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RTÉ’S DIRECTOR GENERAL Noel Curran has announced that the broadcaster is suspending the next season of its Prime Time Investigates programme until all of its sources have been fully examined.
The move comes in the wake of a settlement between RTÉ and a priest the programme libelled.
Earlier today, the government agreed to launch an independent inquiry into how RTÉ broadcast the programme containing the libellous statements faslely accusing Fr Kevin Reynolds of rape while serving as a missionary in Kenya in the 1980s.
The programme was broadcast in May 2011.
Reynolds launched legal action against RTÉ, and the two reached a settlement in the High Court. The broadcaster has said it is unable to disclose the details of the settlement as it is bound by a confidentiality agreement.
RTÉ has apologised to Reynolds and accepted that the allegations were baseless.
The lawyer who represented Reynolds, Robert Dore, has said he wants to know who the source of the Prime Time Investigates allegations was and that Reynolds has a right to know.
Speaking on RTÉ this evening, Minister Rabbitte said that while “we all make mistakes”, it was important to reassure the public through an inquiry into the RTÉ programme.
Noel Curran said that anything which restores trust in RTÉ’s current affairs output is important and it will cooperate fully with the BAI inquiry. “This is one of the greatest editorial mistakes that ever happened at RTÉ,” he said, adding that the broadcaster had a great reputation in its news and current affairs programming.
Curran said he believed it is important for an independent expert to ascertain if this was a one-off problem or if there was a systemic issue at play.
He said that the next series of programme has been deferred until further checks can be carried out on the processes involved in the programme’s production.
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Anything, absolutely anything will be done. Investigations, internal and external, enquiries, programs suspended.
Anything that is, apart from making individuals accountable for their actions.
Interesting only if you mirror this back to the priests and the church. “Those responsible must face the consequences”. Do not be duped by what this is actually about and what is behind it. Of course this will be investigated and done in an open and transparent way. Will the church do the same?
Fantastic!
One of the very very few shows that RTE make thats actually good and they go and suspend it!
Now I pretty much have no reason to watch RTE,
And quiet right!!! That Priest had no reason to be defamed.
I think Prime Time is a great show, but I do know it’s used by people to settle scores against their foes. Criminals know that law enforcement is weak in this country so they can use PT to “Out” their enemies. I was directly involved in the fall out from one show a few years back. I knew the dudes who went down and I knew the dude who grassed them.
PT should check their sources as carefully as the scandals they expose.
To Late the horse has bolted !!!! Wreckless Journalists a Director General that does not know what’s going on , on his watch & in his own organisation & us TV Licence buyers whom have to still pay there bulging salaries & the costs of the defamation
Do you mean ‘their’ bulging, ‘there’ bulging or ‘they’re’ bulging?
An absolutely stupid decision. Talk about throwing the baby out with the bath water. Why doesn’t the Director General (or whatever he calls himself) suspend himself rather that cutting an excellent programme.
Presumably after the programs have been verified (although why this wasn’t done when the programs were being made is beyond me) the series will be shown.
PTI made a huge error when they interviewed that priest. They were going for sensationalism and forgot in their rush, that they had to have integrity in their reporting.
This will make them more careful in future; this is not a bad thing.
Well if Fr. Reylonds had to stand aside during his investigation it is only correct that the staff of Prime time investigates do so.
Jimmy, I Agree that they should step aside, These people involved in making that programme didn’t just tell the facts, they dramatised the whole thing with scary music and dramatic images to give the most awful picture of this innocent priest. that was no ‘mistake’ That was deliberate badness.
I think they should do a Prime Time Special on Exposing Journalistic standards in the Primetime Office.
There is something profoundly worrying about the goverment getting involved with investigating RTE. The person libelled has, quite rightly, achieved redress through the courts and as well as compensation for damage.RTE is also, deservedly, obliged to pay punitive damages.
The Director General has announced an internal enquiry and will deal with any possible issues that might arise should there be a finding of negligence or malice.
The involvement of the government raises serious question about the freedom and independence of the press.
Once it becomes acceptable for the government to become involved in holding the national broadcaster to account where will it end?
@Peter Carroll. Govt have a hold on national broadcaster since it’s inception. The editorial over and undertones witnessed every evening in the News should be enough for one to see this clearly. The reason….funding. It is not independently funded (as licence fee accounts for less than 30%) and that is always a source of conflict when an editor gets to a cutting room/editorial meeting. And ethos of agenda is the other leg this mishap of a broadcaster hobbles on unfortunately.
Having defamed the priest and put him through hell along with his family and friends, RTE had as a result of their stupidity to pay hundreds of thousands of Euro to the priest in damages and that has serious consequences for a lack of trust now by people in what is the national broadcaster. Of course those we elect to represent us have an obligation to investigate this and bring those responsible to book.
@peter the investigation is being carried under Section 58 of the 2009 Broadcasting Act. It’s a compliance audit that will be carried out by the BAI and not the Government. It is likely to be headed up by somebody from a legal background that will be appointed.
There is considerable disquiet amongst the public and licence payers about this matter. All the Government has done is shown some leadership and ordered an investigation on behalf of the people. This is a serious failing by our national broadcaster. It was also needed as RTE seemed to be taking no action themselved on the matter and seemed to be almost shrugging it off as “a bad day”. I have no doubt that in any other country some form of official “state” investigation would have been called for. Perhaps not in the USA where it seems Fox can say anything. Look at the UK where we are seeing considerable investigations into the behaviour of the press.
It is worth noting that Reynolds had no money to pursue this case in the courts. The case was taken “pro bono” by a solicitor. Had he not had this assistance he would have been unable to clear his name. So it is wrong to say that these matters can be cleared up in the courts. You can only do this if you afford it. Also had Reynolds not had a scientific way of proving that he was not the father of the child he would have had no defense against these allegations.
@RP RTE is independently funded by the license fee and commercial income. That’s why it’s called a license fee and not a tax (as others like to call it). The license goes straight to RTE though the Government has some sway over the setting of this fee. Previous governments have disliked RTE before which would seem to me that they retain independence.
How much will the Government enquiry cost !!! And is there any need for it ??? NO !!! They would be better off trying to fix this Country !!!
Hey lads ease up on the spelling and grammar think of us grammatically incorrect and spell check slave for the love of good have a heart
Bloody hell.. Nooooooooo… We have done a one hour special on lariam in the defence forces, 15 suicides link with the drug, hundreds suffering with, depression, anxiety, insomnia, vertigo, memory loss and many more side frets from this poison, who will highlight this for us now????
I HATE MY I PAD
What is that about?
For those 8 red thumbs, I only hope suicide does not enter the equation in your family… B*******s
Time for the RTE Authority itself to resign.
It should have had standards and procedures in place to prevent this defamation. Clearly there is no accountability in place and as usual the TV license payers end up paying for this disaster. Good Corporate Governance does not exist in RTE.
To RTEAuthority: Have you guys no shame? RESIGN NOW
Who are the RTE authority??
RTE = Research The Evidence.
More like Regret The Evil
Surely it’s a story in it’s self anyway. ‘Priest didn’t father a love child’
Interesting way to show integrity – will they also suspend the Six One or Nine O’clock news is a mistake is ever made on one of these??
A mistake has been made and the Father in question has every right to be compensated for the horrific allegations made against him, but this is a bit much…
How would you feel if it were you?
Am I a priest in this? In that case, I would pursue every legal action possible against RTE and donate the money to charities dealing either with child abuse or rape. You know, get on the moral high horse that comes with the job… Would make me (and my Church) look extremely good and RTE extremely bad…
Yet another RTE show to be replaced by an hour of bland interviews or bad music I’m guessing.
RTE should be investigated for what it does NOT report. Further details by searching in Google for “Windle Stops Swindle”
Cheers
Srinivasan Devrajan, the Common Informer
Will the people on prime time investigates be paid while the programme is suspended.
Oh well !
Thanks D
So unlikely a mistake, so then they should be compelled to admit WHY they did what they did!!!
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