today, tomorrow A New RTÉ for thea new Connected RTÉ for the connected Age age 2013-2017 We want to be the best Public Service Media organisation we can be Contents 1 Introduction from the Director General ................................................. 6 6 Running a Fit-for-Purpose, Efficient Organisation ........................... 131 1.1 A New Vision for RTÉ ............................................................................................................ 8 6.1 RTÉ’s Progress to Date in its Transformation .................................................................. 132 1.2 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ 12 6.2 Transformation into a Leaner and More Dynamic Organisation ..................................... 144 2 Irish Media Environment 2013-2017 .................................................... 21 7 Funding RTÉ for the Future ............................................................... 157 2.1 Convergence ....................................................................................................................... 22 7.1 Licence-Fee Levels and Other Household Costs ............................................................. 157 2.2 The Global and Local Economies ....................................................................................... 23 7.2 Inflation - Historic & Prospective ..................................................................................... 159 2.3 A Changing Irish Population Profile ................................................................................... 26 7.3 Public Funding Model ....................................................................................................... 160 2.4 Evolving Audience Behaviours and Expectations ............................................................... 28 7.4 Commercial Income ......................................................................................................... 163 2.5 Competition Across Delivery Platforms and Access Means .............................................. 33 7.8 How RTÉ Spends Public Money ........................................................................................ 168 2.6 The Business Dynamics for Content .................................................................................. 37 7.9 Public Funding Expectations for 2013 to 2017 ................................................................. 171 2.7 Changing Regulatory Environment .................................................................................... 42 2.8 Implications of these Market Forces for RTÉ..................................................................... 43 8 Securing RTÉ’s Future as a Digital Public Service Media Organisation ... 174 3 Serving Audiences with Quality Services and Content ........................ 47 8.1 Future Opportunities ........................................................................................................ 175 8.2 Investment in New Content & Services ............................................................................ 176 3.1 RTÉ Portfolio and Content Review ..................................................................................... 48 8.3 Content Digitisation and Opening up the Archives .......................................................... 178 3.2 RTÉ Portfolio of Services .................................................................................................... 54 8.4 Extending Audience Reach ............................................................................................... 181 3.3 RTÉ Core Services .............................................................................................................. 58 8.5 Enhancing Audience Access ............................................................................................. 182 3.4 Complementary Services ................................................................................................... 72 8.6 Evolving RTÉ & Donnybrook into a Digital Hub ................................................................ 185 3.5 Prioritised Areas of Focus .................................................................................................. 84 3.6 Other Key RTÉ Genres ........................................................................................................ 88 3.7 Multi-Service Genres .......................................................................................................... 91 4 Ensuring Access for a Connected Audience ........................................ 99 4.1 Key Principles/Factors Underpinning RTÉ’s Distribution Strategy ................................... 99 4.2 How the Distribution Strategy Informs Platform Choice ................................................. 104 4.3 Access Services for RTÉ Television .................................................................................. 109 5 RTÉ: Open, Accountable and Collaborative ....................................... 113 NOTE: RTÉ HAS REDACTED/BLACKED OUT CERTAIN TEXT, 5.1 Delivering Public Value in the Digital Age ........................................................................ 113 5.2 Providing Greater Financial Transparency ....................................................................... 118 FIGURES AND TABLES THAT ARE COMMERCIALLY SENSITIVE. 5.3 Sharing RTÉ News & Current Affairs Content ................................................................. 118 5.4 Building Trust ................................................................................................................... 119 5.5 Open to Our Audience ....................................................................................................... 123 5.6 On-Air Diversity ................................................................................................................ 125 5.7 Delivering for a Broad Range of Stakeholders and Building New Partnerships ............ 126 5.8 Driving Positive Economic Impact for Ireland .................................................................. 127 Section 1 Contents 4 5 market. As a small country, inclusive public space Section 1: Ireland needs a media • Supports and sustains organisation that has the scale Irish creativity, Irish voices and resources to guarantee a and Irish creative talent Introduction and strong and distinctive Irish • Promotes high standards voice and Irish perspective and retains the trust of the €105 M on the world; a voice that is public The income Executive Summary accessible to all across different media, which articulates Irish We are aware of the fall since 2008 stories, relays Irish experiences leadership role RTÉ must Introduction from the Director General and allows for national public play in the creation and and responsibilities as we see debate and conversation. We maintenance of the vitality of them today and as we expect need a media organisation that this ecosystem. We know as them to evolve over the next Last June I initiated a top- Much of the public debate that and a 20% cut in staff numbers. addresses, as its priority, the a public media company we five years. It covers every aspect challenges facing this society should not crowd out our peers of what we do: our audiences, to-bottom review of what does or does not happen, the The scale of these adjustments and this country. Above all, but rather seek to stimulate our content and services, our we do and how we do it. voices that are heard and the has naturally been difficult, issues and topics that are given not just for RTÉ but also on I believe we need a media innovation and creativity, set organisation and infrastructure This was the most rigorous service that does all of these standards, complement and, and our funding model. It is strategic planning process public space on our national the range of partners with services, all result from choices whom RTÉ develops and things but is accountable, not to where possible, support other a five-year plan because it RTÉ has ever undertaken. and decisions made by our produces content. We have shareholders, individuals or the national and local players. will take time and significant It involved people from all editors, programme-makers done this while fully financing government of the day, but to investment to implement levels and divisions across and journalists. This is a and successfully delivering the public. This is the ultimate The detail of the strategic plan, many of the changes and the organisation. Informed responsibility of which all of national digital switchover. We promise of RTÉ. With all that as set out in this document, will improvements we are making. by a detailed analysis of the us in RTÉ are acutely aware have, to the greatest extent help ensure that we operate The details of the specific market, our audiences, our and work hard every day to get possible, protected the quality within well-defined parameters initiatives and commitments so that others in the market that underpin our strategy are responsibilities and changing right. We know that the choices of the output that we provide Ireland needs a may have greater certainty and what this document is all about. technology, we examined RTÉ makes are important. to our audiences. However, the media organisation We also know that RTÉ can depth and range of our content transparency about the future every aspect of our business that has the scale direction and scope of RTÉ’s This