C&AG to audit RTÉ under broadcasting bill
The Government has approved the publication of a bill that would appoint the State’s spending watchdog, the Comptroller and Auditor General, as auditor of RTÉ.
Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan described the move as “a vital and necessary further step to restore trust in RTÉ”.
The department said that the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill was aimed at enhancing transparency, accountability, and value for money in RTÉ and TG4.
Further role for CnaM
The bill will also provide for media regulator Coimisiún na Meán (CnaM) to assess the performance and funding needs of both public-service providers through three-yearly appraisals and annual reviews.
CnaM is also being given a further role in regulating non-broadcast content, such as podcasts, made available to the public by RTÉ and TG4.
Another measure in the bill would convert the existing Broadcasting Fund to a platform-neutral fund known as Ciste na Meán, which the minister said would support the production, distribution, and archiving of public service content “across all formats” by the wider media sector.
The bill also provides for at least 25% of RTÉ’s annual public funding to go towards commissioning programming from the independent sector.
Streaming levy
Under the proposals, CnaM will be able to impose a so-called ‘Netflix levy’ on streaming services only after a ministerial direction.
The proposed levy was to have helped fund home-produced content.
The text of the bill is to be made available on the Oireachtas website in the coming days.
The Government had published the general scheme of the bill last year. The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport subsequently published its report on pre-legislative scrutiny.