The Aontú leader said the conflict playing out on the €20million cut to RTE was the wrong approach by the Communications Minister.
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín said: “The independence of RTE as state broadcaster is undermined by the aggressive and public nature of Communications Minister Patrick O’Donovan’s engagement on this.
“Yes, there are serious questions to be asked of RTE about waste and efficiency and there is need for reform there.
“But putting a Minister in charge who holds back on promises on funding creates a leverage there, for the government. Funding of RTE should happen through taxation, it shouldn’t happen by the whim of a petulant Minister.
“It’s a shot across the bows – if the Minister is not happy, the rug will be pulled in a very public row. It’s an admonition and this is not a healthy dynamic for independent media.
“Remember this is the same Minister who earlier this year threatened to get Coimisiún na Meán to review RTE’s media coverage of the fuel protests, as he thought it was biased.
“This RTE row was the jack-in-the-box of the budget. Every other measure was leaked in advance, but this did not emerge until the aftermath.
The fact a Minister had to call for ‘cool heads’ in the matter shows the approach was wrong.”
