The Broadcasting Act 2009 changed the name of the organisation from "Radio Telefís Éireann" to " Raidió Teilifís Éireann", to reflect the current standard spelling of the name in Irish. The "É" in RTÉ is often pronounced as the English letter "E". However, in the Irish language "É" is pronounced [eː] . Under Section 31 of the Broadcasting Authority Act 1960, the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs of
6700-406: The Minister as the sole member of both companies (CLGs do not have shareholders). RTÉ would be legally obliged to agree on a charter every five years publish a statement of commitments every year, and be under the jurisdiction of the proposed Broadcasting Authority of Ireland . The bill was delayed but was finally introduced into Dáil Éireann on 14 April 2008. The Broadcasting Act 2009 retains RTÉ as
6834-605: The Minister for Communications, Energy, and Natural Resources, appointed the members of a new RTÉ Authority, replacing the previous one appointed in June 2006. Tom Savage of the Communications Clinic was appointed chairman of RTÉ. The other members of the Authority were Patricia Quinn, Karlin Lillington , Fergus Armstrong, Alan Gilsenan , Seán O'Sullivan, Emer Finnan. Cathal Goan then Director General, RTÉ as an ex-officio member of
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#17330942006496968-622: The Minister for Finance Bertie Ahern was unanimously elected the sixth leader of Fianna Fáil. Reynolds's favoured successor, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn , withdrew from the leadership contest on the morning of the vote. It initially appeared that Labour would rejoin the coalition with Fianna Fáil under Ahern, allowing Ahern to ascend to the position of Taoiseach. Instead, when it emerged that Ahern knew more about another case mishandled by Whelehan than previously known, Spring led Labour into successful coalition negotiations with Fine Gael and Democratic Left, and Fianna Fáil found themselves in opposition against
7102-598: The Oireachtas Committee on the Environment, Climate and Communications decides on four names to present to the Minister for appointment, one member is elected by the staff of RTÉ, and the Director General sits on the Board ex officio . The final members of the RTÉ Authority were reappointed to the new Board in the interim. The provisions of the Act relating to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland were commenced on 1 October 2009 (under Statutory Instrument 389 of 2009 of
7236-518: The PD leader, that he intended to resign shortly but wanted to choose his own time of departure. O'Malley agreed to this, and the government continued. On 30 January 1992, Haughey retired as leader of Fianna Fáil at a parliamentary party meeting. Reynolds easily defeated his rivals Mary O'Rourke and Michael Woods in the party leadership election and succeeded Haughey as Taoiseach on 11 February 1992. The ministers who had been sacked along with Reynolds at
7370-459: The RTÉ 2008 Annual Report was published. The organisation broke even in 2008. On 29 September 2009, RTÉ revealed a proposal for the regeneration of its existing building estimated to cost €350 million. If approved, the project would see the gradual replacement over a 10- to 15-year period of most of the current 1960s and 1970s buildings on the Donnybrook site. The new building would accommodate
7504-511: The RTÉ Authority, the RTÉ Board has not a self-regulatory function over RTÉ, as this was transferred to a newly appointed Broadcasting Authority of Ireland that replaces the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland regulating commercial TV and radio. This helps assuage any concerns of the potential for bias that could be perceived under previous self-regulation by having a single regulator of public service and commercial Irish broadcasters into
7638-499: The RTÉ Authority. In 2006, RTÉ was involved in a High Court case relating to referential bidding in relation to sponsoring weather forecasts: Smart Telecom PLC trading as Smart Telecom v Raidió Teilifís Éireann and by order Glanbia PLC . In September 2006, the Government published the proposed text of the Broadcasting Bill 2006 . It proposed that RTÉ and TG4 would become separate companies limited by guarantee , with
7772-524: The Republic were still able to hear the voices of Sinn Féin representatives. In 2004, RTÉ and the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources agreed that in the future, RTÉ would operate under a Public Service Broadcasting Charter. On 29 June 2005, the Minister appointed the members of a new RTÉ Authority, replacing the previous one appointed in June 2000. Fintan Drury, chairman of Platinum Sports Management, and also chairman of Paddy Power plc,
7906-595: The Rugby World Cup, 10-year IRFU tickets and the Champions League Final in 2019, which was described by the chair as "outrageous". In the wake of the scandal, it was reported that income from the TV licence had fallen by over €14 million compared to 2022, a 31% drop, as people refused to renew their licences. Much controversy arose around the use of barter accounts to pay Tubridy's add-on monies, but they then became
8040-422: The camera and told viewers that "on mature recollection" his earlier version was wrong and that he had made no phone calls to the presidential residence to put pressure on the President. The appearance on Six One effectively ended Lenihan's presidential campaign. The programme is also considered to have ended the domestic political career of then Foreign Minister Gerry Collins . On 7 November 1991, in response to
8174-412: The channel, including Nuacht TG4 . In July 2007, RTÉ began participating in an HD trial in Dublin, showing programmes such as Planet Earth and Gaelic Athletic Association matches. RTÉ announced its plan to launch two further television channels; one general entertainment channel – RTÉ Three (working name) – and a timeshift service for RTÉ One – RTÉ One +1 (working name). On 24 February 2009
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#17330942006498308-503: The coming election and offered him the position of "peace envoy" to Northern Ireland and his support as a candidate for the presidency. Fianna Fáil won the election ; however, Ahern allegedly reneged on this promise to Reynolds due to poor election results in his constituency and the change in the political situation in Northern Ireland. Reynolds was still interested in being a candidate for the presidency, along with two other Fianna Fáil candidates, Michael O'Kennedy and Mary McAleese . In
8442-427: The coming four weeks (by May 2010). The proposal would also involve building a new entrance onto the N11 Stillorgan dual carriageway. The death of RTÉ broadcaster Gerry Ryan led to controversy for RTÉ when it emerged that traces of cocaine were the "likely trigger" of the star's sudden death on 30 April 2010. Drugs Minister Pat Carey said he was "a bit taken aback, first of all, by the whole attitude of RTÉ over
8576-426: The day could direct RTÉ "not to broadcast any matter, or any matter of any particular class". In 1971 the first such directive was issued by Gerry Collins , directing RTÉ not to broadcast "any matter that could be calculated to promote the aims or activities of any organisation which engages in, promotes, encourages or advocates the attaining of any particular objective by violent means". A year later Collins dismissed
8710-415: The days that followed after it was thought he had been drunk on the radio. Noel Curran was appointed Director-General of RTÉ from 1 February 2011 on 9 November 2010 for five years, replacing Cathal Goan who had decided not to seek an extension to the seven-year term which ended at end of January 2011. It was announced on 1 April 2016 that Dee Forbes would be the new Director General. In 2011, RTÉ
8844-422: The desk, while the other stands over at a large screen and presents the main story from there. After the first commercial break there is typically an interview with a person connected with the main news story. This interview often takes place in studio. This is followed by shorter, more off-beat, or regional reports. The final part of the programme includes a sports summary (with a separate presenter). At weekends
8978-412: The directors of channels, content, news and current affairs, and commercial, the chief financial officer, and the heads of technology and operations, human resources and strategy. The first voice broadcast of 2RN , the original radio callsign for Radio 1, took place on 14 November 1925 when Seamus Clandillon, the 2RN station director said, 'Seo Raidió 2RN, Baile Átha Cliath ag tástáil', Irish for 'This
9112-716: The end of 1991 were all appointed to cabinet, while eight members of Haughey's cabinet, including such long-serving Haughey loyalists as Ray Burke , Mary O'Rourke and Gerry Collins , were left out. Nine of the twelve junior ministers , many of whom were also Haughey supporters, were also dismissed. Reynolds promoted several long-time critics of Haughey, like David Andrews , Séamus Brennan and Charlie McCreevy , to senior ministerial positions. Reynolds also promoted younger TDs from rural constituencies, such as Noel Dempsey and Brian Cowen , to cabinet positions. One of Haughey's oldest political allies, Bertie Ahern, remained Minister for Finance, agreeing with Reynolds not to challenge him for
9246-399: The entire RTÉ Authority over a report of an interview with Seán Mac Stíofáin , the chief of staff of the Provisional IRA . RTÉ reporter Kevin O'Kelly had reported, not broadcast, his taped interview with Mac Stiofáin. He was jailed briefly for contempt in a court case arising out of the interview when Mac Stiofáin was charged with IRA membership. O'Kelly refused to identify Mac Stiofáin's as
9380-549: The entire country. Radio Athlone became known as "Radio Éireann" in 1938. Albert Reynolds Albert Martin Reynolds (3 November 1932 – 21 August 2014) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach and Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1992 to 1994. He held cabinet positions between 1979 and 1991, including as minister for finance from 1988 to 1991. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Longford–Roscommon from 1977 to 1992 and for Longford–Westmeath from 1992 to 2002. During his first term as Taoiseach, he led
9514-485: The experience as, "the most difficult, the darkest, the worst time of my life". The effect of the Section 31 ban was more severe than the censorship provision introduced in 1988 in the United Kingdom. The UK ban prevented the direct speech of censored individuals. Broadcasters then used actors' voices to dub the recorded speech of censored persons. This was not permissible on RTÉ, which was prevented from broadcasting 'reports' of interviews. British broadcasters interpreted
9648-403: The figures previously published relating to Ryan Tubridy 's earnings were inaccurate; this had been supplied, at least in part, through a barter account , attracting substantial additional costs. In addition, costs of Tubridy hosting commercial events for advertising partner Renault were paid by RTÉ. The scandal caused by this was associated with massive public disquiet, political comment and
9782-460: The final presidential debate on Pat Kenny 's The Frontline , in which it controversially broadcast an unverified tweet mid-debate which was widely seen as damaging to the frontrunner candidate Seán Gallagher . Gallagher had been the frontrunner in an opinion poll at this point. On election day, Gallagher received 28.5% of first preference votes in the election, leaving him in second place behind Michael D. Higgins . The Guardian , chronicling
9916-531: The future. In 2009, RTÉ apologised to the then Taoiseach Brian Cowen for its role in the Brian Cowen nude portraits controversy . Future Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Charles Flanagan called RTÉ's backtracking a restriction on freedom of expression , and Liz McManus of the Labour Party criticised RTÉ for "bow[ing] to political pressure". On 1 June 2009, the Sunday Independent reported that RTÉ
10050-526: The government jet make an additional and unscheduled five-hour stopover in the Bahamas . Reynolds received annual pension payments of €149,740. In July 2008, it was reported that Reynolds was medically unfit to give evidence at the Mahon Tribunal because of "significant cognitive impairment". Reynolds had on several previous occasions been due to give evidence concerning payments he allegedly received when he
10184-547: The government. Reynolds then sought a dissolution of the Dáil from the president, Mary Robinson . A general election was then called. The 1992 general election campaign was a disaster for Fianna Fáil. The world was in recession , the Haughey era was a recent memory, and the Gulf War dominated international news, with Saddam Hussein in the news at the same time as the Beef Tribunal was discussing Reynolds's attempts to sell beef to
10318-492: The high level of management posts, and their salary levels, there were exit schemes offered by RTE's Human Resources function, under which over 2.3 million euro was paid out to a number of departing managers and executives, with at least one payment rumoured to be on the order of 400,000 euro. There were also schemes for ordinary staff. At least one executive package was not approved by or known to most executive board members, although it should have been approved by that panel. RTÉ
10452-486: The idea that only Forbes had this knowledge as "not credible". Meanwhile, at lunchtime, around 200 journalists, reporters and correspondents working for RTÉ joined a protest organised by the National Union of Journalists to speak of their hurt, disappointment and anger at the way a small number of managers had betrayed and badly damaged the organisation and those who worked for it. Seven representatives from RTÉ attended
10586-672: The incompetent handling of the case by the AG's office, he would not have appointed Whelehan to the judicial post. However, Reynolds was damaged politically, appearing more interested in holding on to power than in the integrity of government actions. Spring decided he could not go back into government with Reynolds, and led the Labour Party out of the coalition on 16 November 1994. It was apparent that Reynolds no longer had enough support to govern, so he resigned as Taoiseach on 17 November 1994. On 19 November 1994, Reynolds resigned as party leader, and
10720-460: The last 10 years, on such entertainment as a trip to the Rugby World Cup in 2019, Champions League final tickets, and 10-year tickets from the IRFU. It further gave an example of a sporting trip costing €111,000 which was for customers who had spent €38 million with the station in the previous year. RTÉ feared that without such "gifts", they might not have been able to secure the advertising spend. No mention
10854-516: The last while" concerning the circumstances of Ryan's death. Comparing Ryan's cocaine use to the 2007 death of model Katy French , Carey said that the media were "very judgmental" when French died but it had now "come home to roost in their own case". In September 2010, RTÉ broadcast a controversial nine-minute radio interview with Taoiseach Brian Cowen from a Fianna Fáil think-in in Galway . The interview led to increased pressure for Cowen to resign in
10988-515: The leadership. On Reynolds's first day as Taoiseach, he had to deal with the "X Case", a constitutional case on whether a 14-year-old who had become pregnant as a result of rape could access abortion . The Attorney General , Harry Whelehan , refused to allow the pregnant girl to travel to the United Kingdom for an abortion. The High Court granted the Attorney General's injunction, while
11122-636: The licence fee through the use of content that is funded by the licence fee, such as News and Current Affairs. RTÉ 2fm was set up as a self-sufficient radio station in 1978, up until 2011 this was the case, since 2011 2FM has received a portion of the license fee. In 2011 TG4 direct exchequer funding was cut, this resulted in a portion of the fee going directly to TG4, however this was reversed in 2018, TG4 now gets indirect funding from RTÉ via "RTÉ support to TG4" which results in News content, some Irish Language repeats and also some children's programming. *In 2022
11256-533: The licence fee. The current network consists of 4 main TV channels (RTÉ One, RTÉ2, RTÉjr, and RTÉ News), FM radio stations RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2FM, RTÉ Lyric FM, and RTÉ RnaG. RTÉ also has a number of digital radio services, with RTÉ Gold being its only online station with a full schedule. The broadcaster operates a number of online services including a news website and app, as well as streaming service RTE Player. RTÉ owns 50% of sports broadcaster GAAGO, which in turn operates LOI TV. Radio Éireann, RTÉ's predecessor and at
11390-444: The motion, and Haughey promptly had them sacked from the cabinet. When the vote was taken, the party reaffirmed its support for Haughey by 55 votes to 22. It looked as though Reynolds's political career was finished. Haughey's victory was short-lived, as a series of political errors would lead to his demise as Taoiseach. Controversy erupted over the attempted appointment of Jim McDaid as Minister for Defence , and McDaid resigned from
11524-515: The planned arrival of Kevin Bakhurst into that role on 11 July. On 27 June, Acting RTÉ Director General Adrian Lynch issued a nine-page statement addressing the circumstances around the revelations, stating that no member of the Executive Board other than director general Forbes could have known figures publicly declared for Tubridy could have been wrong and that external legal advice found there
11658-451: The post before he was appointed. Worse was to follow when Seán Doherty, the man who as Minister for Justice had taken the blame for the phone-tapping scandal of the early 1980s, went on television on RTÉ to reveal that Haughey had known about and authorised the phone-tapping. Haughey denied all charges, but the PD government members stated that they could no longer continue in government with him as Taoiseach. Haughey told Desmond O'Malley ,
11792-460: The pressure on Haughey's leadership. In a speech in County Cork , Reynolds announced that if a vacancy arose in the leadership, he would contest it—a clear and open revolt against Haughey's leadership. Several TDs and senators, including some cabinet members, also began to grow disillusioned with Haughey, and they began to look for a successor. Reynolds was the most popular: his profile was enhanced by
11926-579: The process, I was acutely conscious that IRA leaders were taking a risk, too: if Albert and I upset our supporters we might – as Albert put it, be 'kicked out'. That was true, but the IRA's supporters were more deadly than our backbench colleagues. And their leaders were taking a risk too, possibly with their own lives. In September 1994, Reynolds was left standing on the tarmac at Shannon Airport by Russian president Boris Yeltsin , who failed to emerge from his plane to meet awaiting Irish dignitaries. Headlines around
12060-471: The programme for the first time, with minor formatting changes. This continued until Shanley took leave in mid-2019. Ray Kennedy frequently took her place and continued her job after she died in February 2020. David McCullagh took on Kennedy's role on Monday 31 August 2020, with Perry continuing to be co-anchor. In May 2023, Perry announced that she would be leaving RTÉ to take up a new international role with
12194-488: The programme is styled as RTÉ News and Sport and lasts for half an hour. The programme features a single presenter and greater emphasis is given to sports news. The programme is usually reduced to a half hour news bulletin for the month of August. Since 1950, RTÉ has broadcast a one-minute period of silence except for the ringing of a church bell linked to The Angelus , a Catholic prayer, at 12 pm and 6 pm. Though periodic calls have been made for its removal,
12328-421: The reasons for Gallagher's fall in support, reported that a final RTÉ poll showed that 28% of Irish voters had changed their mind in the last week of the campaign, with 58% of those switching from Gallagher. On 7 March 2012, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland upheld Gallagher's complaint about unfair treatment regarding how RTÉ handled the unverified tweet on the final Pat Kenny debate. On 19 December 2017, it
12462-472: The resignation of the Director General of RTÉ. The chair of the RTÉ Board said that the scandal was a "serious breach of trust with the public", with more than €80,000 more spent on fees associated with the transfer of €150,000 of that extra money. It was revealed the next day that the outgoing Director General of RTÉ Dee Forbes had been suspended from her employment a day prior to the controversy and issued
12596-598: The service were directly employed by the Irish Government and regarded as civil servants . RTÉ was established on 1 June 1960 (as the Radio Éireann Authority ) under the Broadcasting Authority Act 1960, the principal legislation under which it still operates. The existing Radio Éireann service was transferred to the new authority, which was also made responsible for the new television service ( Telefís Éireann ). The television service started broadcasting on 31 December 1961, from
12730-416: The so-called "Country & Western" group of TDs (so named because they came from mostly rural counties, as well as Reynolds's earlier fortune in the dance hall business) who began to agitate within the party on his behalf. In November 1991, a relatively unknown rural TD, Seán Power , put down a motion of no confidence in Haughey. Reynolds and a staunch supporter, Pádraig Flynn , announced their support for
12864-426: The state. In line with this, RTÉ and the government were currently in discussions with regard to a new channel proposed to launch outside the Republic, which initially had the working titles of Diaspora TV, and later RTÉ International . In April 2007, TG4 became an independent statutory corporation, having previously been a wholly owned subsidiary of RTÉ since its inception. RTÉ continues to contribute programmes to
12998-444: The station to avoid paying tax on their salaries. In February 2023, RTÉ published the list of salaries paid to its top 10 personalities in 2021: The above presenters are treated by RTÉ as independent contractors, rather than as employees, meaning RTÉ does not have to pay the employer's Pay Related Social Insurance contribution. It emerged publicly in June 2023, having been known to executive management since early March 2023, that
13132-610: The subject of wider interest. However, in clarifying that substantial sums had been handled through multiple such "barter accounts", RTÉ defended their use, claiming that they are a normal feature of the media market and that while it spent around €150,000 per annum on entertainment of advertising clients from barter accounts, it took in around €150 million in advertising revenue annually. At the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee, RTÉ stated that such accounts had been used to spend between €1 million and €1.25 million in
13266-403: The subsequent leadership contest . Reynolds was rewarded for his staunch loyalty by joining the newly elected Taoiseach Charles Haughey's cabinet as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs . He was appointed Minister for Transport , making his brief one of the largest and most wide-ranging in the government. As Minister for Transport, Reynolds was involved in an incident in which an Aer Lingus plane
13400-489: The switch over to high-definition, additional channels and new studios. RTÉ has since received planning consent from Dublin City Council for an application for the redevelopment of the station's Donnybrook site.The proposal for redevelopment of the site was accepted by local councillors last November 2009.The next stage of the planning process involves all parties having an opportunity to lodge appeals with An Bord Pleanála over
13534-495: The term 'spokesperson' more loosely than RTÉ, which banned all Sinn Féin members whether or not they were speaking on behalf of the party. The BBC interviewed Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams as MP for West Belfast on 1 October 1990, speaking on unemployment in his constituency. Larry O'Toole, then an ordinary Sinn Féin member, mentioned this in a letter to RTÉ Director of News Joe Mulhollend on 30 October 1990, after O'Toole
13668-775: The time a section of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs , was one of 23 founding organisations of the European Broadcasting Union in 1950. RTÉ also publishes weekly listings and lifestyle magazine, the RTÉ Guide . Broadcasting in Ireland began in 1926 with 2RN in Dublin. From that date until June 1960 the broadcasting service (2RN, later Radio Éireann) operated as a section of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs. Those working for
13802-506: The time, they delivered value for money ". Fine Gael said the high salaries were "rubbing salt in the wounds" for people who had lost their jobs or taken significant pay cuts. Labour criticised RTÉ for not releasing the data sooner and said "This information should be easily available and there should be no question of concealing it or making it in any way inaccessible ". Many of the highest-paid stars are not technically members of staff but are paid through separate companies, enabling them and
13936-464: The tribunal, Desmond O'Malley severely criticised Reynolds, in his capacity as Minister for Industry and Commerce, for an export credit scheme. When Reynolds gave evidence, he referred to O'Malley as "dishonest". This enraged the Progressive Democrats' leader; his party called a motion of no confidence, which resulted in the Progressive Democrats withdrawing from government and the collapse of
14070-546: The trust built with Musharraf, he would be asked to arrange peace talks between India and Pakistan . These talks started in early 2001 but were interrupted by the 9/11 attacks , after which Musharraf could not contact the White House. He called Reynolds, who called former president Clinton, who quickly reached his successor George W. Bush to communicate the Pakistani position. In 1993, Reynolds and Bertie Ahern, then Minister for Finance, wrote to developer Owen O'Callaghan seeking
14204-468: The two government parties. Still, the government remained intact as the amendments passed through the Oireachtas . They were held on the same date as the 1992 general election . The first proposal was defeated, which would have excluded the risk of suicide from circumstances where abortion was permissible, while proposals to allow travel outside the state and access to information were approved. Reynolds negotiated considerable benefits for Ireland from
14338-467: The voice on his unbroadcast interview. The tape had been seized from his house by the Garda Síochána (police). In 1976, Section 31 was amended by Conor Cruise O'Brien as 1973–77 Minister for Posts & Telegraphs. He issued a new annually-based directive to the RTÉ authority, prohibiting the broadcast of interviews or reports of interviews with spokespersons for, or representatives of, Sinn Féin ,
14472-470: The wake of this case, Reynolds launched a political career from his background as a successful west Ireland businessman. However, at 44 years of age when first an electoral candidate, he was considered a late starter. He stood for Fianna Fáil at the 1977 general election for the Longford–Westmeath constituency. The election proved to be a landslide victory for Fianna Fáil, with the party receiving
14606-479: The way for the IRA ceasefire and all the positives which have flowed from the peace process for people North and South. So much of this achievement has its roots in Albert's courage, perseverance and his commitment to democratic politics. The Archbishop of Dublin, who attended the service, commented on Reynolds's determined character: In his life, in his responsibility for the political and economic destiny of those he
14740-550: The world alleged that Yeltsin was too drunk to appear; a Russian official said that he was unwell and aides later suggested that he had had a heart attack. Yeltsin later announced that he had overslept. Reynolds had decided to reappoint Attorney General Harry Whelehan when the government was formed in 1992. When the position of President of the High Court became available, Reynolds proposed Whelehan. At this stage, allegations surfaced that Whelehan had been less than keen to prosecute
14874-426: The year came to €65,147,000. Profit and Loss across radio, television and online services. RTÉ receives income from two main sources: Even though commercial quotas have been removed, commercial revenue and the license fee each contribute roughly half of the organization's income. The licence fee does not fund RTÉ Aertel , RTÉ Guide or the website RTÉ.ie , however, each of these brands are indirectly funded by
15008-406: Was "no illegality" and "payments were made pursuant to an agreed contract", adding that while RTÉ Director of Content Jim Jennings signed off on the payments deal, he was "not aware" the broadcaster was "underwriting" any payments that were now under scrutiny and that there was "no finding of wrongdoing" against Tubridy or the commercial partner involved in what happened. Taoiseach Varadkar described
15142-544: Was Fianna Fáil's worst election result since 1927, losing nine seats. Fine Gael lost ten seats, while the Labour Party had its best result, with 33 seats. In January 1993, Fianna Fáil and Labour formed a government with Reynolds as Taoiseach and Spring as Tánaiste . In 1993, Reynolds's Minister of Finance, Bertie Ahern, issued a tax amnesty for people who had outstanding tax bills unpaid and undeclared, provided they made some declaration of their previous income. This created considerable media disquiet and provoked Spring to make
15276-475: Was Taoiseach. In December 2013, it was revealed by his son that Reynolds was in the last stages of Alzheimer's disease . Reynolds died on 21 August 2014. The last politician to visit him was former British prime minister Sir John Major , a close friend of Reynolds. The serving Taoiseach, Enda Kenny of Fine Gael, said at the time: As Taoiseach he played an important part in bringing together differing strands of political opinion in Northern Ireland and as
15410-462: Was accompanied in the early years by Andy O'Mahony and, from 1966, by Maurice O'Doherty . A year after its launch, the early evening bulletin was moved to 5.50 pm to accommodate a new weeknight current affairs programme called Broadsheet , which provided more detailed analysis and reportage on the issues of the day. In September 1964, the 5.50 pm news became part of a new 40-minute magazine programme called Newsbeat , which featured
15544-476: Was also its regulator. Under the Broadcasting Act 2009 , RTÉ's governance arrangements have changed. The statutory corporation form has been retained, but the new Act no longer refers to the board of RTÉ as an "Authority" and it is now simply known as the Board. Of the 12 members of the Board which replaced the RTÉ Authority, the Minister appoints six, using input from the Public Appointments Service,
15678-604: Was announced that Dobson would leave his position as co-presenter. Following the announcement, it also became clear that Ní Bheoláin would also leave her position. Dobson left his position as on 25 October 2017 to move to early morning radio on Morning Ireland . Ní Bheoláin left her position in December 2017 to become a rotating presenter on the Nine O'Clock News . On Monday 8 January 2018, Caitríona Perry and Keelin Shanley began presenting
15812-422: Was appointed Minister for Industry and Commerce , one of the most senior positions in the cabinet, especially in a time when the government's top priority was economic recovery. In 1988, the Minister for Finance Ray MacSharry became Ireland's European Commissioner , and Reynolds succeeded MacSharry in the position. The 1989 general election resulted in Fianna Fáil taking the unprecedented move of entering into
15946-618: Was appointed as his successor and remained until 1996, when he became a presenter of the current affairs programme Prime Time . His replacement was Bryan Dobson , who had been presenting the One O'Clock News for several years. In 1997, Anne Doyle left to become presenter of the Nine O'Clock News . She was replaced by Una O'Hagan , who continued until 2005, she decided to concentrate on radio broadcasting and late night bulletins. A number of newsreaders partnered Dobson before Sharon Ní Bheoláin became permanent co-presenter. In September 2017, it
16080-408: Was appointed chairman of RTÉ. The other members of the Authority are Maria Killian, Patricia King, Ian Malcolm, Patrick Marron, Una Ní Chonaire, Emer Finnan, Stephen O'Byrnes and Joe O'Brien. The new Authority would hold office for not more than three years. On 11 January 2006, Fintan Drury resigned as chairman of RTÉ, citing a potential conflict of interest in his role as an advisor to the organisers of
16214-510: Was banned by RTÉ as a spokesperson for striking bakery workers. O'Toole then challenged the RTÉ ban in the High Court. In 1992–93, in O'Toole vs RTÉ , RTÉ was found by the High Court and Supreme Court to have illegally and unconstitutionally extended the censorship ban to Sinn Féin members who were not speaking on behalf of Sinn Féin. The RTÉ ban did not affect UK stations broadcasting in the Republic of Ireland as, until 1988 at least, viewers in
16348-457: Was buried at Shanganagh Cemetery with full military honours. His successor as Fianna Fáil leader, Bertie Ahern, who as Taoiseach was one of the negotiators of peace in Northern Ireland and had long been a political ally and friend, said on Reynolds's death: I am deeply saddened to learn today of the death of Albert Reynolds. He was not afraid to take political risks to further the path of reconciliation. The Downing Street Declaration paved
16482-487: Was criticised. Reynolds was alleged to have juxtaposed and misquoted sections of the report in issuing a rebuttal before the report became public. Spring was furious that the report was not considered by the cabinet first. One of Reynolds's main achievements during his term as Taoiseach was in the peace process in the long-running conflict in Northern Ireland . Piecemeal negotiations had gone on during 1993 between Reynolds and British prime minister John Major , resulting in
16616-491: Was educated at Summerhill College in Sligo , and found work as a clerk with CIÉ , the state transport service, in the 1950s. Reynolds left what many would consider being a "job for life" in the state company and moved into the showband scene, coming to own several dance halls in his local area. He became wealthy during the 1960s when dance halls proved to be extremely popular. He invested his money in several businesses, including
16750-622: Was established in Cork in 1927; much of 6CK's output was simply a relay of the national service but it also had a significant input into the programmes of 2RN until it was closed down in the 1950s. A high-power (initially 60 kW) station was established in Athlone , in 1932, to coincide with the staging of the Eucharistic Congress . 2RN, 6CK and Athlone became known as "Radio Athlone" (Irish: Raidió Áth Luain ) and were receivable across virtually
16884-514: Was hijacked by a disturbed former monk, with the hijacker's chief demand for the safe return of the aircraft and its passengers being that he should be allowed to reveal a religious secret, the Third Secret of Fatima , which he claimed to have in his briefcase. The incident was resolved in Paris with no injuries. Fianna Fáil lost power following the 1981 general election but regained it again following
17018-423: Was made of tax treatment of such gifts. In documents supplied to the Oireachtas, RTÉ listed the earnings of its 100 highest-paid employees and contractors, all on pay in excess of €116,000, and 84 being employees. Including the members of the RTÉ Executive Board , 69 are managers, and the other 31 are presenters and other technical or non-managerial staff. The Director General was paid €225,000 in 2021, along with
17152-467: Was moved to another department, and reporter Aoife Kavanagh resigned. The affair was described as "one of the gravest editorial mistakes ever made" in RTÉ's history. In October 2011, RTÉ was forced to stop a "share deal" scheme it had offered advertisers when TV3 complained to the Competition Authority . On 24 October 2011, three days before the 2011 Irish presidential election , RTÉ hosted
17286-438: Was on the brink of bankruptcy. Such reports are denied by RTÉ, though the organisation acknowledges how under the current financial structure there is "serious financial difficulty" and a review of its financial procedures is underway and to be completed by 2010. On 11 June 2009 the Director General of RTÉ Cathal Goan reported to the Oireachtas that RTÉ was not bankrupt and that it would break even by year end On 3 July 2009,
17420-468: Was reported that RTÉ had agreed to pay Gallagher a sum of €130,000 as part of a confidential legal settlement arising from the debate. The following figures were issued by RTÉ as part of their annual report in 2012. In 2012 RTÉ received in total €180,894,000 in public funding from the licence fee, it also received €127,100,000 in commercial revenue. RTÉ total expenditure in 2012 was €327,023,000. They had restructuring costs of €46,161,000 in 2012. Losses for
17554-475: Was seeking support for a commercial project was "entirely inappropriate, and was an abuse of political power and government authority". In November 2007, it was alleged at the Mahon Tribunal that Reynolds, while on government business in New York, collected a substantial sum of money for his Fianna Fáil party that did not get fully credited to the party. On the same trip, it emerged in the tribunal that Reynolds had
17688-437: Was seen across most of Ireland. RTÉ stood mute, while Irish newspapers were effectively talking around the issue for fear of action for libel . Spring led his ministers out of a cabinet meeting to consider the position of the Labour Party. The coalition appeared to be finished, but Reynolds still held out for the chance to patch things up. Reynolds went before the Dáil and said that if he had known "then" what he "knew now" about
17822-506: Was sued for defamation after making false allegations about a priest. On 23 May 2011, RTÉ had aired a Prime Time Investigates programme called Mission to Prey , which falsely claimed that the priest had raped a woman and fathered her child while working as a missionary in Kenya . In October 2011, RTÉ issued a public apology, stating that the allegations were baseless and should never have been broadcast. The priest said he had been "living
17956-404: Was universally accepted to be a disastrous live response to a crisis in his campaign. Seeking to deny that he had ever been part of unsuccessful efforts to force President Hillery to refuse a parliamentary dissolution in a way that would help Lenihan's party get back into power (claims he himself had made in an on-the-record taped interview recorded some months earlier), Lenihan tried to stare into
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