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No Sergeant
RTÉ head of news denies they are a "recruiting sergeant" for water protests
“I don’t know if it’s damaging for RTÉ, people have to draw their own conclusions on that.”
THE HEAD OF RTÉ’s news has hit back at Pat Rabbitte over water charges.
In a wide-ranging interview with Conor Brophy on The Media Show, to air on RTÉ Radio 1 this Sunday at 7pm, Kevin Bakhurst said that the former minister for communication’s criticism was wide of the mark.
Speaking in the Dáil last month, Rabbitte said RTÉ acts like a “recruiting sergeant” for the far left and Sinn Féin. He added that the the state broadcaster’s coverage of Irish Water “requires examination”.
Bakhurst said that the broadcaster is criticised by both sides and weighs this coverage up.
Obviously this has been a major issue for the past six months, and Mr. Rabbitte might have that point of view, but we have heard from other government spokespeople who have had conversations with us – in a more measured way possibly – but at the same time we have had criticism from the other side of the water debate as well, and some of the protesters who don’t think we have given them enough coverage.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean you are right if you are getting criticisms from all sides, but you weigh it up and see if there are reasonable points being made.
“I don’t know if it’s damaging for RTÉ, people have to draw their own conclusions on that.”
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