RTÉ abusing its market position, claims TV3 boss

TV3 is to make an official complaint against RTÉ, accusing the national broadcaster of abusing its market position.

TV3 managing director Rick Hetherington said yesterday that the station is formalising a complaint to the competition authorities accusing RTÉ of overselling its advertising airtime by up to 6 million.

According to Mr Hetherington, the revenue lost by his station as a result of the overselling was the difference between breaking even or making a loss.

“We are being choked in terms of advertising on the one side and in terms of the acquisition of programming on the other side,” he said.

RTÉ was also charging TV3 four times more than TG4 for broadcasting their signal, yet TG4 was going after TV3’s viewership during prime time, placing them in direct competition, Mr Hetherington told a Dáil committee.

“They have given themselves a competitive advantage,” he said.

But TV3 chiefs were accused of consistently whingeing about their position and failing to produce quality programming.

Labour communications spokesman Tommy Broughan said the station had not developed Irish- based drama and regional programming.

“Every document I have got from you is a long whinge,” he said.

“You simply have not done it. You have not created Irish-based programming which people want to see.”

TV3 chairman James Morris rejected Mr Broughan’s accusation, stating that it was the second most watched station in the country. It was unfair to criticise the station for not doing everything in four years that it took RTÉ 40 years to do, he said.

The station was only looking for fair controls on the market to allow it to survive on advertising revenues, Mr Morris said.

The Government had failed to create a competitive environment, he said, yet despite the restrictions the station had managed to bring in 50 million in advertising revenue.

Communications committee chairman Noel O’Flynn asked the station management their position on trade union recognition. But Mr Hetherington said they had no objection to workers organising.

“They have never organised and never sought to organise in TV3,” he said.