Radio waived

Two of radio's most respected broadcasters have sharply criticised RTE Radio 1 for abruptly axing their programs.

"They never actually tell you why, they just say you're gone," says PJ Curtis, speaking to Hotpress.com. "However, they're pleading that it's cost cutting this time. They're replacing me with the Playback repeat, a show of radio hilights from the past week."

Curtis has been involved in various RTE radio programmes since 1980, most recently in the guise of Rhythm & Roots, a Sunday evening show specialising in roots, bluegrass and folk, which has been on the air since March of 2000.

"Radio 1 have never had a strong firm music policy – it's all just politics. They're now claiming that they're strapped for cash? Well, if the axing of my programme is going to see to it that they survive as a radio station, then god help them. They're working off buttons, because I've been working for buttons."

"RTE as a public service broadcaster has been under a lot of strain and stress over the past year and a lot of people have been let go by the station," says Philip King, renowned Irish film maker, producer and broadcaster, whose South Wind Blows show aired at 8pm on Saturdays. "It would be churlish to say that I was axed from the station when other people weren't, but I think that calling it an exercise in saving money doesn't make sense since the show cost very little to produce and was listened to by a very loyal and dedicated listener base. What confuses me is that if RTE were in search of an increase in its license fee, and since public service is such a central part of its role even though it receives revenue from commercials as well, how is taking a programme like mine or PJ's off the air going to help the station to become a true public service broadcaster?"

Curtis sees this as part of a general dumbing down of the station's output.

"Not only are they disenfranchising listeners, but they're inviting people to turn over to find alternative music programmes. A lot of the kind of programmes that I do are now going on air in local, community and alternative national stations like Today FM. I don't really know what's going on in RTE in their thinking, and I don't want to sound all 'poor me' because I've been chopped many times before, and come back on, but the feeling this time around is that there's such widespread fear in the corridors that even the senior producers are worried about their jobs. If RTE were really bothered about audiences, if they really cared, I don't think they'd be putting on playback on a Sunday night."

According to RTE, the changes are part of a normal schedule renewal.

"These two series' have been in the schedule since March 2000, so they've been there almost three years," says Michelle Hoctor, radio publicist at RTE. "So what's happening now is the normal renewal of a schedule and we will continue to work with both Philip and PJ in future series and will be looking forward to their contribution to the Radio 1 schedule during the course of 2003. For schedules to develop, changes have to be made."

However, when we spoke to Curtis, he was less than enthusiastic at the prospect of re-joining RTE.

"I'm tired of it all, to be perfectly honest," he says. "I've been fighting and hanging on for as long as I possibly can and I don't see any light at the end of this particular tunnel, unless something comes up elsewhere. But if RTE came back to me again, which I don't suspect they will, they'd have to be offering a very good deal. RTE will go on, won't it? But there's a hemorrhage of listeners generally anyway, and unless they find a way to stop that, the locals and the other stations will pick up the slack."