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Dublin: 11 °C Thursday 20 June, 2013

RTÉ to move regional operations to local ITs

The partnerships will save the broadcaster over €1 million, it says.

Image: Chris Bacon/PA Archive/Press Association Images

NATIONAL BROADCASTER RTÉ has announced plans to move some of its regional operations to a number of institutes of technology around the country.

The new partnerships with local ITs in Sligo, Dundalk, Galway/Mayo, Athlone and Waterford will create savings of more than €1 million, according to management.

RTÉ says there will be no job losses as a result of the moves and regional correspondents will continue to provide coverage from their existing areas. However, some other staff roles will be reviewed.

Director General Noel Curran has previously stated that seeking external partnerships will be an important part of the group’s strategy over the next five years.

This new plan will begin from January 2013 and some journalists from Cork, Limerick and Belfast have already been redeployed to Dublin. Curran said that the moves do not signal a more capital city-focused operation.

Nuacht staff have moved from Donnybrook to Connemara. From January, Nuacht Radio will broadcast from Casla, which will also be the base from where the first-ever Irish language online unit will operate.

Offices in Cork and Limerick will be maintained but the size of the current Belfast operation will be reduced.

RTÉ has also announced that it has started advertising for the role of Western correspondent which has remained vacant since Jim Fahy retired in January.

More: RTÉ’s London editor Brian O’Connell to leave broadcaster>

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Comments (2 Comments)

  • Staff numbers of over 2000 people is way too bloated and inefficient for the current climate , today fm comparable national radio station to 2 fm has around 80 staff , tv3 comparable to network 2 has around 100 staff , and paying 500 grand for part time radio weekend presenter , it’s mad stuff

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  • RTE are saving a few million per year by these changes. The loss of the London Office is a disgrace particularly with the close connections between the two countrys. We will now depend on the BBCs slant on British stories . RTE can’t face the fact that the real savings should be made by telling the ” Stars” to take a two thirds pay cut or get out. Since the advent of local radio this country is full of young eager talent who are well capable of providing either TV or radio coverage. Most of them would jump at the opportunity to get into RTE and probably work for less than €100,00 per year. As long as Curran is in charge and O Callaghans husband Carson ( who scuttled back in from the private sector once the recession came) is in control of programmes this will never happen.

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