Press Statement 7th November 2019
RTE Studios & Lyric FM must be retained in Limerick – O’ Donnell
– Appalling that RTE Staff has to hear this first in the Media
Limerick Senator Kieran O’Donnell has described the announcement by RTE top management tonight that RTÉ will close its current studio in Limerick in 2020 and that production of RTÉ lyric fm will move to Cork and Dublin as “grossly unacceptable and disproportionate”.
Furthermore, Senator O’Donnell described as “appalling” details of this announcement coming into the public domain before staff were informed.
“This Plan from RTE management to close it’s current studio here in Limerick in 2020 and for RTE Lyric FM to cease broadcasting from the Limerick studio is both unacceptable and disproportionate in terms of it’s negative impact on Limerick and the mid-west.
“I regard this announcement by RTE management as nothing more than a draft plan for discussion with staff and is subject to change.
“RTE has a regional public broadcasting remit and therefore the studio in Limerick must be retained to fulfill this obligation. Furthermore, RTE Lyric fm broadcasts from this same Limerick studio and should continue to do so.
“I have spoken to RTE Lyric fm staff this evening and they are in a state of total shock. Limerick is their home and the way they first heard of this announcement through the media was truly appalling.
“That this has happened on the eve of the funeral of the late great Gay Byrne, who was a regular Lyric fm presenter over many years, just adds to the highly inappropriate nature and timing of this announcement.
“The RTE regional broadcasting studio in Limerick and Lyric fm are a key fabric of the City and the Mid-West region. Any plans to remove either from Limerick will not be countenanced.
“I will be raising this matter with Communications Minister Richard Bruton as a matter of urgency.
End.