Ex-RTÉ journalist Damien Tiernan: ‘Some people developed a privileged, arrogant attitude’

Being assigned to the south east was brilliant, as I’m from Wicklow and I had started my career there with The People Newspaper Group and I also did a year on “Ear To The Ground”.

I love journalism – I’m not much good at anything else – and had many years of joy at RTÉ. Staff in the 1990s, and before, saw themselves as a family – proud, lucky, defensive when attacked by outside forces.

It was a privilege to work for RTÉ. But some developed a privileged, arrogant attitude who looked down on local radio for example. That attitude remains in certain sections. You could also call it a sense of entitlement.

People talk about ‘the culture of RTÉ’ but you can’t REALLY understand that unless you’ve worked there.

Like in any family, certain people see themselves as better than others. The problem is they deny they do and they genuinely believe they are doing the right thing. They are not bad people. They are just closeted, cut-off, institutionalised. They are ‘lifers’ who see Montrose as ‘the Mother Ship’.

“Outsiders” enter the inner sanctum of Montrose and they do one of three things: (1) they embrace the culture and get joy in easily spending other people’s money; (2) they try to change it, become disillusioned, hide in corridors and hope nobody notices them until they retire; or (3) they leave.

If they leave and give out about the ‘family’, they are seen as traitors and the wagons are circled tighter.

That’s the problem Kevin Bakhurst (inset) has. He’s a nice guy, even allowing for the fact he’s a Chelsea fan!

He’s known as ‘Best Kev’ in RTÉ, as that’s the way he signed his emails when he became Director of News in 2012. He did some good work in news and was liked.

He says all the right things – he talks to RTÉ protesters, he gives lots of interviews. You get the impression he doesn’t talk bull.

Best Kev listens a lot, he watches the room, he learns. He says he’s going to be judged by his actions. The right thing to say.

He’s made changes at the top. But he HAD to do something or the Government would have stepped in.

He read the room when he was on the Executive Board from 2012 to 2016 and interim Director General and did not do much to change the culture as there was no appetite to change then.

He says he took a pay cut from Ofcom when he ‘rejoined’ RTÉ. So what? He’s still on around €330,000, which includes a €25k car allowance.

Sixty-one people in RTÉ are on such an allowance. It’s bullsh*t. It’s an allowance to ‘allow’ people to drive their cars to Montrose, park (for free), and drive home. Mr B should immediately cancel his and every other such car allowance in RTÉ. He could and should lead from the top by setting his basic salary at €195k, not €250k. But it’s unlikely that will be done.

RTÉ is an organisation where, for some, it’s too easy to spend other people’s money. Kevin needs to do his best to change that.

But we need RTÉ. We need proper public service broadcasting. The staff need jobs. They need inspiration. And RTÉ needs far fewer managers. But it can’t be a race to the bottom, with cutting wages and/or jobs as some private sector companies pay awful low rates to journalists and producers. The funding model needs to be totally reformed. RTÉ is going to have to survive on less money.

There is so much that has to happen. And if it’s not done quickly, those that hate RTÉ and hate Public Service broadcasting will rise in influence as they are doing across the world. And if RTÉ goes, real democratic debate will be under threat in Ireland.