RTÉ Statement: Public tender for RTÉ Brand & Reputation Research

In response to inaccurate and misleading media reports and comment over the past two days regarding the RTÉ public tender for RTÉ Brand & Reputation Research, RTÉ wishes to clarify as follows:

• RTÉ has a number of obligations to the regulator, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), one of which is to independently and regularly measure audience awareness and use of our services, as well satisfaction with these services. This forms part of obligatory reporting by RTÉ to the BAI;

• The cost of this important and necessary independent research covers a five-year period, not one year, and is made up of four reports per year, 20 over five years. The total cost quoted in the public tender document is also an indicative cost;

• This RTÉ Brand Tracker research, which is carried out every quarter, also allows RTÉ to track important indicators, such as trust, value and relevance. It is an invaluable and reliable tool which allows us to better understand the extent to which we are fulfilling our remit and meeting the needs of the audiences we serve. It also informs important decisions;

• Since 2006, RTÉ has been obliged to run a public tender process every five years to appoint an independent and established agency to carry out this research; Red C is the incumbent.”

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