The Musicians Union of Ireland (MUI) fully supports the reform of RTĂ but has called on the value of public service broadcasting to be fully recognised during any reorganisation of the national broadcaster.
MUI Organiser, Michelle Quinn, said: âMUI members in the RTĂ Concert Orchestra took part in the staff protest at the station on 27th June. While deeply dismayed at the revelations of a failure to accurately and transparently report payments made to Ryan Tubridy, the musicians unfortunately know only too well the real consequences of a lack of funding in RTĂ.
âThe last few years have seen the music department decimated, with the loss of the National Symphony Orchestra, the RTĂ string quartet and three choirs from the stationâs remit.
âThe RTĂ Concert Orchestra directly interacts with the public, performing sold out concerts regularly all over the country, as well as broadcasting on TV and radio. They do this with âcharming camaraderieâ, according to the Irish Examiner, and with an administration team that is considerably less than those of radio orchestras in the BBC or the ORF in Austria.â
She added: âThis demonstrates how much the members of the RTĂ Concert Orchestra believe and demonstrate the value of public service broadcasting and the integral role music plays within it. The MUI fully supports the RTĂ Trade Union Group and hopes to see meaningful reform of RTĂ but hopes that the value of public service broadcasting is respected throughout this process.â