TG4 journalists angry at weekend staff cuts

RTÉ’s Irish language news workforce fears being downgraded to a ‘translation service’ at weekends because of cutbacks at the national broadcaster.

Journalists and other workers at RTÉ’s Nuacht on TG4 are concerned about cuts to the availability of camera crew on Saturdays and Sundays, and also on Tuesdays.

They argue it will limit the editorial independence of the Irish news service because the decisions on what to film on those days will be made by RTÉ’s English language news teams.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has called on RTÉ to look at alternative ways of saving money.

RTÉ told the Connacht Tribune that the change was ‘modest’ and it was aimed at ‘reducing duplication across RTÉ journalism’.

The issue was highlighted by Conradh na Gaeilge, which accused RTÉ of “targeting” TG4’s news service. Galway West TD and former Gaeltacht Minister Éamon Ó Cuív (FF) said Nuacht TG4 needed an independent budget. Deputy Ó Cuív told Tuairisc.ie the cuts showed that RTÉ had a ‘lack of interest’ in developing Irish language news service.

RTÉ provide TG4 with Nuacht and 7Lá as part of its public service remit.

A number of sources working in RTÉ’s Irish language news service told the Connacht Tribune they are angry and frustrated with the proposed cuts to Nuacht’s camera crew, which are due to come into effect in mid-May.

“This will be a very serious downgrading of our service,” said one worker.

“On the face of it, it’s not a big problem – we won’t have a camera at weekends in Dublin. But it has implications on our news service at weekends and we’d more or less just become a translation service of what the English RTÉ news has.”

You can read the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now – or you can download our digital edition on www.connachttribune.ie