Public Service Media

In Ireland, our Public Service Media organisations — RTÉ and TG4 — are licensed by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and regulated by Coimisiún na Meán.

RTÉ is part-funded by the licence fee and part-funded by commercial revenue. RTÉ has a broad remit, with responsibility for provision of radio and television services in both English and Irish. RTÉ is required to be responsive to the interests and concerns of the whole community within the island of Ireland, and to have special regard for elements that distinguish that culture and, in particular, the Irish language.

TG4 is part-funded by the Irish Exchequer, with additional income from the sale of commercial airtime. TG4 has responsibility for the provision of a television service whose range of programming is primarily in the Irish language. TG4’s programming reflects the varied elements which make up the culture of the whole of the island of Ireland with special regard for elements that distinguish that culture and, in particular, the Gaeltacht (Irish speaking) regions.

Both RTÉ and TG4 services are required to be available, as far as is reasonably practicable, to the whole community of the island of Ireland. All services are required to have the character of a public service and be free to air.

RTÉ and TG4’s public objectives, functions, and statutory obligations are set out in sections 113 to 116 (RTÉ) and 117 to 119 (TG4) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 (as amended) The allocation of funding is provided for in section 123, while the process for recommending changes to public funding is set out in section 124 and television licence provisions are found in part 9 of the Act.

Funding is currently provided on an annual basis. A revised system of multi-annual public funding for RTÉ, comprising TV licence system and Exchequer support, was agreed by the Government in July 2024. 

The Broadcasting Act 2009 (as amended) also provides for the licensing and oversight of Oireachtas TV, a broadcasting service in respect of the Houses of the Oireachtas.

What we do

As provided for in the Broadcasting Act 2009 (as amended), we have several responsibilities regarding the assessment of RTÉ and TG4, their funding and operations and the delivery of their public service objects as defined in legislation.

Statutory provisions include:

• assessment of Annual Statements of Performance Commitments (“ASPC”) under Section 102(3) of the act;   
• conducting Annual Reviews of Performance and Public Funding (“ARPPF”) under Section 124(2)(5);  
• facilitating Five-Year Reviews of Public Funding (“5YRPF”) for PSM set out in Section 124(8);  
• the completion of Sectoral Impact (Sections 100 & 103) and Joint Venture Assessments (Section 104), when requested by the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.  

Coimisiún na Meán holds public service media organisations to account to ensure they: 

• demonstrate transparency and accountability in their use of public funds, in accordance with the requirements of Irish and European law; and   
• provide the level of service that the audience expects of them. 

Our work is platform neutral and encompasses all services (tv, radio, digital) provided by the public service media organisation. 

As an organisation, we are people- and audience-focused, operating with trust, integrity and courage and delivering impact through independent decision making.