Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 26 March 2014

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications

Strategic Plan 2012-17 and Other Issues: RTE

11:45 am

Mr. Noel Curran:

Reality television is one of the more controversial genres of programming but it is becoming increasingly popular. We probably went down that route less than others but there is an audience, particularly a younger one. As I stated, we provide our legislative obligations through the broadcasting legislation and in doing so we are required to provide as wide a range of programming for as wide a public as possible. We do much less reality television than some. I do not want to say "the crasser end" but am referring to the reality shows of the kind one sees on the satellite channels. We do a lot less than others but still do it because there is an audience for it.