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RTE chiefs defend €77,000 newsroom promo as scrutiny shifts to IT losses and licence fee drop

Executives told the Oireachtas committee that the 77,000-euro newsroom promo was funded from the marketing budget following a review prompted by a 3.6 million-euro IT write-down.

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Overview

  • Senior RTE figures appeared before the media committee to justify an unfinished newsroom promo designed to show “a day in the life” of three journalists at a cost of €77,000 plus VAT.
  • Director General Kevin Bakhurst said press reports about the filming were “totally inaccurate” and confirmed the expense came from RTE’s annual €2 million marketing fund.
  • The broadcaster acknowledged a €3.6 million write-down on a partly failed IT system and has instituted monthly leadership reviews of all major capital projects.
  • Chief Financial Officer Mari Hurley reported a 4 percent decline in TV licence fee revenues for 2024 and noted a government-backed €725 million financing programme covering the next three years.
  • HR Director Eimear Cusack defended the IT tender process and said the finance module was delivered despite setbacks with the HR component.