RTÉ Slash Children's Programming Cost in 2016

Following on from the announcement last year that RTÉ was ditching in-house productions of Children's programming, today (18/07/17)RTÉ announce that they had reduced their spend on programming for children by 25%. RTÉ spent just 7.1million euro on programming for children. This compares to 9.4million in 2015. RTÉ announce that it would outsource children's programming in 2017 but retain its 2016 budget. However RTÉ failed to mention how much that budget came to.

In November 2016 RTÉ advised their Young People's Department that no new shows would be produced in-house for children. RTÉ made the decision to commission all of its programming from independent producers for youth television and media. This is not unusual as RTÉ have to meet commitments to the independent sector. This move is also help RTÉ keep to those commitments.

In November RTÉ stated "RTÉ remains fully committed to delivering original Irish content for young people, and this decision means that RTÉ is now fully investing its young peoples programme budget in the independent sector, allowing independent production companies and animation companies to pitch new ideas and programmes for delivery to our youngest viewers."

However RTÉ was committed to reducing the overall spend of young people's programming by 25% in 2016, it is unlikely that RTÉ will return to funding Children's programming a significant part of public service broadcasting in the near future.

It announce a deficit of 20 million euros in 2016. RTÉ Chairperson Moya Doherty is due to step down in November after 3 years at the broadcaster.