RTÉ’s drastic cuts threaten its ability to host Eurovision in the future, leaving the selection process for the Irish Eurovision representative uncertain.
Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTÉ, is facing heavy criticism over proposed reforms that could jeopardise its ability to host major events like the Eurovision Song Contest. Concerns are mounting regarding the potential impacts on production capabilities and iconic shows.
The recent announcement by Kevin Bakhurst, the new CEO of RTÉ, has sent shockwaves through Ireland’s media landscape. Bakhurst’s reform plans include significant budget cuts, selling off parts of the RTÉ campus, and outsourcing many productions. These changes have raised alarms about RTÉ’s future role in hosting large-scale events such as the Eurovision Song Contest.
A long-time broadcast engineer at RTÉ expressed deep concern, stating, “The role of RTÉ as a full public service broadcaster would be gone forever” under these new plans. The new RTÉ won’t have the teams, the equipment, or likely even the funding to host major events like Eurovision.
Impact on Iconic Programs
One of the programs expected to move to external productions is “The Late Late Show,” which traditionally hosts the Irish Eurovision national selection. As a result, the selection process for the Irish Eurovision representative remains unclear, and it is uncertain whether an external production will continue to produce the traditional national selection.
The engineer added, “Big events like Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Ireland and the papal visits we covered here— We won’t have the crew on-site that RTÉ have always had. In the past, RTÉ have always been very good at big events. Now they’ll have to look outside when these events happen again.”
Concerns from the EBU
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has also voiced concerns. A senior producer at RTÉ revealed that colleagues from the EBU have questioned the direction of the reforms, asking, “What the hell is happening in Ireland? Do you want to be the only country in Europe with no proper public service broadcaster?”
An EBU source clarified that while there is no immediate threat of RTÉ leaving the organization, the broadcaster’s capacity to host significant events is under scrutiny.
RTÉ’s Response
In response to these concerns, an RTÉ spokesperson assured that major events like Eurovision would continue to be produced with a mix of RTÉ staff and qualified freelancers. “This model is standard practice across the industry and applies to all public service broadcasters with an in-house staff base. RTÉ staff are often deployed to areas where they are needed—such as the Olympic Games currently—and when the need arises,” the spokesperson said. However, they acknowledged that hosting Eurovision would be a special event, given Ireland’s long hiatus from winning and hosting since 1996 and 1997, respectively.
Ireland in Eurovision 2024
Bambie Thug represented Ireland at Eurovision 2024 with the song “Doomsday Blue.” The song was chosen through the national pre-selection. Ireland advanced to the final after placing third in the first semi-final with 124 points, and in the grand final, they finished sixth with 278 points.
This marks the first time since 2018 that Ireland has qualified for the final, and it is the country’s best result since 2000.
Source: Evoke
Eurovision 2025: This will be Ireland’s 58th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Ireland joined the competition in 1965 and has won it seven times over the years, holding the record for most wins alongside Sweden. Ireland’s last victory was in Eurovision 1996 with the song “The Voice” performed by singer Eimear Quinn.
