Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will try not to go over old ground. I welcome the BAI. This has been an important and good debate. We need to continue it, as it is in everyone's interests to have a sustainable, fit-for-purpose public broadcasting service. The BAI has an important role to play in that regard.

I will mention some of the challenges facing the television sector. I do not know the BAI's opinions, but our guests mentioned satellite channels, including external channels, entering the country.

The online challenge is growing rapidly. Perhaps the witnesses would elaborate on the challenges presented for the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland by, for example, Netflix and Love TV, which have been quite successful in terms of eating into broadcasting time. This is a growing trend.

I want to put on record my acknowledgement of the significance of supporting Irish content within the public broadcasting service. We are all aware of the good work being done by RTE and TG4 in terms of broadcasting issues of national interest, in particular TG4's coverage of our national sports and so on. However, this does not give carte blanchefor consistent support through the television licence. Our licensing system supports a great number of ineffective broadcasting services.

Mr. Collins referred to RTE's property portfolio and what the current organisation has inherited. It has inherited a cumbersome costly organisation. Deputy O'Donovan referred earlier to the contracts of some of the broadcasters within that service as compared to those employed in private or commercial stations. Some of the commercial stations deliver as good, if not better, service. There is a conflict in terms of what we have inherited. There is no doubt but that RTE has been and continues to be a bloated organisation. In response to this, services within the organisation that we need have been cut, there were a great deal of repeat programmes broadcast over the summer and much of late night broadcasting is imported material.

On the radio side, RTE 2FM, which is aimed at the 15 to 24 year old category, has an audience of only 8%, which is very small. A commercial station in the south east region, Beat 102-103, has an audience of 59% among the 15 to 24 year old category. The percentage in this regard for Spin is 43% and for RedFM is 45%. Are we subsidising something that is not sustainable in any event? This is the type of question we need to ask. Perhaps that is what the witnesses are trying to get at when they say they wish to support the RTE and TG4 subject to a review. Am I correct that it is the intention of the authority to review areas that are not sustainable and in which savings can be achieved?