RTÉ Authority

The RTÉ Authority was a nine-member body which met monthly and acted as RTÉ's Board, making policy and guiding corporate direction. The RTÉ Authority was appointed by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. The RTÉ Executive reported to the Authority via the Director General.

Current the members of shortly to be dissolved Authority will now form the interim Board of Radio Teilifís Eireann. These are:

Tom Savage, Chairperson Karlin Lillington Fergus Armstrong Patricia Quinn

Sean O'Sullivan Emer Finnan Cathal Goan, Director-General (ex-officio)

Role

The Authority was established (as the Radio Éireann Authority) under the Broadcasting Authority Act 1960. The Authority is actually the legal entity known as Radio Telefís Éireann and the body which has legal responsibility to run the services authorised under the Broadcasting Authority Acts 1960-2002. However in reality actual management of the services is delegated to the Director-General and the staff of the Authority who togther comprise RTÉ. The Authority meets monthly and acts as RTÉ's board of directors, making general policy and overseeing the operations of RTÉ on a non-executive basis.

Future

Under the Broadcasting Act 2009, the RTÉ Authority lost the "Authority" moniker and is simply referred to as the Board. The Board consists of 12 members - six nominated by the Minister, four nominated by the Minister on the advice of the Houses of the Oireachtas Joint Committee with responsibility for broadcasting, one worker director and the Director-General. The Board will no longer regulate RTÉ, as it will be subject to the regulation of the soon to be established Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (By September 31st). [1]

A new Authority, the final authority, was appointed on 24 February 2009 on a six month interim basis, until the 2008 Bill was enacted.[[2] Members of this Authority will be shortly appointed as the first Board.