Government must continue life support for RTÉ, says Jim Sheridan

Vivienne Clarke

Award-winning film director Jim Sheridan has warned that traditional television is “reaching extinction level” and has called for Government support for the television sector similar to that for Screen Ireland (the film industry).

Mr Sheridan told Newstalk Breakfast that it was sad to see the fall in people paying their television licence. “Either you support public television or you don’t.”

RTÉ was in an impossible position because nobody wanted to pay for a TV licence. The State broadcaster was in “the invidious position of being the person coming to take the money out of your bank account, and then you are just going to make the population at large hate them.”

Stations like RTÉ and BBC would go if they were not supported by the Government. They needed “life support”.

Mr Sheridan said the Irish film and television industry had shown itself to be up to world standard in recent years so it was essential for it to receive State support. One option would be for the Government to introduce a tariff on streaming services that goes directly to the Irish industry.

“You would give €100million or €200million to Irish film and production companies. Otherwise, you let the streamers just decide who they want to finance.”