Raidio Teilifis Eireann (RTÉ)

Raidió Teilifís Éireann is Ireland’s national public service broadcaster, tracing its origins to radio station 2RN in 1926 and beginning television broadcasting in 1961. It operates as a statutory corporation under the Broadcasting Act 2009 and is regulated by Coimisiún na Meán, established in 2023. Kevin Bakhurst has been Director-General since 10 July 2023.

Media assets

Television: RTÉ One, RTÉ2, RTÉjr and RTÉ News

Timeshift television: RTÉ One +1 and RTÉ2 +1

Radio: RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2FM, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and RTÉ lyric fm

Digital radio: RTÉ Gold

Digital platforms: RTÉ Player, RTÉ Listen, the RTÉ News app and rte.ie

RTÉ News continues as a television channel. Formerly called RTÉ News Now, it remains available on digital terrestrial television and appears in the current Saorview channel guide.

The radio portfolio has contracted. Specialist services including RTÉ Radio 1 Extra, RTÉ 2XM, RTÉ Pulse and RTÉjr Radio closed on 31 December 2025. RTÉ said specialist content would move into its remaining stations and on-demand services. Its current audio app, RTÉ Listen, provides the four main radio services and RTÉ Gold alongside podcasts and catch-up listening.

Ownership and governance

RTÉ is a statutory public corporation. The Broadcasting Act provides for a 12-member Board: six Government appointees nominated by the minister; four appointed through the minister following an Oireachtas committee nomination process; one staff-elected member formally appointed by the Government; and the Director-General ex officio. The Board appoints the Director-General with Government consent. Terence O’Rourke became chair on 5 March 2024.

Governance reform continues following the 2023 payments controversy. Bakhurst’s arrival followed the disclosure of previously unreported payments to presenter Ryan Tubridy and the resignation of his predecessor, Dee Forbes. Subsequent reforms have addressed leadership, financial controls, remuneration and employment arrangements.

In July 2026 RTÉ reported that almost 80 per cent of the 2024 Expert Advisory Committee’s recommendations had been completed, with remaining implementation expected to continue into 2027. Its review of employment classifications was nearly complete, and more than thirty presenters had moved into employee status under its Employment First policy.

Further statutory changes remain proposed. The Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2026 would assign the Comptroller and Auditor General responsibility for auditing RTÉ and revise provisions concerning governance, remuneration transparency, funding reviews and independent production. As of 20 September 2026 it remained at Dáil committee stage and had not become law.

Source of funding and budget

RTÉ combines television licence income, direct Exchequer support and commercial revenue, principally advertising and sponsorship. An Post collects the EUR 160 annual television licence fee. Liability generally depends on possessing television receiving equipment; using a television solely for streaming does not automatically remove the requirement to hold a licence.

RTÉ reported a net surplus of EUR 22.5 million for 2025. Advertising and sponsorship generated EUR 121.1 million, broadly unchanged from 2024. Cost controls, lower-than-planned staffing costs and the deferral of projects into 2026 contributed to the financial performance.

The EUR 725 million funding commitment includes licence income. Agreed in July 2024, it provides total public funding of EUR 225 million in 2025, EUR 240 million in 2026 and EUR 260 million in 2027. Additional Exchequer support supplies the balance required alongside licence receipts.

For 2026, the revised estimates comprise EUR 185.21 million in licence income and EUR 54.79 million in additional Exchequer funding, together providing EUR 240 million. These are budget estimates; the final division depends on actual licence income. The official parliamentary transcript records EUR 54.79 million as the estimated top-up.

Licence sales and licence income have moved differently. Paid licence sales fell by approximately 179,000, or 19 per cent, between 2022 and 2025. Nevertheless, RTÉ’s licence income increased from EUR 174.3 million in 2024 to EUR 183.5 million in 2025, supported by higher Department of Social Protection payments for free licences.

Funding beyond 2027 remains a policy question. The existing commitment ends that year, and RTÉ has called for another multi-year arrangement to support commissioning and investment. A fixed shortfall for 2028 has not been established. Coimisiún na Meán already reviews public-service broadcasting funding; the proposed legislation would revise an existing function.

Staffing is declining. On RTÉ’s comparable reporting basis, year-end headcount fell from 1,826 in 2024 to 1,801 in 2025; full-time-equivalent staffing fell from 1,744 to 1,714. Further workforce reductions form part of its restructuring programme.

Editorial independence

Independence is an explicit statutory requirement. Section 98 of the Broadcasting Act provides for RTÉ’s independence in pursuing its purposes, subject to the Act. Section 87 requires Board members to safeguard programming and news from state, political and commercial influence. RTÉ also maintains a Public Service Statement and Journalism Guidelines.

Coimisiún na Meán oversees applicable broadcasting standards and provides an external complaints mechanism. Its remit includes assessing complaints about compliance with statutory requirements and media service codes.

AI and digital policy

RTÉ’s use of artificial intelligence is publicly documented. Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee on 9 July 2026, Bakhurst confirmed the use of AI tools in parts of news and current affairs and in subtitling, including work undertaken by external suppliers.

He said editors, journalists and producers would retain responsibility for journalism, and described a measured approach that weighs technical reliability against audience trust. These statements establish adoption and a commitment to human editorial oversight.

Classification rationale

RTÉ is classified Independent State-Funded and State-Managed (ISFM), following its reclassification from Independent State-Managed as direct Exchequer support became an established component of its funding.

It is a statutory public corporation with predominantly Government-appointed governance. Ministerial and parliamentary nomination processes determine most Board appointments, and appointing the Director-General requires Government consent.

It receives sustained direct state funding alongside licence and commercial income. The additional Exchequer contribution forms part of the multi-year public funding arrangement, supplying EUR 41.3 million in 2025 within total public funding of EUR 224.8 million, approximately 58.6 per cent of revenue. This direct support underpins the state-funded classification.

Its editorial independence has an explicit statutory basis. Section 98 provides for independence in pursuing its purposes and section 87 requires Board members to safeguard programming and news from state, political and commercial influence, supported by a Public Service Statement, Journalism Guidelines and external oversight by Coimisiún na Meán.

September 2026