Raidio Teilifis Eireann (RTÉ)
Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) is Ireland’s public service broadcaster, founded in 1926. The company operates three television stations: RTÉ One, which offers generalist programming; RTÉ2, focused on youth-oriented content; and RTÉjr, dedicated to children’s programming. Additionally, RTÉ operates five radio channels.
Media assets
Television: RTÉ One, RTÉ2, RTÉ News Now, RTÉjr, RTÉ One +1, RTÉ2+1
Radio: RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2FM, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, RTÉ Lyric FM, RTÉ 2XM, RTÉ Chill, RTÉ Gold, RTÉ Junior, RTÉ Pulse, RTÉ Radio 1 Extra
State Media Matrix Typology
Independent State-Funded and State-Managed (ISFM)
Ownership and governance
RTÉ operates as a statutory corporation, governed by the RTÉ Board, which currently comprises ten members, with two vacancies remaining. Most are appointed by the Government through the Public Appointments Service and Oireachtas committee nominations, including one staff representative and the Director-General ex‑officio. The Board is chaired by Terence O’Rourke, appointed on 5 March 2024.
The Board holds responsibility for appointing the Director-General, subject to approval from the Government and the relevant Minister. Editorial independence is safeguarded under the Broadcasting Act 2009, with RTÉ also bound to publish a Public Service Statement (since 2015) and maintain updated Journalism Guidelines to uphold standards.
Kevin Bakhurst was appointed as Director-General of RTÉ (which also makes him Chief Executive and Editor-in-Chief) starting 10 July 2023. He succeeded Dee Forbes, who resigned in June 2023 after the controversy surrounding undisclosed payments to presenter Ryan Tubridy. The scandal triggered a wholesale restructuring of RTÉ’s leadership: the Executive Board was dismantled and replaced with an interim leadership team, later formalized by mid‑2024. The Executive Board’s shake-up included a strategic decision to split the traditional “Director of Content” role into separate Video and Audio portfolios.
Source of funding and budget
RTÉ has been funded through a combination of revenues from television licence fees and commercial income (mainly advertising). By law, any household with a television set must pay a licence fee, currently €160 per year. An Post (the national postal service) collects the fee; net receipts are then distributed. Under statute, 93% of net TV licence revenue is allocated to RTÉ and 7% to the Broadcasting Fund (Sound & Vision), after collection costs.
In July 2024, the Government announced a mixed model (licence fee retained + Exchequer support) with multi‑annual public funding for RTÉ: €225m in 2025, €240m in 2026, €260m in 2027. The goal is to give RTÉ certainty while licence receipts recover. The decision also provided €6m over three years to An Post to strengthen collection systems.
The plan has been widely summarized as a €725m multi‑year envelope. It drew criticism from the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), which argued the model risks entrenching reliance on annual Government decisions. The shift in funding resulted in RTÉ’s reclassification from ISM (Independent State‑Managed/Owned) to ISFM (Independent State‑Financed and State‑Managed/Owned).
Editorial independence
No government‑imposed rules constrain RTÉ’s editorial coverage, and there is no evidence of direct Government editorial control at RTÉ. The Broadcasting Act 2009 contains provisions that anchor editorial independence; since 2015, RTÉ has also been required to prepare a Public Service Statement setting out principles and activities to fulfil its mission. RTÉ refreshed its Journalism & Content Guidelines in 2020 to codify values and protections for independent reporting.
According to the Act, the RTÉ Audience Council advises the Board on public‑service responsibilities and audience needs; the Council consists of 15 voluntary members appointed by the RTÉ Board.
August 2025