RTE COMMITTED TO ACCOUNTABILITY

THE DIRECTOR-General of RTE, Bob Collins, has announced that it is no longer enough for RTE to proclaim that they give good value in return for the licence fee.
Collins said: “I believe that RTE must be committed to accountability as a principle, as a discipline, and as a way of life. As a principle, accountability means that the broadcasting organisation serves the public, not the shareholders. As a discipline, accountability demands that we show the public that they come first. As a way of life, accountability insists that we operate with maximum efficiency and effectiveness. In short, RTE must give value for money, and they must be seen to do so.”
In future, Collins said, there would be a detailed set of commitments covering such specifics as the range of programmes to be included in RTE’s schedules. He said these would be real promises about improvements to news, regional programmes, subtitles and children’s programmes, and that there would be general answerability. (CD)