Corporate Responsibility 2006 Audiences / Staff / … › documents › about › cr_report_english.pdf36 GOVERNMENT AND REGULATORS 37 Responsibilities of the RTÉ authority 37 (a)

Corporate Responsibility 2006 Audiences / Staff / Business interactions / Government and Regulators / Environment

The European Commission defi nes Corporate Social Responsibility as a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders, on a voluntary basis. It includes managing change at company level in a socially responsible manner. Use of the term is gradually evolving and it is now generally referred to as Corporate Responsibility.

02 Foreword04 Introduction06 About RTÉ06 The changing landscape06 Acting in the public interest07 The wider context

08 MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR AUDIENCES09 Understanding and responding to our audiences12 Feedback from our audiences12 Audience council13 Safeguarding children14 Informing citizenship14 Refl ecting our changing society15 Developing talent15 Working with communities19 CASE STUDY Broadcasting for the hard of hearing

22 RTÉ STAFF23 Employer of choice23 Remuneration and working conditions25 Welfare of staff25 Position of women25 Staff selection and development26 Staff relations and partnership in RTÉ 26 Health and safety27 Physical work environment27 Responsibilities of staff27 Support for charities29 CASE STUDY The RTÉ childcare co-operative (crèche)

30 OUR BUSINESS INTERACTIONS31 Our advertisers32 Our suppliers32 Independent producers35 CASE STUDY RTÉNL and local communities

36 GOVERNMENT AND REGULATORS37 Responsibilities of the RTÉ authority37 (a) Corporate regulatory environment38 (b) Corporate accountability38 (c) Corporate compliance38 (d) Self-Regulation38 (e) External Regulation39 A step further39 Public Service Broadcasting Charter41 CASE STUDY Transparency in the expenditure of public money

42 THE ENVIRONMENT43 Awareness43 Environment and the community 43 Continuous improvement43 Property management43 Procurement43 Waste management45 CASE STUDY Recent developments in environmental ‘best practice’

48 Feedback51 Appendix 1 – RTÉ’s complaints process 52 Appendix 2 – Programme safety in RTÉ Radio and RTÉ Television 54 Appendix 3 – RTÉ lyric fm’s Breakfast Club Gazette

01

For over 70 years RTÉ has been central to Irish life.

02

03

The impact of RTÉ’s broadcasts and activities far outweigh the impact that any other media group has had; this is in part because, as Ireland’s Public Service Broadcaster (PSB), RTÉ is an organisation built on trust, and works to ensure that:

} Audiences can trust in the truth and impartiality of RTÉ’s News and Current Affairs programming

} Audiences can trust that RTÉ is independent from vested interests and free from political control or infl uence

} Licence Fee payers can trust RTÉ to give them a value for money service in return for their payments

} Staff can trust that they are working for an organisation that treats them fairly, gives them the opportunity for self-development and makes a difference in society

} Advertisers can trust that their investment in RTÉ airtime brings them a good business return – ensured in part by the signifi cant proportion of Irish programming in RTÉ schedules

} Members of minority groups and interests can trust RTÉ to seek to cater for their needs

} All stakeholders can trust RTÉ to provide high quality schedules available on a free-to-air basis and programming that respects the views of the audience, enhances their cultural expectations and recognises regional interests and cultural diversity.

Growing this trust is core to the Organisation’s PSB remit, which RTÉ is determined to fulfi l in a comprehensive way. This entails building value for our audiences and acting responsibly through all our activities and corporate actions.

RTÉ’s approach to Corporate Responsibility is based on the moral case that, as Ireland’s Public Service Broadcaster, we have a responsibility to do the right thing for Irish society.

RTÉ is serious about Corporate Responsibility (CR) and this fi rst report is in large part consultative. It is an initial report identifying key areas of responsibility, giving specifi c examples of CR activities and, most importantly, seeking feedback. The next report, shaped to a signifi cant extent by stakeholder feedback, will build on this by setting realistic and measurable ambitions.

This CR Report is complementary to RTÉ’s Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements and does not cover the same ground; they complement each other. It is designed to give the audience a sense of the diversity of corporate responsibilities undertaken by RTÉ. There is nothing new in the practice of CR for RTÉ but we will now report on it.

In autumn 2005 RTÉ’s Strategic Framework, detailing the Vision, Mission and Values of the Organisation, was launched. It is clear from that document that for RTÉ to succeed it recognises that it must be a good corporate citizen. The key elements of that framework are:

RTÉ’s Vision is to: } Grow the trust of the people of

Ireland as it informs, inspires, refl ects and enriches their lives.

RTÉ’s Mission is to:} Nurture and refl ect the cultural

and regional diversity of all the people of Ireland

} Provide distinctive programming and services of the highest quality and ambition, with the emphasis on home production

} Inform the Irish public by delivering, nation-wide, the best comprehensive independent News service possible

} Enable national participation in all major events.

RTÉ’s Values are to: } Operate in the public interest,

providing News and Current Affairs that is fair and impartial, accurate and challenging

} Connect with our audiences by understanding and satisfying their needs

} Deliver a value for money service} Be creative in everything we do} Be honest and transparent in all

of our activities} Take personal responsibility for

pursuing the Organisation’s goals} Be responsible to our staff

and consider everyone as an individual

} Optimise the performance of each person, department, division and the Organisation by working together

} Respect each other and our diversity

} Take pride in everything we do, everything we are and everything we create.

Trust is the foundation stone of RTÉ as a Public Service Broadcaster. Our audiences expect that they can trust us to be independent, impartial and honest in all of our activities. As we develop our Corporate Responsibility reporting we believe it will give our audiences an added measure of assurance, which they deserve from their national Public Service Broadcaster.

FOREWORD

04

RTÉ’s core public service remit is to bring Irish people programmes, and associated services, that inform, educate and entertain. Implicit in this is the responsibility for the organisation to be a good corporate citizen and to act in the public interest.

Just as our fi nancial performance is measured and assessed so should the social and environmental dimensions of our activities. Therefore this Report is an important fi rst step in the public commitment we are making to Corporate Responsibility (CR). In it we have highlighted the key stakeholders we have responsibility to and the areas where we need to measure the impact of our activities and report on regularly – in an open and transparent way, recording the good and the bad news in an impartial manner. We have presented a case study in each key area to give a concrete example of current activity, to indicate our practical approach to CR. In future reports we will set targets for improvement and report on successes and failures alike.

As this is our fi rst CR Report we start with a look at the wider context followed by a brief description of our business and the changing broadcasting environment in Ireland. The framework adopted for our CR Report may change in future years but the key stakeholders and areas identifi ed will always be addressed:

} RTÉ’s Audiences, including communities we work with

} RTÉ Staff} Business Interactions} Government and Regulators } Our Environment.

We are accountable to our stakeholders and we are determined to meet their legitimate expectations of our services. This means that RTÉ must live its Mission and Values with integrity, thus growing the trust the audiences have in the Organisation and its services. RTÉ holds a privileged position as Ireland’s PSB and must be consistently aware of the responsibilities that this entails. Our impact will be seen not only in the way we inform, educate and entertain but in a variety of other ways such as how we:

} Contribute to the enrichment of the cultural life of the island of Ireland

} Support the democratic process} Refl ect the changing nature of

Irish society} Reach out to the Irish Diaspora

particularly via RTÉ.ie} Meet the needs of the most

disadvantaged in our society} Help Irish people to bridge the

digital divide.

Overall we must serve our audiences as members of a changing society – and not merely as consumers of our products.

05INTRODUCTION

About RTÉThe people of Ireland own RTÉ, and it is a not-for-profi t organisation. It is approximately 50% funded by public money (through the Licence Fee) and 50% commercial revenue (mainly through advertising and sponsorship). RTÉ has undergone major changes since 2000 and has been restructured into six Integrated Business Divisions (IBDs) and a corporate centre. The six IBDs are:

} RTÉ News and Current Affairs} RTÉ Television – operating two

channels, RTÉ One and RTÉ Two. In addition RTÉ, at the behest of Government, has established a third national television service TG4 which operates autonomously under the aegis of RTÉ on the basis that it will be established as an independent service.

} RTÉ Radio – operating four channels, RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2fm, RTÉ lyric fm and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta

} RTÉ Publishing – the RTÉ Guide, RTÉ Aertel and RTÉ.ie} RTÉ Performing Groups – RTÉ National Symphony

Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, RTÉ

Vanbrugh Quartet, RTÉ Cór na nÓg and the RTÉ Philharmonic Choir

} RTÉNL – a wholly owned subsidiary company, which runs the transmission network.

More than anything else audiences in Ireland look to RTÉ for an impartial news service and excellent Irish programmes across all genres: soap operas to sport, lifestyle activities to contemporary drama. We aim to meet these requirements – and to do much more. We aim to play a signifi cant and lasting role in Irish life – to make a difference.

The changing landscapeAs Irish broadcasting moves to a digital age, RTÉ is committed to developing and changing as necessary to maintain an excellence of service to the people of Ireland. RTÉ must maximise on new ways of connecting with its audiences – while not exacerbating effects of the digital divide. Access to and use of the new wave of technologies will not be universal, there may be a signifi cant group of “digital have-nots”, and it is critical that we ensure broadcasting does not become a source of division rather than of unity. RTÉ will work to ensure that everyone is informed of the new reality, of the advantages of digital, and helped to bridge the digital divide.

This will mean changes for the audiences and indeed for RTÉ itself. This will be very challenging but RTÉ will respond – it has responded well to challenges and undergone major changes in the recent past as it moved from being close to a monopoly broadcaster to being a major player in what has been described as the most competitive broadcasting market in Europe. RTÉ is critically aware that there is no room for complacency and that it will continually have to change, and indeed reinvent itself, to meet the changing needs of its audiences.

Acting in the public interestDespite the changing landscape one thing will not change; the very high expectations Irish audiences have of RTÉ – and in particular the high editorial standards. They are right to have these expectations and RTÉ consistently strives to meet them. RTÉ sets public interest tests for itself that include:

} Fairness} Accuracy} Impartiality} Objectivity} Independence from vested

interests and freedom from political control or infl uence

} High quality schedules available to all (i.e. universally available and free to air)

} A signifi cant proportion of programming originating in Ireland

} Schedules that include programming for minority groups and interests

} Schedules that respect the views of the audience and enhance their cultural expectations

} Programming that recognises regional interests and cultural diversity

} Programming that encourages understanding and tolerance

} Programming that is imaginative and original.

We want all our services to meet these tests and all our audiences to know that they can trust the integrity of our programmes.

06 INTRODUCTION

The wider contextCorporate Responsibility refl ects the core values of the society in which we live. This is true of all societies and all individual companies within societies. The European Commission together with members of the business community is currently laying the foundations for an open European Alliance for Corporate Responsibility.

RTÉ has a unique position in Irish society but shares many CR issues with other companies – and with media organisations in particular. The following chart (courtesy of KPMG LLP, developed for a Media Forum on CR held in the UK) expands on this – identifying issues with distinct implications for media. As mentioned earlier our key stakeholders and areas of responsibility are:

} RTÉ’s Audiences, including communities we work with

} RTÉ Staff} Business Interactions} Government and Regulators } Our Environment.

The stakeholders/areas and the issues identifi ed certainly span the entire CR landscape and hence provide an objective and useful check list for RTÉ.

07INTRODUCTION

Investing in and supporting staff

Freedom ofexpression

Media literacy

Culturallydiverse output

Creative independence

Transparent andresponsible editorial

policy

Valuing creativity

Impartial andbalanced output

Corporategovernance

Communityinvestment

Customerrelationships

Supply chainintegrity

Environmentalmanagement

Regulatory complianceand self-regulation

Health, safetyand security

Data protectionPrivacy

Intellectual property and copyright

Entertainmentand gaming

Education

Transparentownership

Treatment of freelancers

Integrity ofinformation

Social andenvironmental

issues promoted

Charitable issuespromoted

PluralityCitizenship

Human rights

Digital divideAudience needs

reflected in output

Informing publicopinion

Common issues withdistinct implications

for media

CSR issues commonto all sectors

Key: Unique CSR issuesfor media

Privacy/theft

08

Meeting the needs of our audiences. Most Corporate Responsibility reports identify customers and communities as two key stakeholders. In RTÉ’s case these two are combined into one group - our audiences who are at the core of all that we do, be it through programmes on television or radio, concerts by the Performing Groups, publishing via the RTÉ Guide, Aertel or Online. In all of these activities RTÉ must act responsibly and listen and respond to our audiences and the communities in which they live. Our responsibility is to all communities that make up Irish society – including those who are not commercially attractive.

09

The Broadcasting Act 2001 states that RTÉ must:

“…provide a comprehensive range of programmes in the Irish and

English language that refl ects the cultural diversity of the whole island of Ireland and include, both on radio and television...programmes that entertain, inform and educate, provide coverage of sporting, religious activities and cater for the expectations of the community generally as well as members of the community with special or minority interests and which, in every case, respect human dignity.”Section 28(2) (a)

RTÉ in its programme output across radio and television fulfi ls this obligation. RTÉ’s programmes refl ect the interests and needs of contemporary Ireland. RTÉ provides the vast majority of all television programming made in Ireland and that refl ects the experience of living in the country today.

In this initial CR Report we address how we meet the needs of our audiences under the following headings:

} Understanding and responding to our audiences

} Feedback from our audience} Audience Council } Safeguarding children} Informing citizenship} Refl ecting our changing society} Developing talent } Working with communities.

This is not a comprehensive list; it is indicative of the many types of interactions with our audiences and it is a list that will be amended, and added to, as our CR reporting develops in the years to come. We also present a case study on how we have worked with members of one particular sector of our Television audience who have special requirements and expectations – those who are hard of hearing and need access to subtitling for programmes.

Understanding and responding to our audiences As the national PSB, RTÉ is involved in public life throughout the country. We receive unique involvement and views from the public - with many of our programmes encouraging active audience participation.

Provision of programmesThe main way that we impact on viewers and listeners is through our programmes. Programmes can enrich the quality of society as a whole and can touch people’s lives in a way no other media can. Television, radio and our internet presence have the ability to communicate to millions of people the issues and arguments surrounding responsible behaviour and encourage people to take action, as well as expose unethical activities. We also provide people with the tools to participate, learn and become active members of our democratic society.

As a Public Service Broadcaster, RTÉ must make programmes for minorities as well as majorities. We must refl ect the full spectrum of opinions and values, attitudes and cultures, interests and occupations that go to make-up the patchwork of life in Ireland today. RTÉ’s programme-makers and content providers have a special responsibility to refl ect in a fair and generous manner the interests and values of all the people in Ireland.

Children form a special part of our audience and they are catered for with special programming such as The Den and services such as Music in the Classroom. A recent development is the e-gazette from RTÉ lyric fm’s breakfast show which is attached at Appendix 3.

Meeting the needs of our audiences

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RTÉ has a statutory duty, under existing Broadcasting Legislation and the Charter on Public Service Broadcasting, to broadcast in Irish. Our Guiding Principles also commit us to ensuring the production of high-quality content in both English and in Irish. RTÉ already has discreet operations which function almost entirely through the medium of Irish (RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, TG4, Nuacht RTÉ and Nuacht TG4) and we are committed to actively supporting the use of Irish in everyday life through the production of suitable programming.

It is, of course, our duty to make programmes people can trust and that are of the highest quality, impartial, fair and accurate. To maintain this we have in place editorial values, producer guidelines and other policies. But we don’t always get it right. Our continued efforts to improve dialogue with audiences help us to learn. They also enable us to develop better, more engaging and effi cient ways of fulfi lling our public service duties.

Audience involvementWe are aware that we do not always meet the needs of our audiences. But we always try to listen to them and respond appropriately. We have a well-defi ned RTÉ Complaints Procedure (see Appendix 1) to which members of the audience have easy recourse. If a member of the audience is dissatisfi ed with our response, or declines to use our procedure, s/he has the right to complain to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCC) that we are not meeting our statutory requirements in regard to impartiality, objectivity, standards of taste and decency, privacy, adherence to advertising codes, etc.

The BCC allows RTÉ to make a submission in response to complaints. In approximately half the complaints the complainant accepts RTÉ’s submission and the complaint is judged to have been withdrawn. If, however, the complainant is not satisfi ed with RTÉ’s response, the Commission views the offending programme and comes to its adjudication. The volume of complaints upheld by the BCC remains gratifyingly low.

In 2003 the BCC forwarded to RTÉ 88 complaints related to programming and 13 about ads - only one complaint against programmes was upheld.

In 2004 the BCC forwarded to RTÉ 135 complaints related to programming and 30 about ads - three complaints about programmes (two referring to the same programme) were upheld.

In 2005 the BCC forwarded to RTÉ 145 complaints related to programmes and 37 about ads – 12 complaints about programmes were upheld (eight referred to the same programme). Thankfully most of our interactions with our audiences are positive and we work hard to ensure we have as much information as possible on how they react to our output so we can seek to enhance our understanding of their needs. A key way of gathering this information is through research. This audience research takes two forms:

} Joint Industry Qualitative and Quantitative Research – focusing on information relating to audience fi gures for television, radio, and publishing and of interest to all media organisations and those interested in advertising; the research is jointly commissioned

by the interest groups} Specifi c research commissioned by RTÉ.


Gearóid Grant at an RTÉ/The Irish Times Music in the Classroom concert with audience of primary school children

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Joint Industry Qualitative and Quantitative Research

(a) Television research For more than 40 years, RTÉ has led research on television viewing in Ireland, and has, in recent years, ensured that the Television Audience Measurement (TAMs) system in operation has responded positively to the rapidly changing regulatory and technological environment. This ensures that broadcasters and other interested parties such as advertisers, Irish and non-Irish, can evaluate programme performance using extremely detailed audience viewing data that is statistically reliable.

The TAM service, which uses state of the art electronic metering technology, provides overnight programme ratings data, on a minute-by-minute basis, across a variety of demographic groupings for subscribing Irish and non-Irish television channels as well as quarter-hour ratings for a total of 17 channels and periodic statistical data on more than 200 additional channels.

(b) Radio researchFor more than 50 years, RTÉ has pioneered research on radio listening in Ireland and has been central to the organisation of joint industry committees to ensure that both advertisers and all radio stations receive accurate and reliable data for programming and airtime sales purposes.

The current joint industry research survey, the Joint National Listenership Research (JNLR), commenced in 1990 shortly after independent commercial radio stations began broadcasting.

The research methodology used for radio research since 1953 has been the face-to-face “day-after aided recall” interview system. The JNLRs have traditionally been available on a six-monthly basis but since August 2005 they have been available quarterly.

(c) Programme appreciation While the mechanisms for measuring the size and composition of audiences for both television and radio programmes in Ireland have become more sophisticated over time, quantitative measures have in-built constraints.

Qualitative measures have been incorporated into the TAM system to provide a programme appreciation facility to viewers, where they are asked to register their appreciation or lack of appreciation of the programme they have just watched. However, this facility has not been heavily utilised by users to date.

There is no joint industry mechanism for determining levels of appreciation among listeners to radio programmes.

(d) Research on publicationsThe Joint National Readership Survey (JNRS) commenced with the July 2002 to June 2003 release. It is now published twice yearly and provides reliable estimates of readership of newspapers and magazines in Ireland and Special Interest Group information for all adults. Lansdowne Market Research conducts the survey on behalf of the industry.

Specifi c research commissioned by RTÉ

RTÉ commissions its own qualitative and quantitative research from independent and reputable market research agencies to gain information on various topics such as:

} Issues of Corporate concern} Audience reaction to specifi c RTÉ

services/outputs } Developing insights into our

audiences through the analysis of changing demographic and lifestyle patterns.

Michael Lyster presents The Sunday Game, one of the most popular sports programmes on RTÉ Television


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(a) Issues of Corporate concernThe public interest tests that RTÉ sets itself in relation to high editorial standards require periodic evaluation by way of survey questionnaires. This lets us know what the audience thinks of RTÉ generally and of what RTÉ provides. On a three-yearly cycle since the late 1980s, RTÉ has commissioned one of Ireland’s leading market research agencies to evaluate RTÉ’s Corporate Reputation.

More recently, RTÉ has undertaken research on the Corporate Brand and on the ways we market our output. The results of this help us present our output in the ways that best meet audience requirements.

(b) Audience reaction to specifi c RTÉ services/outputs The volume and diversity of RTÉ services/output frequently requires strategic research to be commissioned. The requirements and methods differ from project to project but the objective of all commissioned research is to establish a comprehensive understanding of audience expectations and reactions on an ongoing basis.

(c) Insights into our audiencesResearch projects such as Time Budget Surveys update us on changing lifestyle patterns among our audiences. Information from bodies like the CSO and ESRI also provide very useful information on our changing society.

Feedback from our audiencesEvery Licence Fee payer has the right to comment on any aspect of RTÉ’s services and we want to be easily accessible and fully responsive to all comments – and particularly to responsible criticism.

Almost all RTÉ programmes now have email addresses to facilitate direct contact from listeners/viewers. But RTÉ also runs a dedicated Information Service, via both telephone lines and emails, to receive and deal with comments from members of the public. In 2005, there were some 37,500 telephone calls and almost 9,000 emails responded to by this service alone; there were many thousands of other queries addressed by individual programme lines.

The nature of the calls and emails varies enormously. The contacts can be broadly classifi ed as follows:

} Straightforward queries – seeking information about output. This category includes audience members seeking further information about material covered in a programme; wondering if a programme is going to be repeated, clarifying times of broadcasts etc.

} Complaints – varying from programmes not going out at the scheduled time to material the caller believes is inappropriate for the time of the broadcast to presenters mispronouncing place-names to dislike of the dress of presenters

} Praise – callers frequently call to convey positive feedback to individual presenters or about specifi c programmes or series.

} Technical issues - faults in reception, callers seeking advice to access subtitling

} Miscellaneous – people look to RTÉ for information on all sorts of activities – where to fi nd the ‘impossible to get’ toy the week before Christmas, tickets for a U2 concert or an All Ireland football fi nal!

All contacts are noted and a weekly report based on all relevant comments is circulated to editorial meetings to inform the review of the week’s output.

In the case of programmes which may cause distress (for example, the Stardust drama or some recent storylines on Fair City) relevant help-lines and websites are given out and frequently the Information Offi ce operates extended hours.

Audience CouncilIn its application for a Licence Fee increase in November 2002 RTÉ said:

“The relationship between the audience and the broadcaster can be very uneven yet good communications between the two are vital for the ongoing development of a truly relevant service. RTÉ is committed to being open to its audience, welcoming all contact with them, listening to their views and responding promptly and appropriately. To facilitate communication, and to enhance accountability, RTÉ has decided to establish an Audience Council.”

The Organisation subsequently established the Audience Council and it acts as an advisory group to the RTÉ Authority. The Council consists of 22 members – 11 who are representative of organisations that have a specialist interest in one or more of the key strands of programming, ten individual members and one ex-offi cio member - the Chair of the Authority’s Programme Sub-committee. The Council elects a Chairperson annually from among its members and a designated Secretary is provided by RTÉ


13

The tests of public interest RTÉ has identifi ed for itself are in the interest of the audience, and are open to comment and feedback by the audience; the Audience Council facilitates this communication.

The members of the Council, which has a four-year term of offi ce from January 2004, participate on a voluntary basis being reimbursed vouched expenses only.

Safeguarding childrenOn air, online and via the direct involvement of our staff, RTÉ believes it has special responsibilities towards children – who can be particularly vulnerable to infl uence from media.

RTÉ believes that a relationship of trust between the public and Public Service Broadcasters is essential. A particularly key part of that trust is based on children’s programming which should provide a safe but stimulating environment for children where they can be entertained, challenged and encouraged to participate. RTÉ, through its careful scheduling of programmes and its extensive use of presentation information about upcoming programming, seeks to ensure that parents can be confi dent that their children are watching suitable programming. In its home production RTÉ works

to ensure that Irish children and young people have access to programming which refl ects their cultural interests and the lives they live in Ireland today. RTÉ News provides a special focused news service to help children understand Ireland and the wider world.

RTÉ Television observes a 9.00pm watershed – with a view to ensuring that all programmes broadcast before that time are suitable for a general audience, including children. The Broadcasting Act 2001 gave to the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) responsibility to draw up new Codes governing all Broadcasters in the jurisdiction. In furtherance of these responsibilities the BCI launched a Children’s Advertising Code in January 2005 and is in the process of drawing up a Code of Programme Standards and a General Advertising Code. The provisions of these Codes will apply fully to RTÉ services.

RTÉ has in place its own extensive safeguards for children, both as members of the audience and as participants in programmes.

(a) As members of the audienceRTÉ provides hours of children’s programming each day on RTÉ Two television. This output is carefully chosen and monitored to ensure that it is suitable for the age groups of the children viewing. In the evening time RTÉ ensures that all programming up to the watershed is suitable for family viewing. In the post watershed period RTÉ progressively includes programming which may be more suited to an adult audience. To assist parents and guardians RTÉ puts on screen a symbol at the beginning of every programme indicating the suitability of the upcoming programme for younger viewers.

(b) As participants in programmes In order to ensure that the working environment is a safe place for children who are participating in programming RTÉ provides training and guidance to all programme-makers. All of the legislative requirements are addressed; there are detailed rules about hours that may be worked, rest periods, chaperone arrangements and transport arrangements. The issue of parental consent for children participating in programming is also addressed.

RTÉ received a lot of positive feedback from the audience when the Stardust drama was broadcast earlier this year


14

Informing citizenshipThe word citizenship is used here is its broadest sense, i.e. a member of Irish society.

Repeated surveys, nationally and internationally, show that people receive the majority of their information about public life from broadcasting. In Ireland, RTÉ provides a comprehensive news and current affairs service across radio, television and the internet. From Morning Ireland at 7.00am right through to the late night news, RTÉ keeps the Irish people informed about public life. The RTÉ News website is a source of up-to-date and accurate information on Ireland availed of by numerous professionals at home and abroad - including journalists, fi nanciers and diplomats.

At times of elections and referenda RTÉ provides extensive coverage of all campaigning, electioneering, policy formulation, election counts and results. The comprehensive election coverage provided by RTÉ over many years has been an important contributor to how the electorate understands Ireland’s electoral system of Proportional Representation.

RTÉ’s News and Current Affairs output is subject to ongoing and extensive review, through editorial meetings at both Divisional and Corporate levels, to ensure that an objective and impartial understanding of the public domain is available to all the people of Ireland.

In future reports, RTÉ could consider issues such as:

} How can we best work with voluntary organisations? Should we actively encourage people to become volunteers?

} How should we promote good citizenship and encourage people of all ages to participate more actively in society?

} The effects of new technologies (internet, blogs) and the ‘citizen journalist’ phenomena – e.g. the use of camera phones and eye witness accounts.

Refl ecting our changing societyIreland has changed rapidly over recent years and RTÉ has a responsibility to provide programming that refl ects the country and its people.

Both in its general programming and its specifi c programming aimed at new arrivals in Ireland, such as Spectrum, RTÉ consciously tries to provide the basis for an understanding and welcoming Ireland refl ecting the increasingly diverse nature of Ireland today. We hope our programmes will help to explain difference and promote greater understanding between the communities that make up our society. One example of direct involvement is in the Media and Multicultural Awards (MAMA Awards) held annually in association with RTÉ. The organisation is also committed to increasing Irish people’s understanding of world affairs, both in mainstream news and current affairs and also in specialist programming such as the long-running Worlds Apart. During the past year RTÉ News and Current Affairs adopted a focus on Africa and there were two RTÉ Television series on development issues.

Miriam O’Callaghan and Mark Little, presenters of RTÉ’s award-winning current affairs programme Prime Time


15

Developing talentWhen we speak about talent, and the need to develop it, people immediately think of on-air talent. This is of course understandable as people quite rightly expect and demand the highest calibre of talent in presentation, acting, interviewing etc. But RTÉ must have a focus on the fi nding and nurturing of new talent for all aspects of the Organisation’s activities. An ongoing responsibility and a specifi c focus for managers is the review of talent needs and succession planning – with the additional objective of ensuring a strong representation of both men and women at all levels.

RTÉ is committed to enriching Ireland’s cultural life by bringing to the fore top quality performances in music, drama and comedy that are not found on other Irish media. By doing so, we aim to celebrate the creativity of Irish people and to take a lead in discovering, developing, commissioning and showcasing new talent. For example, since its inception, RTÉ 2fm has had a track-record of supporting new Irish bands, giving airtime to demo tapes and providing young groups access to studio time. Also, for over 20 years, the station has been running an annual competition to fi nd and reward young Irish songwriters. Two other long-running competitions organised by RTÉ Radio are:

} The RTÉ P.J. O’Connor Radio Drama Awards were established to honour the late P. J. O’Connor, former Head of Drama in RTÉ Radio 1, who was noted for his encouragement of new talent. The aim of the competition is to encourage new writers to radio drama and to increase awareness of the possibilities and scope of radio as a medium in the fi eld of drama. In 2005, a record 365 writers from all over Ireland and overseas submitted dramas for consideration. The three prize-winners receive a cash award and, most importantly, the professional production of their plays

} The RTÉ Francis MacManus Short Stories Awards celebrated 20 years on air in 2005. The competition commemorates the life and work of Francis MacManus, (1909 – 1965), Writer and Head of Talks and Features in Radio Éireann, who was a major fi gure in encouraging Irish writers and developing radio as a medium for the expression of ideas and the promotion of new writing. The 2005 competition attracted over 749 entries from all over Ireland and from Irish people living abroad.

Working with communitiesCR has been described simply as ‘a business giving back to society’ – with the basic premise that the organisation should care about what its public / audience / staff cares about. In RTÉ’s case this includes a lot of our normal PSB activities including:

} Responsibly addressing social issues – including creating awareness and challenging injustices (e.g. the Prime Time Investigates Leas Cross programme in May 2005)

} Meeting regional needs – including regional and local news; embracing the culture; raising the issues and giving recognition

} Connecting communities – at times of celebration (e.g. All-Ireland fi nals); state events (e.g. Presidential inauguration) and at times of crisis (e.g. Foot and Mouth).

Participants in RTÉ Radio’s Active Age Talent Showcase pictured with MC, Gay Byrne


The reality is that communities make-up our audiences - without them we would not exist. We actively engage with communities regardless of age, gender, creed, race, geographical location, sexual orientation, social class etc. We exist to serve their national broadcasting needs. But we interact with communities in many ways beyond the provision of programmes.

The following is an indicative list of the type of focused engagements RTÉ undertakes, addressed to specifi c communities - some communities are small, others are so large they are almost national; some are very uniform in composition, others are very diverse, but all are part of RTÉ’s audience. The items selected are designed to give a fl avour of activities, rather than provide an exhaustive list.

Mayo and Galway music – In late October 2005, the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra took up temporary residency in counties Mayo and Galway for a week of music-making. The fi ve-day residency programme was held in partnership with the Royal Theatre, Castlebar and Mayo County Council with Galway and Mayo Education Centres supporting the educational strand of the programme. This was the fourth in the RTÉ NSO’s series of residencies following earlier visits to Kerry, Donegal and Cork with two main objectives – bringing the RTÉ NSO to the regions and introducing it to school students.

Seachtain na Gaeilge – RTÉ works closely with the organisers of Seachtain na Gaeilge held in March of each year and designed to promote the use of Irish nationwide. We provide pre-publicity, broadcast special programmes and support the event across our output areas.

Nuacht Pobail – The Nuacht Pobail initiative brought community broadcasting to a national television audience, encouraging grass-roots activity and participation and creating a sense of belonging. In March 2006, communities and/or special interest groups throughout the country were invited to submit proposals setting out how they would put together an RTÉ Nuacht bulletin using local material and sources. The Iveragh Gaeltacht in County Kerry was chosen and members of the community trained in journalistic skills and had their news reports broadcast live on RTÉ Television over the June Bank Holiday weekend.

Multi-culturalism – the Festival of World Cultures is considered by many to be Ireland’s premier inter-cultural event with a diverse range of activities for people of all ages. Held in Dun Laoghaire, over the last weekend in August each year, the Festival includes a wide range of street events, theatre, music, food and craft fairs. RTÉ became the Festival’s media partner in 2005 to help facilitate the promotion of multi-culturalism in Ireland.

Transition Year Radio – RTÉ radio producers travel to second-level schools around the country where they work with transition year students and show them how to present, produce and research their own hour-long radio programme for transmission on RTÉ 2fm.

Farmleigh Proms – presented in conjunction with the Offi ce of Public Works since 2001 and designed to encourage people of all ages to attend concerts in a relaxed and very beautiful setting. The Proms involve the RTÉ NSO, the RTÉ CO and invited musicians and are held over a one-week period. For many it is a gentle introduction to serious music and it has become a key date in the summer calendar of families and small groups from throughout the island of Ireland. In 2005 over 160,000 people applied for the 10,000 tickets available free of charge.

Occasionally RTÉ engages with community events because of their intrinsic importance to Irish life e.g. Fleadh Ceoil na hÉireann and the National Ploughing Championship. In these cases RTÉ will go to the location and ‘set up shop’ for a period of days. Live broadcasts will come from the venue and programme content will be related to the activities. RTÉ personnel, both on and off air, will be available to meet with members of the public and answer their queries. Audience members will have an opportunity to see just how a live broadcast works, get to meet people they are used to listening to on radio or watching on television and collect some RTÉ merchandise! Unfortunately we frequently receive more invitations to attend events than we can possibly accept.

One very special on-going involvement is with the Arts Community. As Ireland’s largest cultural institution RTÉ is proud to run RTÉ Supporting the Arts scheme – which offers groups throughout Ireland the opportunity to have their activities promoted on RTÉ Radio and/or RTÉ Television. Details of the scheme are on http://www.rte.ie/about/supporting_arts.html

16 Meeting the needs of our audiences

SponsorshipsWhen RTÉ commits to sponsoring an activity we seek to ensure the liaison will be of mutual benefi t to the event and to RTÉ’s output i.e. it is related to our core business. Some recent/current sponsorships are:

Media and Multi-cultural Awards (MAMA Awards) – Metro Éireann is Ireland’s foremost multi-cultural newspaper and is also the organiser of the MAMA Awards which are now held in association with RTÉ. The Awards acknowledge, on an annual basis, outstanding contributions by the community and the media to the understanding of multi-culturalism in Ireland.

RTÉ All-Ireland Amateur Drama Festival – Ireland has a proud tradition in amateur drama which had decreased in recent years yet there are many communities retaining an intense commitment to and passion for it. RTÉ has entered into a fi ve-year sponsorship agreement with the All-Ireland Amateur Drama Festival - which includes fi nancial support, on-air promotion and daily broadcasts during the Festival period.

All of these activities, and more, are embraced by RTÉ in conjunction with specifi c communities. The benefi ts for both sides can be immense. Communities get the opportunity to work with professional broadcasters and to tell their story on the national airwaves; RTÉ staff get the opportunity to work closely with the audience to create programming output that meets their joint needs.

Ernest Bishop accepting the award on behalf of Galway City Partnership who won the Multicultural Institution Category. Salome Mbugua (presenter of the Award) is to his left and Shalini Sinha (MC) is to his right

17Meeting the needs of our audiences

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CASE STUDYBroadcasting for the hard of hearing

The hard of hearing, and their representative groups, is a particular sector within Irish society which RTÉ has established a close working relationship with over many years – starting in the mid 1980s when the RTÉ Aertel (teletext) was developed and leading on to RTÉ’s investment in its subtitling service. In 1991, RTÉ developed an in-house subtitling service to provide subtitles for Glenroe, the station’s fl agship drama at the time. Four years later, RTÉ subtitled the Late Late Show using live subtitles.

At all stages of development, RTÉ has benefi ted from the input of the hard of hearing community and this has resulted in the service of meeting their needs and requirements. These user groups have come to rely on RTÉ Aertel for access to news, sports, and several other topics. On the recommendations of the user groups RTÉ concentrated its efforts on providing subtitles during peak viewing (6.00pm – 11.30pm) which would particularly include news, current affairs and all major national and international events. All election, budget broadcasts and political discussions are now subtitled live with back-up information on RTÉ Aertel.

RTÉ Aertel also provides a dedicated magazine section for use as a community noticeboard - updated by and for the deaf and hard of hearing community from their own offi ces. The technology has changed signifi cantly over the years and in 2004 RTÉ invested b2m in a new digital subtitling system and acquired the latest software available for their subtitling workstations. RTÉ’s annual subtitling budget is now over b1m and there are fi ve in-house subtitlers working on home-produced programmes. In 1999 RTÉ subtitled approximately 30% of its output during peak programming (6.00pm – 11.30pm) on RTÉ One and 7% on RTÉ Two. By mid 2005 peak programming subtitles were up to 90% on RTÉ One and 25% on RTÉ Two.

The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) began work on the Access Rules in April 2003 and, in February 2005, following a public consultation, produced the following proposed targets and time-frames for each broadcaster. These targets are to be achieved between the hours of 7.00am – 1.00am.


CASE STUDY Broadcasting for the hard of hearing

Priorities expressed by user groups have always been a deciding factor in determining RTÉ’s subtitling output. RTÉ regrets that some issues raised during the public consultation, undertaken by the BCI, have not been addressed and as a result targets may not be achieved. Key issues:

} The time-frame is too short in the fi rst fi ve years and does not allow scope for changes in technology. RTÉ has continuously monitored the development of new technological developments such as voice recognition and broadband. RTÉ believes it is uneconomical and unwise to invest in such technology until it is known to be suitable

} 100% appears to be an artifi cial and unachievable target. There are cases where it does not make sense to subtitle all programmes – e.g. programmes made specifi cally for non-readers (pre-school), and some fast-paced sports – where the story is in the visual. To subtitle these programmes will not benefi t the audience, but will dilute resources and increase cost

} Schedule considerations - it costs the same amount of money to subtitle a programme going out off-peak as it does to subtitle a programme going out during peak viewing. The hard of hearing audience’s peak viewing is the same as that of the general audience and their priorities are for News and Current Affairs which air during peak

} Skills - it is acknowledged that there is a lack of qualifi ed subtitlers, and that training broadcast stenography is essential. There is no such training available in Ireland. The recommended incremental increases expected for live subtitling cannot be met without addressing this situation.

RTÉ remains fully committed to providing subtitles for the hard of hearing and implementing their preferences and recommendations for programme subtitles wherever possible. We have increased annual subtitling output year on year and will continue doing so – maximising the use of new developments in technology. RTÉ’s subtitling service now has its own webpage (http://www.rte.ie/tv/subtitles/) which gives a list of programmes that are subtitled each day and an easy to follow step-by-step guide to accessing subtitled programmes from your television.

RTÉ holds a meeting with the deaf and hard of hearing groups every year so that they can raise relevant issues, discuss the quality of subtitles and recommend preferred programmes for subtitling. The 2006 meeting was held with representatives from the IDS (Irish Deaf Society), NAD (National Association for Deaf People) and the IHHA (Irish Hard of Hearing).

} Table 1 – Subtitle targets

Subtitling 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 RTE One 55% 65% 75% 85% 93% 95% 97% 98% 99% 100% RTE Two 24% 33% 42% 51% 60% 67% 73% 80% 85% 90%

TG4 24% 30% 36% 42% 50% 56% 62% 68% 74% 80% TV3 12% 19% 26% 33% 40% 44% 48% 52% 56% 60%

20 Meeting the needs of our audiences

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RTÉ Staff. RTÉ is a signifi cant employer with 2,287 staff members at year-end 2005. The average age of male staff members is 40.87 years of age and of female members is 36.96 years of age. The work force is fairly well-balanced in gender terms with the male:female ratio being 1:0.85. Out of a total of 234 managers, 136 are male and 98 are female (58%:42% or 1:0.72).

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Employer of choice RTÉ aims to provide both a challenging and rewarding career for existing and future staff. Irrespective of the level staff work at or the job they do, their contribution should be recognised and rewarded appropriately. RTÉ provides fulfi lling roles and opportunities for staff to progress and realise their potential. We continuously work to create an environment where staff are committed to and capable of achieving job satisfaction while delivering RTÉ’s business goals.

RTÉ is an equal opportunities employer and endeavours to handle all relationships with its staff with understanding, courtesy and respect, recognising the individuality and dignity of each person.

The Organisation recognises the importance of:

} Giving each staff member all appropriate knowledge of the organisation and of employment conditions

} Offering each staff member the opportunity to express his/her opinions freely regarding the organisation’s policies

} Continuing to develop a partnership process with staff, trade unions and representative groups

} Staff having the right to raise concerns in relation to any specifi c knowledge, or any properly grounded suspicions, that they may have about actual, or potential, material irregularities in a) the running of RTÉ or b) the activities of colleagues, contractors, suppliers or customers (commonly referred to as a whistle-blowing policy)

} Providing training and development that staff need to perform the job to which they are assigned and to provide for the needs of succession and redeployment

} Supporting staff associations as appropriate including the RTÉ Credit Union, RTÉ Sports & Social Club, RTÉ Benevolent Society

} Supporting the RTÉ Childcare Co-operative in the provision of

an on-site crèche (see case study).

RTÉ’s divisional heads/managers are required to review the performance of their staff on an annual basis taking organisational change and other developments into consideration with a view to determining their training needs. Divisional heads/managers are responsible for the establishment of appropriate training programmes and must consider any other action that may be necessary for personnel as required resulting from the staff review.

As part of RTÉ’s Human Resource policy all staff should feel that:

} They are kept informed on matters that concern them

} Their views are sought on existing practices and on proposed changes that will affect them

} Consultative committees in RTÉ are used for a genuine exchange of views

} They are provided with proper facilities to redress grievances

} They have a safe and healthy working environment where all employees are treated with dignity and respect, free from harassment or bullying.

Remuneration and working conditionsRTÉ employs a wide variety of professional and highly-skilled people – for example the Organisation employs the greatest number of musicians, actors, journalists, producers and directors in Ireland. RTÉ seeks to provide each staff member with reasonable working hours, affording enough time for relaxation, family life and personal development.

RTÉ Staff

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In implementing a diversity programme the Organisation works to ensure best practice in work/ personal life balance. RTÉ acknowledges the growing social concern of employees to achieve a balance between paid work and the demands of personal and family life. RTÉ implements a range of practices that help people to combine and manage their working lives with responsibilities and interests outside the workplace. These practices are available to staff insofar as the arrangements of the business allow and include:

} Flexible working arrangements including job-share

} Additional maternity leave on completion of the statutory period

} Paternity leave} Career breaks} Tele-working – which is a way

of working and not a job of work in itself. It means performing an allotted job electronically, usually from home rather than from the offi ce base

} Crèche facilities - the RTÉ Childcare Co-operative provides onsite professional childcare facilities for the staff’s children from three months of age. RTÉ supported the establishment and ongoing maintenance of the Crèche and is currently addressing the provision of a new enlarged purpose-built facility.

The general policy of RTÉ in relation to rates of pay and conditions of employment will be to treat all staff fairly irrespective of grade and status. Remuneration and working conditions will be determined in relation to good practice in the community generally, the former always subject to RTÉ’s fi nancial capacity. Fair treatment will also mean the establishment of equitable differentials, monetary or otherwise, between different grades of staff. Such differentials should refl ect varying degrees of duty and responsibility, which will be determined as systematically as possible.

Jenny Huston is a DJ on RTÉ 2fm

Henry Kelly works in RTÉ Radio

Massimo Marraccini works in RTÉ Performing Groups

Sinead Casey works in RTÉ Corporate

RTÉ Staff

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Annual leave will generally, and as far as possible, be allowed at the time the individual staff member wishes to take it, subject to the exigencies of the service by the staff member’s departmental manager. Leave without pay for short periods, in conjunction with annual leave for private reasons or special reasons, is considered on its merit.

Welfare of staffRTÉ directs considerable time and resources to dealing with the welfare of its staff as it is committed to the maintenance of the highest level of occupational health and welfare of its staff. This commitment is refl ected in the wide range of policies and programmes administered by Human Resources and all personnel policies which take account of the welfare of staff. The scope of the welfare activities is wide and provides for both the individual and collective welfare of staff.

RTÉ provides a comprehensive sick pay scheme and all staff members are covered for occupational injury benefi ts. RTÉ has developed a number of insurance schemes to protect staff in the event of long-term illness, accident or death-in-service. Apart from RTÉ’s general personal accident cover which applies to all staff when working away from base, RTÉ has a special policy to cover staff members who are required to engage in hazardous activities when they are on duty for RTÉ.

RTÉ recognises the requirement to provide a safe and healthy working environment and takes full account of the regulations within the relevant legislation, in particular the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989. Welfare services for staff are of two kinds: those administered by Human Resources for the benefi t of staff collectively and those where Human Resources engage counselling or other welfare support.

Occupational medical services are available to staff where the illness or injury experienced requires such intervention. HR Managers have the facility to call on the services of a welfare specialist to assist in dealing with individual cases as they arise. A number of Health Screening programmes have been offered to staff as part of our proactive policy on general and specifi c health problems. RTÉ administers group schemes for VHI, BUPA and VIVAS, affording staff a 10% reduction on annual premiums.

There is a comprehensive RTÉ anti-harassment and bullying policy available to all staff and designed to ensure awareness as to what constitutes harassment, sexual harassment and bullying and to providing a procedural framework for dealing with complaints. A panel of Designated Contact Persons (DCPs) is available to provide confi dential advice, assistance and guidance in an objective manner with a view to resolving complaints of harassment, sexual harassment and bullying. The prime objective of this policy and service is to provide a safe and healthy work environment in which all employees are treated with dignity and respect.

New draft policies on Stress, Alcohol and Substance Abuse are in development.

Position of womenAs 42% of senior managers in RTÉ are women the position is reasonable but not as good as it should be so the Organisation has a Career Development Strategy which provides a series of recommendations for developing and enhancing the careers of women. These recommendations have been incorporated into existing policies and procedures where appropriate, for example, recruitment and selection, work/life balance and performance appraisal. Under this project, a

mentoring programme was piloted in Television with the aim of encouraging career progression for women within the Organisation.

The strategy was a key outcome from RTÉ’s participation in Women Active in Diversity Equality (WADE) – a project initiated and funded by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform under the Equality for Women Measure of the Regional Operational programmes, National Development Plan (2000-2006).

Staff selection and developmentSelection of staff for appointment to RTÉ is based on merit at all times and all recruitment procedures have this as the primary objective. RTÉ’s policy in regard to promotions is to promote the most suitable staff member to any vacancy, having regard to ability, experience and potential, consistent with RTÉ’s obligations as an equal opportunities employer. As far as possible, consistent with RTÉ’s judgement of its staff needs, a policy of promotion from within the Organisation is normally followed.

It is the general policy of RTÉ to provide the training that staff need:

} To perform the job to which they are assigned

} For self development} To improve their skills and

knowledge} For re-training where necessary} For the best possible motivation

and morale} To encourage fl exibility and

adaptability in staff enabling the Organisation to grow and develop.

RTÉ encourages staff towards self-development and improvement of their skills and knowledge by private study, normally in their own time and with appropriate RTÉ support.

RTÉ Staff

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Staff relations and partnership in RTÉThe primary responsibility for good relations with staff lies with RTÉ as the employer. RTÉ is committed to taking the initiative in seeking to create and maintain a climate of harmonious relations with its staff, trade unions and representative groups. RTÉ endeavours to communicate effectively with its entire staff both directly and indirectly through various representative groupings. It is RTÉ policy to conduct negotiations through collective bargaining.

Partnership in RTÉ is seen as a relationship whereby each side recognises that the other has legitimate interests and rights, as well as obligations. Partnership implies that both parties have common interests in the success of the organisation, its competitiveness, viability and prosperity. The parties are committed to creating a shared understanding of the future of RTÉ and to sharing the responsibilities and gains that fl ow from that understanding.

RTÉ values and respects the views and opinions of its staff and as an indicator of this a climate survey was conducted in 2005 and will be repeated in future years as required. The survey was undertaken on an independent and confi dential basis and the purposes were:

} Help the Organisation better understand the opinions of staff members on a number of key areas such as leadership, fl exibility and communication

} Improve upward communications} Take appropriate action in

response to the feedback.

Results are being analysed, shared with staff and action plans will be developed to implement appropriate changes.

Health and SafetyAs the national Public Service Broadcaster RTÉ ensures its staff are provided with the facilities and resources to maintain their safety at work. Furthermore, RTÉ endeavours to ensure it provides a safe working environment for contractors, contributors and members of the public who visit our various premises and facilities.

Legislative requirements Under the Safety, Health & Welfare at Work legislation, RTÉ is required to ensure a safe place of work. This means we must provide staff with safe systems of work, safe plant and machinery and the necessary resources to achieve this end. In order to comply with this, RTÉ must set out in writing how it will achieve this requirement. Good practice is adopted to ensure compliance with Health and Safety legislation and there is an Annual Report prepared by the designated Health and Safety Offi cer.

RTÉ is completing the process of compiling safety statements for each IBD, identifying the risks associated with broadcasting and the management policy relating to safety in the workplace. The process of drafting safety statements includes Hazard Identifi cation and Risk Reduction Guidelines, allocation of responsibilities and a formal consultation procedure. Chief among these policies is the requirement to train staff in areas of safety relating to their jobs where risks cannot be eliminated. For example, where the job content requires an individual to carry out manual handling, training is mandatory every three years. RTÉ has identifi ed all these jobs and training has taken place and a schedule is in place. Other areas for mandatory safety training include journalists and crews with a liability to work in war zones, all of whom have received specialised Hostile Environment Training. Presenter/Reporters with a liability to use digital video cameras have

under gone relevant safety training.

Staff members, such as studio electricians and Outside Broadcast (OB) technicians, who are required to work at heights, have received mandatory safety training. RTÉ provides, every four years, mandatory Safe Pass Training for staff with a liability to work in locations where construction work is taking place.

Other examples of good practice designed to ensure we meet and where possible exceed all mandatory health and safety requirements are:

} Site specifi c safety plans are drawn up for all major projects to comply with the Safety Health & Welfare at Work Construction Regulations, 2001

} ‘Permit to work’ systems operate where they are required

} RTÉ monitors closely the operations of contractors on site with a code of practice specifying authorisation criteria

} The introduction of Digital Video Cameras required safety awareness training for new operators

} All Radio outside broadcast staff have been trained in Risk Assessment procedures

} RTÉ has ensured the mandatory number of staff are trained in First Aid and offered updating every three years and has exceeded the mandatory requirement by training all those who have volunteered to date to participate in the programme

} In May 2005 RTÉ purchased fi ve Automated External Defi brillators and trained 46 staff in their use

} Fire warden training is offered on a bi-annual basis to staff across the organisation

} Optional fl u vaccinations are made available to all staff.

RTÉ Staff

Many of the features of effective Health and Safety Management are the same as good management practices and Health and Safety issues are treated, legally and morally, as equal to all other facets of management responsibility within RTÉ. The Organisation endeavours to be pro-active in health and safety considerations e.g. using pre-employment medical examinations to ensure that staff members are suited to the tasks assigned to them. Where training is identifi ed as a necessary prerequisite for the job, it is delivered.

Partnership structures within RTÉ enables locally nominated safety representatives to raise safety issues at local level with a referral mechanism to the Safety Review Group which consists of representatives from across the Organisation. The Safety Review Group is chaired by the RTÉ Safety Offi cer and meets on a bi-monthly basis.

Physical work environmentRTÉ is committed to providing a comfortable, and easily accessible, work environment for all staff and to ensuring that we are supporting the environment in doing so. In 2005, RTÉ replaced all existing PCs with 1,600 new PCs for users. New printing facilities were also introduced to encourage double sided copying, scanning and printing, which minimises paper waste. Both of these initiatives were supported by training sessions for staff and training materials which are available on the RTÉ intranet, Marconi. Another initiative which supports the paperless environment is the use of the RTÉ intranet. All internal documents are available to download on the intranet (e.g. staff handbook, pension booklet, annual report) as well as on-line facilities for requesting annual leave, processing expenses and fee payments.

The open offi ce plan in RTÉ is comfortable, with adequate spaces between desks and partitions between desks where requested. Water coolers are provided on every fl oor, as well as kitchen areas.

Responsibilities of staffThe RTÉ Code of Business Conduct and the RTÉ Policy on Personal and Public Activities of Staff describe the responsibilities of staff in the areas of:

} Duty of care to the organisation} Protecting confi dential

information} Protecting the Organisation’s

assets} Confl icts of interest} Purchasing of goods/services} Equality} Commitment to stakeholders} Local communities} Personal activities outside

RTÉ that may confl ict with impartiality.

Support for charitiesRTÉ staff contribute generously and voluntarily to many different charities. In response to staff requests, the RTÉ Staff One World Fund was founded in 1986 to channel some collective support to enhance the living conditions for people in Third World areas through funding of community based projects. The fund is fi nanced by voluntary contributions from RTÉ staff and RTÉ associates. Over 150 projects have been funded to date in areas in Africa, Asia and South America and RTÉ supports the fund by providing deduction at source facilities and by occasional contributions. In 2005 these included an anonymous sum of money received for no known reason and funds raised by staff participation in a corporate project.

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Presenters of RTÉ Television’s The Den

RTÉ Staff

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The RTÉ Childcare Co-Operative is a co-op of which the parents are the shareholders. The shareholders elect a Management Committee at the Annual General Meeting. A full-time manager, who liaises with the Management Committee, runs the Crèche on a day to day basis.

The Crèche started from very humble beginnings in 1987 and has expanded, improved and grown over the years to become the happy, caring and well-run facility it is today.

It offers a fi ve-year childcare plan to parents with a highly qualifi ed, experienced and caring workforce providing stability and security for all the children.

The RTÉ Crèche has an open door policy. Parents have access at any time of the day and staff members are always available to discuss a child and their progress with parents.

The Crèche caters for the following age groups:

} Baby four to 12 months} Tweenie 12 to 18 months} Toddler 18 to 24 months} Play Group 24 to 30 months} Pre-Monties 30 to 36 months} Montessori 36 months until entry to school.

The Crèche operates on a commercial basis. However, RTÉ subsidises it in a variety of ways.

RTÉ:

} Provides the premises under a lease agreement

} Pays for the heating, electricity and telephone costs

} Provides funding to the Crèche by way of an annual grant.

In the past RTÉ has on occasion provided once-off funding for larger scale projects, e.g. in 1999 a signifi cant project was funded on refurbishment and expansion.

Currently RTÉ has obtained planning permission to construct a new Crèche facility.

CASE STUDY The RTÉ Childcare Co-operative (Crèche)

RTÉ Staff

Our business interactions. RTÉ operates under a Code of Fair Trading which has been circulated to all our main business contacts and which is available on our website at http://www.rte.ie/about/organisation/fairtrading.html. There is a defi ned process for dealing with complaints in relation to the way we trade and we are, of course, subject to national and European regulations.

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Our key business stakeholders from a CR perspective are:

} Advertisers} Suppliers, including contractors/

sub-contractors} Independent Producers of

programmes.

The organisation strives to be completely honest and fair in all its interactions ensuring there are clear terms of business, including prompt payment procedures, and adherence to data protection requirements. RTÉ does not offer or accept bribes in any form or for any reason.

Our advertisersRTÉ is a jointly funded organisation with approximately 50% of our annual funding coming from the public, through the Licence Fee, and 50% coming from commercial sources – mainly through advertising and sponsorship.

There are a signifi cant number of Codes, Guidelines and Orders which regulate the content of Advertising/Sponsorship. The major Codes in question are the Department of Arts, Culture and Gaeltacht Code of Standards, Practice and Prohibitions in Advertising, Sponsorship and other forms of Commercial Promotions in Broadcasting Services (1995) and the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland’s Children’s Advertising Code (2005). RTÉ also operates its own Codes, the Code of Standards for Broadcast Advertising (1985) and the RTÉ Broadcast Sponsorship Guidelines (2004). RTÉ is also a party to the Code of the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland (2005). In addition to the Codes and Guidelines, the rules of a growing number of Regulatory Authorities form part of the advertising regulations, for example, those of the Financial Regulator, the Premium Rate Services Regulator and the Offi ce of the Director of Consumer Affairs.

Our business interactions

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Our suppliers RTÉ adheres to Government Guidelines for State Bodies (sometimes referred to as the “Green Book”) as defi ned in the Public Procurement Booklet available from http://www.e-tenders.gov.ie and EU Guidelines for procurement. There is a detailed Purchasing Policies and Procedures Manual available to all staff with responsibilities in this area.

As a major purchaser of goods and services RTÉ encourages sound environmental practices by our suppliers and contractors in accordance with accepted best practice and current environmental legislation. As part of our procurement procedures suppliers and potential suppliers are advised that RTÉ has an environmental policy in operation and that environmental considerations form part of the criteria used in selecting suppliers.

Independent producersRTÉ has a special relationship with Independent Producers of programmes. The interests of broadcasting in Ireland, including those of RTÉ, are enhanced by the development of a secure, profi table and stable independent production sector in Ireland. The needs of both RTÉ, as commissioner and broadcaster, and of the independent sector, as producers of television programmes, can best be met in an environment which allows creative and commercial talent to thrive and which recognises the mutual accountability, both editorially and fi nancially, which exists between RTÉ and the independent producer.

Under legislation RTÉ must expend annually a specifi c sum to fund independent television programmes (whether by way of development or commissioning or completion funding). In 1999, the amount was set at £16m - to rise in line with the annual CPI thereafter. The required sum was b29.4m in 2005; during that year RTÉ Television spent in excess of b74.6m with this sector, signifi cantly exceeding the required amount.

RTÉ commissions independent programming across all genres. Commissioning Editors manage programming for their own area. The business, fi nancial, legal and administrative aspects of RTÉ’s commissions is handled through the Independent Production Unit (IPU).

As specifi ed in legislation RTÉ maintains a separate bank account for its statutory spend on independent commissioning, issues an Annual Report on independent productions and has put in place a set of general administration and fi nancial procedures for independent commissions. These guidelines are provided in order that the independent sector can understand the procedures, policies and operations of RTÉ in the area of independent commissioning, and in order to demonstrate RTÉ’s transparency and accountability in every aspect of its commissioning activity.

RTÉ’s Terms of Trade form the framework for negotiation with independent producers. These Terms of Trade and the Standard Development/Commissioning/Completion Funding Contracts are re-negotiated with the sector (through the independent producer representative body Screen Producers Ireland (SPI)) every three to fi ve years.


Popular programmes on RTÉ Television, commissioned from the independent production sector, include No Experience Required (right), Killinaskully (left)

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Independent commissioning of programmes is covered by RTÉ‘s Code of Fair Trading, and RTÉ has also agreed with SPI a Code of Practice (which includes a grievance procedure) in respect of fair dealing by RTÉ with original programme proposals submitted by independent producers. Furthermore RTÉ works to ensure that:

} Independent Producers understand RTÉ's programming requirements and priorities for the Television Schedule

} RTÉ personnel understand and recognise the capacity and creativity of the independent sector.

This is achieved by regular communications between RTÉ and SPI, occasional seminars and regular participation by RTÉ at industry festivals, conferences etc. RTÉ is also a member of IBEC’s Audio-Visual Federation.

There is a dedicated section on the IPU and its commissioning procedures on RTÉ’s website, http://www.rte.ie/tv/ipu

Popular programmes on RTÉ Television, commissioned from the independent production sector, include Show me the Money (top), No Frontiers (bottom)


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RTÉNL is a wholly owned subsidiary of RTÉ and is responsible for the transmission services. RTÉNL takes responsibility for trying to maximise access to services – currently RTÉ Television can be received by c98% of the Irish population. Reception is mainly facilitated by Transmitter Stations and a number of new sites were identifi ed during 2004 to extend coverage to homes that could previously not receive a signal.

Community schemesSome homes receive their signal via a local Self Help/Community Scheme and RTÉNL is currently working to upgrade a number of Community Schemes throughout the country. Seventy-three sites have been identifi ed; some of these were grant aided or supplied by RTÉ in the past while a number were installed independently by the local community or defl ector system operators.

As each Community Scheme is surveyed, discussions take place with the landowner(s) with a view to acquiring a licence or agreement which will allow RTÉNL safe and legal access to the site and placement of the broadcast equipment. In some instances it was not possible to secure a licence and RTÉNL has disengaged from these sites and in one instance RTÉNL was requested to remove broadcast equipment and this request has been complied with.

Certain sites are proving diffi cult to acquire licences for as the owners live abroad and are diffi cult to contact. In these and other locations the local communities are doing their best to achieve licences in consultation with the owners on RTÉNL’s behalf.

Once the question of legal access has been resolved, RTÉNL identifi es the necessary work to bring these sites above a minimum standard.

Improved facilitiesOf the 73 sites, 61 have been visited and documented in so far as is possible. The sites have been accurately marked, a database has been populated with information such as land ownership, equipment used, frequencies assigned, etc. and a photographic record compiled.

The main issues to be resolved are electrical supply, health and safety issues for maintenance staff attending, equipment to replace obsolete or unserviceable components and security of the equipment.

In some instances it has been necessary to relocate the schemes, as it was uneconomical to construct long safe access routes over very diffi cult terrain. Certain sites have diffi culties in receiving a good source signal from a transmitter and in these sites RTÉNL is using a signal derived from a satellite source for re-transmission.

A total of 26 sites are identifi ed for upgrading before the end of 2006.

By mid 2006 the situation was:

} Thirty-one sites had a legal agreement in place

} Seven sites had agreements in principle but not signed

} Six sites were in early stage negotiations with landowners

} Six had been disengaged from} One site had been dismantled on

request} Twenty-two sites were in early

stage investigation.

A similar level of progress is planned for 2007 and the end result of this activity will be a better and continuous service to homes that are in geographically remote areas.

CASE STUDY RTÉ Transmission Limited (RTÉNL) and local communities


Government and Regulators. RTÉ is accountable to the Oireachtas (acting for the people of Ireland) through the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. The Government appoints the nine-member RTÉ Authority. The current Authority was appointed in June 2005 for a three-year term.

36

37

The RTÉ Authority currently carries responsibilities in Corporate Governance and Regulation:

Governance involves the arrangements which ensure that the organisation is effectively managed on behalf of its owners – the people of Ireland.

Regulation involves the specifi cation of and adherence to rules across a particular sector - the broadcasting sector in the case of RTÉ.

Corporate Responsibility is not a substitute for governance or regulation or for compliance with both. Rather CR, by investing in human, social and environmental capital, takes corporate objectives beyond what is required in law or in regulation.

RTÉ believes that compliance, with relevant legislation and regulation, constitutes the minimum standards that an organisation committed to CR should achieve; RTÉ further believes it must create the right internal environment to meet the highest standards of governance and regulation. In doing so RTÉ endeavours to embody the model of governance and regulation that is the most appropriate for its status as a Public Service Broadcaster (PSB) i.e. that it:

} Lives up to its purpose as a creative, innovative, inspiring and trusted broadcaster

} Belongs to the people and accounts for itself, its values, standards and performance to the public who enable it to exist

} Receives public funding and accounts for its expenditure

} Behaves like any other responsible corporation.

Responsibilities of the RTÉAuthorityRTÉ faces myriad compliance and regulatory obligations both national and European. In addition it needs to set its own standards (self-governing) to be a quality PSB as well as ensure the highest standards of corporate governance are achieved.

(a) Corporate Regulatory EnvironmentThe RTÉ Authority needs to:

} Identify the hallmarks of an ethical self-governing corporate culture - e.g. members of the Authority and the Executive Board comply with the corporate governance and other obligations imposed by the Ethics in Public Offi ce Act, 1995 and the Standards in Public Offi ce Act, 2001. RTÉ also publishes its Code of Business Conduct for Authority Members on its website

} Meet the standards for public bodies and codes of conduct-specifi cally the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies approved by the Government, and mandatory for the state sector. The Chairman of the RTÉ Authority reports annually to the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources on RTÉ’s performance in relation to observance of this Code

} Monitor evolving governance standards.

Government and Regulators

(b) Corporate accountabilityThe RTÉ Authority needs to:

} Demonstrate independence from any commercial or political interference

} Be transparent in fi nancial management practices and communicate to stakeholders via published reports, independent audited accounts

} Keep abreast of evolving industry standards showing best practice and continuous improvement.

(c) Corporate complianceThe RTÉ Authority needs to ensure it:

} Has adequate internal controls – by establishing criteria and evaluation methods, audit committee and enforcement mechanisms - to ensure compliance

} Responds appropriately to external obligations - reporting obligations to Oireachtas, Regulators, European Commission etc.

(d) Self-regulation The RTÉ Authority must set internal standards and adhere to such, for example:

} Editorial standards and best practice

} Programme-Makers Guidelines} Codes of advertising and

sponsorship} Codes of conduct on impartiality

and confl ict of interest} Code of Fair Trading.

(e) External regulation The RTÉ Authority must ensure that the responsibilities imposed on RTÉ by various external authorities are met. These include:

1. European legislative framework RTÉ must comply with the terms of various European regulations relevant to broadcasting, notably:

} Television without Frontiers Directive} Competition Rules on State Aid} Financial Transparency in Public

Service} Electronic Communications

Framework.

2. National regulatory framework Both national legislation and requirements of regulators apply to RTÉ in the conduct of all aspects of its business. These requirements include:

} Broadcasting legislation} Competition, Finance,

Employment, Equality, Health and Safety and other national legislation including the Offi cial Languages Act 2003

} BCI Programme Codes and Standards e.g. in relation to Children’s advertising

} Broadcasting Complaints Commission complaints procedures

} ComReg regulations and spectrum licences

} Competition rules.

38 Government and Regulators

A step further Going beyond its mandatory obligations RTÉ aspires to meet the highest standards of corporate governance and recognises the Combined Code on Corporate Governance 2003 (Financial Reporting Council, London), which applies to companies listed on both the Irish and UK Stock Exchanges, as being the standard to be achieved. RTÉ meets the Combined Code requirements in many respects, particularly in the area of Accountability and Audit. For example, RTÉ is in a minority of state companies who have a whistle-blowing policy.

However, RTÉ does not meet all of the requirements specifi ed for Boards by the Combined Codes, e.g. board performance evaluation and review of Chairman’s performance. This is due mainly to the method of appointment of the RTÉ Authority and the fact that the provisions in relation to institutional shareholders obviously cannot apply in the case of a statutory corporation such as RTÉ.

Public Service Broadcasting CharterAs part of a package of measures, agreed by Government in December 2002, in response to RTÉ’s application for a Licence Fee increase, it was agreed that RTÉ would operate under a Public Service Broadcasting Charter. The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources published the Charter in June 2004 and it will be formally reviewed after fi ve years.

The Charter explains the responsibilities and obligations placed on RTÉ by national and EU legislation and sets out what RTÉ commits to, in terms of provision of services and accountability. The full text of the Charter is available on the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources website (http://www.dcmnr.gov.ie/Broadcasting) and compliance with the requirements is reported on annually by RTÉ.

39Government and Regulators

40

4141

RTÉ is required to prepare its annual fi nancial statements in compliance with the requirements of:

} Generally accepted Accounting Principles

} The Broadcasting Acts} Aspects of EU transparency

directives transposed into Irish Law.

Under the Public Service Broadcasting Charter RTÉ is required to provide details in its annual report of the cost and revenues associated with each of its services.

RTÉ meets these requirements in full and is further committed to providing comprehensive transparent fi nancial information on the performance of all its activities and in particular on its use of public funding received. By providing this comprehensive fi nancial analysis RTÉ aims to facilitate the licence payers to see where their money is going and to demonstrate that they get good value for money.

The core expression of RTÉ’s commitment to providing transparent fi nancial information consists of detailed fi nancial information forming part of RTÉ’s externally audited fi nancial statements and published in RTÉ’s Annual Report (available on http://www.rte.ie/about).

These statements include:

} A comprehensive explanatory note setting out the methodology employed in the analysis of costs and revenues and the attribution of Licence Fee funding

} An analysis of costs, revenues and Licence Fee attribution by RTÉ’s organisational units, Integrated Business Divisions

} An analysis of costs, revenues and Licence Fee attribution by channel/service

} An analysis of the revenues and costs of RTÉ’s public service and non-public service activities, showing the attribution of Licence Fee funding to public service activities

} Analysis of all TG4 costs and revenues showing the attribution of the grant-in-aid to TG4 and the attribution of Licence Fee funding to RTÉ’s programme provision

to TG4} Analysis of Network Charges

charged by RTÉNL to all RTÉ Services

} An analysis of net assets by Integrated Business Division.

The generation of this information requires the maintenance of accounting systems capable of generating extensive and detailed analysis of costs and revenues and extensive involvement of RTÉ Finance personnel in the production of the information.

CASE STUDY Transparency in the expenditure of public money

} Table 1 – Utilisation of individual Licence Fees collected

2005 2004 b b

RTÉ One 63.07 61.44 RTÉ Two 31.19 32.28 RTÉ Radio 1 9.87 10.28 RTÉ RnaG 8.78 8.57 RTÉ Lyric fm 5.01 5.18 RTÉ Performing Groups 10.56 10.36 Support for TG4 7.58 7.03 Total RTÉ Share 136.06 135.14

Broadcasting fund 7.25 7.12

Collection costs: An Post/DCMNR/DSFA 10.83 9.74

Average cost of each 154.14 152.00 individual broadcasting licence*

*The licence fee increased from b152 to b155 with effect from 1 April 2005

The above tables show how, using the information and analysis provided in the detailed fi nancial statements, RTÉ provides all our stakeholders including Government, Regulators and most importantly the Licence Fee payer with a quantitative and graphical breakdown of how the Licence Fee is used.

} Table 2 – Attribution of licence revenue received by RTÉ in 2005

} 46% RTÉ One} 23% RTÉ Two} 17% RTÉ Radio 1} 4% RTÉ lyric fm} 6% RTÉ RnaG} 6% Support provided to TG4} 8% Performing Groups

Government and Regulators

46%

23%

17%

4%

6%

6%8%

The Environment. RTÉ is committed to environmental protection and sustainability, to improving its environmental performance and to minimising any adverse impacts as a result of its broadcasting activities.

42

43

The Organisation is committed to addressing this matter through the general principles contained in RTÉ’s Environmental Policy:

Awareness RTÉ works to inform and motivate all its staff about our environmental responsibilities and encourage them to play an active role in RTÉ’s commitment to its environmental policy.

Environment and the community RTÉ works with local communities in various parts of the country with specifi c on-site environmental initiatives. Details of these local environmental initiatives and environmental issues of public interest will be included in future CR Reports.

Continuous improvement We have and continue to monitor specifi c improvement targets and we report internally on progress. Again, as part of CR Reporting these targets and progress records will be externally published in future years.

Property managementRTÉ is committed to always trying to improve our sites and buildings. It is policy to construct, refurbish and manage our buildings in a manner that will reduce associated environmental impacts and be sympathetic with the external surroundings and natural environment. By addressing the issue of energy effi ciency in our buildings, RTÉ contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in line with national and international agreements.Examples of recent measures taken in property management that has had direct and measurable positive impact on the environment are:

} Installation of two petrol interceptors to eliminate risk of surface water pollution

} Replacement of heating systems in two buildings with localised low energy systems which has resulted in signifi cantly reduced carbon emissions

} Replacement of cooling system in one building with a smaller safer system using ice storage resulted in signifi cantly reduced energy usage

} Installation of a chiller in one building which resulted in signifi cantly reduced energy usage.

RTÉNL has over 130 transmission sites across the country resulting in the emission of Non-Iodising Radiation; procedures are in place to monitor compliance with the recommended levels. ComReg has confi rmed compliance with their licence conditions and RTÉNL is also operating within the guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)

Procurement Environmental considerations form part of the criteria used by RTÉ in selecting suppliers.

Waste management RTÉ continues to promote, develop and implement waste prevention, reduction, re-use and recycling on-site in a systematic and cost effective manner. We use appropriately regulated waste management contractors to ensure safe management of waste sent off-site in accordance with best environmental practice.

The Environment

44

45

CASE STUDYRecent Developments in environmental ‘best practice’

Keen to adopt a proactive approach to environmental responsibility in general, and to implement best practice in areas such as resource usage and waste management in particular, RTÉ used the opportunity presented by its involvement in the Cleaner Greener Production Programme, commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency, to carry out an in-depth review of its resource usage and waste management systems. The review was undertaken with the assistance of environmental consultants from IBEC and its fi ndings enabled RTÉ to put in place a waste prevention and minimisation programme that is having a signifi cant impact on waste management and disposal practices.

Waste ManagementThe principal aim of the project was to review current waste management practices in order to identify areas requiring improvement. Specifi cally, the project team set out to:

} Identify processes/areas that generate on-site waste

} Review the waste management practices on site

} Gather data on the type, quantity and cost of managing waste generated on site

} Identify the key RTÉ personnel to champion waste management initiatives on site

} Identify RTÉ’s obligations in relation to current environmental legislation (national and European)

} Identify structures needed to improve waste management

} Use the review fi ndings to draft an environmental policy for RTÉ - specifi cally geared towards waste prevention

} Use the review fi ndings to draft procedures to maximise the effectiveness of waste prevention methods and manage on-site waste in line with the organisation’s policy

} Use the review fi ndings, policy and procedures to brief staff and raise environmental awareness on site.

As a result of the review a formal, centralised waste prevention infrastructure, including an Environmental Steering Committee (ESC) comprising key personnel who can infl uence environmental impacts at the planning stage of business operations, was established. As a result, the administration of waste management operations is now centrally located thereby facilitating ongoing development and change in a streamlined way. Through the ESC, policy and procedures were developed and implemented; a staff awareness campaign took place and an internal environmental web site set up.

Based on the information gleaned from the review, RTÉ set a target of reducing the amount of waste being sent to landfi ll by 20% over a 12-month period. It proposed to do this by means of waste prevention as well as a number of re-use/recycling practices.

The Environment

CASE STUDYRecent Developments in environmental ‘best practice’

A recycling/segregation programme was established which has in fact resulted in a reduction of waste to landfi ll by approximately 75–80%. Table 1 shows the results of a sample survey carried out on site following the segregation programme. The data of this sample shows just over 80% segregation of the overall waste arising on site.

A large portion of this is associated with the segregation skips (wood/metal and electric cables / instruments) and the separate paper collection.

In line with our policy on continuous environmental improvement RTÉ is currently in the process of:

} Pursuing an overall reduction in waste arising from waste prevention processes

} Implementing waste prevention/management measures to certain regional properties which have proved successful at its base in Donnybrook. (This follows an extensive feasibility review of the RTÉ’s regional properties)

} Aiming for an ethos of continuous sustainable improvement. With appropriate systems in place for segregation of our waste we are, for example, identifying processes which if done differently will reduce/eliminate environmental impact.

Over a 12-month period our statistical information tells us that our recycling percentages fl uctuate month to month depending on various infl uencing factors e.g. activities on site, holiday times, changes in staff/attitudes etc. It is constantly monitored and is within a very satisfactory range.

New targets will be set during 2006 through the Environmental Steering Committee which will be associated with a reduction in our overall waste product. This may result in very similar, even the same, recycling rates but would see a reduction in overall tonnage. It is really only now having done the segregation at source, and having statistics on our waste composition, that RTÉ’s Environmental Committee can set targets for continuous improvement geared to waste prevention. This will not be on a one-off issue basis but will see sustainable business /operational changes leading to a measurable reduction of waste. This is likely to involve a totally new approach and message to staff.

} Table 1 – Total waste arisings Mixed Segregated Total kgs kgs kgs Other 125.07 3,091.00 3,216.07 Paper 486.05 1,864.40 2,350.45 Organic 491.12 588.00 1,079.12 Wood 3.57 624.80 628.37 Cardboard 107.53 395.31 502.84 Metal 90.52 299.45 389.97 Plastic 260.40 25.10 285.50 Glass 55.63 77.50 133.13 Textiles 62.31 5.00 67.31 Composites 34.52 4.60 39.12 Total 1,717.00 6,975.00 8,692.00 Total % 19.75 80.25 100

46

Total waste arisings} 19.75% Mixed} 80.25% Segregated

The Environment

80.25%

19.75%

47

Feedback. In future CR Reports RTÉ intends to set specifi c measurable objectives which will make us as accountable in social and environmental criteria as we are in fi nancial terms. We would welcome your feedback on the suitability of the criteria listed below and your suggestions on other areas you believe we could address.

48

AudiencesRTÉ should operate in a way that ensures:} Its audiences are treated with

respect at all times and know what to expect from their PSB e.g. by publication of an annual Commitments to our Audiences, identifying specifi c deliverables

} Its programming output and services meet the highest possible standards of public service

} Clear mechanisms for two-way communications between members of the audience and RTÉ

} It operates in a fully accountable and transparent manner.

StaffRTÉ should provide:} Clear and fair terms of

employment and remuneration meeting all appropriate national and European legislative and regulatory requirements

} A healthy and safe working environment meeting all legislative and regulatory requirements

} A work environment that respects every individual and does not tolerate any form of discrimination, bullying or harassment.

Business partnersRTÉ should:} Be honest and fair in its dealings

with all business partners, including meeting published procurement regulations requirements, prompt payments etc

} Always adhere to its published Code of Fair Trading

} Encourage, where appropriate, business partners to adopt responsible environmental practices

} Never offer or accept any form of bribe.

Government and RegulatorsRTÉ should:} Meet all legislative and regulatory

requirements} Meet, and where appropriate

exceed, best standards of governance.

The environmentRTÉ should:} Develop, implement and monitor

work practices that aim to minimise our negative impact on the environment

} Foster environmental awareness and commitment among all staff members

} Have a specifi c continuous improvement plan with yearly targets

} Construct and maintain our properties in a way that reduces negative environmental impacts and be sympathetic with the external surroundings and natural environment

} Ensure compliance with all environmental regulations.

It is important that appropriate policies exist for interaction on all these criteria with the different stakeholders. The policies should be:

} Accessible - in hard or soft copy} Implemented – via an

appropriate, well defi ned system and appropriate records maintained

} Reviewed and updated at appropriate intervals

} Fair – in the view of the stakeholder upon which they impact.

RTÉ has a multi-dimensional impact on the communities in which it exists. That makes our commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen all the more critical and our determination to be one all the stronger.

This is RTÉ’s fi rst CR Report and therefore it is in part consultative in nature. You can help shape our future reports by providing us with your feedback – either by emailing your comments to [email protected] or writing to Jennifer Taaffe, Corporate Communications, RTÉ, Donnybrook, Dublin 4.

FEEDBACK 49

Appendices.

50

51APPENDIX 1 RTÉ’s Complaints Process

Making a complaintRTÉ exists to provide quality public service programmes on radio and television. The public pays a Licence Fee to receive these services. The standards we set for ourselves can be found in our Programme-Makers’ Guidelines available at http://www.rte.ie/about/organisation/guidelines

Members of the public who feel that our programming does not match our standards are entitled to express their views and complain about what is broadcast. RTÉ is committed to responding to all reasonable communications concerning programme content. It is RTÉ’s policy that all complaints should receive meaningful replies which attempt to address issues raised in complaints.

RTÉ is committed to the following:} All complaints, received in

writing or by-email, shall be replied to by an appropriate member of the production team within 20 working days

} Complainants shall be informed that, if they are not satisfi ed with the reply they receive, there is a review process available to them within RTÉ. The review will always be carried out by an Editorial Manager senior to the member of staff who replied to the complaint in the fi rst instance

} Members of the public who are not satisfi ed with the reply they receive should write to Complaints' Review, c/o The Head of Public Affairs Policy, RTÉ, Dublin, 4. Correspondence from Complaints' Review will include information about the public's right of complaint to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission. Correspondence may also be sent by email to [email protected]

Broadcasting Complaints CommissionMembers of the public may also complain in certain circumstances to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCC). The BCC was established by the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs in 1977 under the provisions of Section 4 of the Broadcasting Authority Amendment Act, 1976. The BCC can only adjudicate on complaints relating to a limited area of RTÉ’s activities. Amongst the grounds for complaint are:

News broadcasts: Where news items have failed to

be objective and impartial, or if they incite crime or undermine the authority of the state, or if they have included an expression of the Authority’s own views. (This latter consideration is interpreted to mean that the reports should not carry or promote the opinions of the programme makers).

Current affairs: Where the broadcast refers

to matters of current debate programmes must be fair to all interests and must present subjects in an impartial and objective manner. The same incitement to crime prohibition applies as in news.

Programming in general: Complaints may also be made if

members of the public feel their privacy has been unreasonably encroached upon.

Complaints may be made if a viewer or listener believes that guidelines on taste and decency have been broken. Section 19 of the Broadcasting Act 2001 requires the BCI to “prepare a code specifying standards to be complied with, and rules and practices to be observed, in respect of the taste and decency of programme material…and in particular, in respect of the portrayal of violence and sexual conduct…”

AdvertisingA complaint may be made if a member of the public feels an advertisement broadcast on radio or television contravenes the code of Standards, Practice and Prohibitions in Advertising, Sponsorship and other forms of Commercial Promotion in Broadcasting Services. The Broadcasting Complaints Commission is administered by The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland, 2-5 Warrington Place, Dublin 2. http://www.bcc.ie

Appendices.

52 APPENDIX 2Programme safety in RTÉ Radio and RTÉ Television

Programme safety across both Radio and Television is a critical area for RTÉ to discharge its duty of care to staff, contractors and visitors and to be compliant with safety legislation.

RTÉ’s Health and Safety procedures are under ongoing review and in September 2004 a new development was introduced. A Pre-event Risk Assessment is now undertaken in advance of certain major events. These assessment procedures were introduced following a process of consultation with programme makers.

The following two forms, a Programme Risk Assessment form (PRA2) and a Studio Risk Assessment form (SRA1) must both be completed and fi led in advance of a live TV programme. There are similar requirements for Radio programmes and ones will be introduced for News and Current Affairs in 2006.

This form is an aid to determine the safeguards needed to protect all persons involved in this production, e.g. staff, artists, contributors, contractors and members of the public. This form when completed and signed by the producer in charge should be fi led with the Studio Risk Assessment form (SRA1).

Steps taken to minimise risk/control measures

Details of control

measures

Examples

Assessment of overall risk

High

Medium

Low

Contact number

Date of submission of form

Programme name

Details of activity

Date or period that this risk assessment covers

People at risk

Person submitting form Producer

Type of hazard

Details Of Actual

Hazard

Examples

Human/animal

related hazard

} Filming of or in proximity to potentially dangerous animal(s)

} Physical exertion on part of crew members

} Inexperience of staff} Risks caused by

presence of children at or in studio

} Risk to members of public or other

Noise (Bands etc.)

Studio

related hazards

} See Form SRAI. Any changes to that must be detailed above.

} Last minute introduction of new items, or new formats.

Technical/mechanical

related hazards

} Electricity/gas} Stunts/special effect

shoot} Pyrotechnics/filming

near fire} Filming near

dangerous machinery} Filming involving lifting

heavy equipment} Camera Cranes/Jibs} Use of water devices

Risk/Hazard details

} Designation of a specifi c individual(s) in studio with safety related duties, } Use of protective clothing, e.g., safety helmet} Use of specifi c safety equipment, e.g., safety harness} Research of relevant medical details, e.g., tropical disease} Informing relevant authorities, e.g., Gardai} Communications equipment, e.g., Mobile phone/satellite phone } Availability of nearby refuge/safe area} Details of experts/relevant individuals hired or tasked with minimising risk} Details of relevant briefi ngs and information and guidelines that producer will convey to crew and other relevant individuals involved in the programme

Production details Studio

TV Programme Risk Assessment

53APPENDIX 2Programme safety in RTÉ Radio and RTÉ Television

01 Access and egress

02 Manual handling

03 Electricity (including portable appliances)

04 Noise exposure

05 Slips, trips, falls

06 Animals

07 Audience control

08 Chemicals

09 Compressed gas

10 Confi ned spaces

11 Construction work

12 Costumes

13 Display screen equipment

14 Fire safety (building safety )

15 Fire retardation

16 Flammable material

17 Food hygiene

18 Gas appliances

19 Gunge

20 Hand tools

21 Hazardous substances

22 Heights

23 Hydraulic hoists

24 Lifting equipment

25 Lone working

26 Mist

27 Mobile access platforms

28 Offi ce equipment

29 Personal Protective Equipment (P.P.E.)

30 Props, rostra, seating

31 Storage (shelves, racks)

32 Strobe lighting/Lasers

33 Violence (attack/public disorder)

34 Working environment (inc. temporary workplaces)

35 Working patterns/Work organisation

36 Water

37 Other hazards

Step 1 – Identify hazards (tick)

Children (including unauthorised access)

Contractors/subcontractors/staff from other depts.

Pregnant women and nursing mothers

Individuals with disabilities or medical conditions

New employees

Members of the public

Young inexperienced workers

Others (please specify)

Step 2 – Groups particularly at risk

What would cause harm?

List here the hazards you noted above

Who might be harmed & how?

Always give special consideration to people

with special needs

Existing risk

High/Medium/Low

Step 3 – All risks identifi ed above must be assessed using the forms provided below

Date Studio

This form is an aid to determine the safeguards needed to protect all persons involved in the production e.g. staff, freelancers, artists, contributors, contractors and members of the public. It must be completed in conjunction with form (PRA2).

Studio Risk Assessment

54 APPENDIX 3 RTÉ lyric fm’s Breakfast Club Gazette, May 2006 editionRTÉ lyric fm’s Breakfast Club Gazette is sent monthly during the school year and is an example of our outreach with children and with schools.

55APPENDIX 3 RTÉ lyric fm’s Breakfast Club Gazette, May 2006 edition

56

Documents

Corporate Responsibility 2006 Audiences / Staff / … › documents › about › cr_report_english.pdf36 GOVERNMENT AND REGULATORS 37 Responsibilities of the RTÉ authority 37 (a)