| Launch date nears  By
Niamh Hennessy
THE START of RTÉ broadcasts in Britain could be just a few months
away after it was revealed detailed work on the new service is under way.
Senior RTÉ figures have confirmed a team at the State broadcaster
is already working on a proposed schedule of programmes to be beamed into
Britain.
And the last barrier to providing RTÉ for the Irish community on
this side of the Irish Sea is set to be swept away soon when the government
gives the go-ahead for the station to use its present licence fee funding
to pay for the move.
That provision is contained in a new Bill to go before the Dáil shortly.
RTÉ spokesperson Peter Feeney said: “We found that present
legislation did not allow RTÉ to use the public funding they receive
for broadcasting in Britain but a Bill which will be passed in the next
few weeks will instruct RTÉ to use this public funding to run the
new British station.”
RTÉ is expected to receive almost £130million in public
funding this year — an increase from the £122million it received
last year.
This money is generated from the television licence fees which costs £105
a year.
Mr Feeney said: “RTÉ is much more optimistic than in the past
about being able to provide a service in Britain.
“To say it could be in place in 12 months wouldn’t be unreasonable.
“We will be able to broadcast programmes which are made in-house as
well as programmes we have commissioned but we would not be able to broadcast
live transmissions of sports as we would not have the rights to those.”
The British station will be representative of Ireland’s national public
service channels — RTÉ One, RTÉ Two and TG4.
RTÉ is currently exploring ways in which it will be broadcast in
Britain — whether through the Freeview digital platform, subscription
or another method.
Mr Feeney said: “Providing a service in Britain is a priority for
us and all the decisions for its provision will be taken within the next
few months.”
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