RTÉ says sponsorship by state agency will have no impact on content of Claire Byrne show

Solas, a further education and training board has sponsored the 'Today with Claire Byrne' show on RTÉ. Picture: Andres Poveda

RTÉ has said that there will be no impact on editorial content after a state agency took over the sponsorship of a flagship radio show.

The further education and training board, Solas, recently took over the sponsorship of the Today with Claire Byrne programme on a four-month basis. While a spokesperson for Solas said that the deal was commercially sensitive, previous reports have said that RTÉ had been seeking €350,000 a year for the slot.

A Government source said that the deal was "surprising" given that Solas is a state agency and questioned why a number of advertising spots were not instead purchased.

However, a spokesperson for RTÉ said that sponsorship of a programme "does not imply any element of endorsement, nor does it affect the editorial independence of any programming".

"RTÉ assesses sponsorship arrangements to ensure they are compliant with the BAI (Broadcasting Authority of Ireland) regulatory requirements. Sponsorship arrangements do not impact on the editorial independence of any of our programmes."

A spokesperson for Solas said that the deal would run until December, but said that a particular aim was to advertise further education and training in the months following the Leaving Cert results.

"A particular focus at the moment is the opportunities available for Leaving Certificate students during Leaving Cert results and CAO time. 

"The ‘This is FET’ campaign is focused around changing perceptions around FET in a competitive third level space and inform both students and their parents about the variety of post-Leaving Certificate options available to them. 

"Over the course of the sponsorship, other FET programmes such green skills/retro fitting, NZEB training programmes and adult literacy programmes will also be highlighted.

"National radio presents the opportunity to engage with key audiences, particularly adults including parents and guardians of school aged students. 

"Solas sought quotes from a variety of programmes on national radio stations for options through its media agency. Of the slots available, the Today with Claire Byrne show on RTÉ Radio 1 offered the opportunity to reach 350,000 listeners daily over a four-month period of peak national and media conversation around CAO and Leaving Cert results."

The spokesperson added that the arrangement also includes additional elements, such as digital advertising and the rate was negotiated by a media agency.