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EVERYTHING FROM PROGRAMME staffs to the amount spent on newspapers have been reduced at RTÉ Radio in recent years but Jim Jennings admits that it’s been very difficult to reduce costs given what’s already been cut.
The acting managing director of RTÉ Radio spoke to TheJournal.ie this week about the difficulty in cutting spending and the impact it has been having behind the scenes.
“We’ve reduced the size of programme teams, we have cut budgets, nobody gets mileage anymore, there are all sorts of things, even simple things like newspapers. We have looked at everything,” he said.
“We have looked under every stone here in terms of what we can save, it’s an ongoing process to be honest with you, I’m still at it. I just came from a meeting and it’s about more cuts.
“You don’t notice it in the 7am to 7pm schedule as such because the big programme blocks are there and you don’t notice that people are working longer hours or harder or less people doing are doing the same amount of work.”
He said that “the more crafted areas” of RTÉ Radio such as education and science programmes as well as drama have all been cut back in the past year in addition to some 500 staff being let go in the last two to three years.
But the most public upheaval has been the recent departure of Pat Kenny. Jennings insisted the station had been preparing for the possibility that Kenny would depart as he ended up doing.
“It didn’t come as a huge shock I suppose to me as it did to other people,” he said adding that he would have preferred if Kenny had stayed.
“Ultimately it was his call so at the end of the day we had looked at it [and] we had thought about what we might do if he wasn’t here.”
Jennings said that he always had Seán O’Rourke in mind for the role and flat out denies claims that RTÉ sought a replacement presenter from outside the station.
“From day one we just looked internally, I mean we believe and I believe that we have good talent here within RTÉ,” he said.
Jennings said the beauty of the new arrangement – with O’Rourke going head-to-head with Kenny over on Newstalk – is that nobody knows what’s going to happen.
“I don’t think there’s been a move like this before. So anybody who is making predictions about it are kind of guessing to be honest with you,” he said.
He suggested that some people who did like not Kenny may now decide to tune in to Radio 1 and pointed that its audience is a loyal one. He believes the first big test of the new setup will be when there is a breaking news story.
“I actually think they will tune in to Radio 1 first, that’s been the tradition when big national events or big things are happening,” he said.
One of the criticisms of RTÉ Radio and its news and current affairs output in general is the lack of female voices.
Jennings pointed to the many female voices presenting on Radio 1 but said that with regards to programme guests to some extent the onus should be on the Women on Air group to do more.
“Our programmes that are following the news agenda, they rely a lot on political parties and public bodies and companies to nominate people as interviewees. If you just look at the gender balance in the Oireachtas, it’s very difficult to get gender balance that is 50-50 in terms of debates.
“So I think we have a job to do in terms of looking for good speakers on every topic. But I actually think the Women on Air have a big job to do with businesses, with political parties, with lobby groups that when [those groups] do nominate people that they are also thinking about gender balance, in terms of nominating people to come on programmes.”
He said it is a complicated issue but added that he does not believe in gender quotes: “I think ultimately the editorial line of the programme will dictate the speakers.”
The RTÉ veteran concluded that the recent shake-up in the Irish radio scene meant that people were talking about it and radio has been “put on the map”.
“I mean how many times a year do you actually get to talk about radio? How many times a year is radio an event like this, being talked about around the country?,” he said.
“If more people switch on their radios next Monday morning at 10am across the board and across the country I think that’s a good thing.”
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Here’s a hint try the big stone i.e duffy, finnucane, tubridy & co’s extortionate salaries.
marian finucane gets paid and every time I tune in somebody else is presenting it for her
Its time RTE went pay per view
Would people still watchRadio One if it did?
I hear what you did there, Jim.
I can see where he could make savings and im still in bed
I would advise to go back and again look under the bigger stones, the ones with a few hundred thousand under them for one person. There’s a few of those.
Get help from Bertie ,he’s good at looking under stones
I thought Bertie used to climb trees in north Dublin looking for stuff…..
STOP BUYING SHYTE TV FROM THE UK….NO ONE WANTS TO WATCH CRAP FROM MANCHESTER AND LONDON……..
Pound foolish but penny wise as are all public and semi state agencies! While internal reviews are the only reviews nothing will ever change!
Also “Women on Air”, WTF?? Is this a joke?
He needs to open his eye’s and get a slap of a reality stick. Waffle at its best.
Its time rte start showing international football games considering the licence fee is €160, what a joke. Tv3 had a crime story on last nite about a chap who murdered his whole family, the issue I have is that I seen that show about 7 years ago on another station, surly anybody can show a repeat like that, come up with something new sick of repeat though I think reeling in the years is good but for gods sake will they ever realise the public want a reeling in the years cd released, for x mas even.
Here’s a thought – liquidate yourselves
Try starting with Miriam and Marion…
How about this: Look harder.
So that’s where they found Pat Kenny.
They looked under a plank for those savings
High time RTE moved from leafy uppercrust D4, sold the land and decamped to the country or CityWest. It has a D4 attitude through and through and is far too reliant on academic spoofers from UCD to fill its quota of analysis.
Radio1 should be ad free and license fee funded. Let 2fm do what it wants from advertising etc or get rid if it. Likewise all the digital radio stations no one listens to.
I like RTE, it is an important part of Irish society. My criticism of the DG is that there are so many areas where they could make savings but don’t. Do you think TV3 execs couldn’t go in there and save millions. I would personally not renew John Bowman’s radio contract, the historical program has worn badly with age.
Please, can you say that again without laughing.
There are plenty of female voices on RTE radio I can’t see how anyone could say there’s not.
Rte is the radio station I go to when there is a breaking news story both at home and abroad. The coverage is concise and professional.
RTE broadcasts some fantastic documentaries, you can listen to them on podcast too which is great, they are really top notch.
The big fly in the ointment is the Joe Duffy show which is tabloid radio at its worst. The next time Joe takes a break they could get Adrain Kennedy to stand in, it’s getting that there’s little to choose between them.
Agree they have great docs. I even listen to the book on 1 at bedtime
What’s all this nonsense Jim about looking under stones ? just take time out and listen to your radio – that should help in finding a few cuts. But don’t go mad now, or we’ll have no one to listen to.
I like rte radio and tv but I think the newsroom is a place to look at .I will hear a newscaster for a morning then not hear them again for the rest of the day.on tv 6-1 news they only seem to do that show alone. Marian f is good but gets too much for a short show that I’ve heard her saying she is just in the door.
Easily sorted !!!!!
Cut the salary of your over paid presenters and top dogs
Problem solved .
But seriously ……….
have your say