RTE’s new Director General has revealed the challenges facing the station following Brexit.
Dee Forbes was appointed as the new DG in April this year taking over from Noel Curran.
Just last week it was revealed RTE will lose €20 million this year and Dee admitted the station is facing difficulties.
“In the last number of months certainly Brexit is having an impact on advertising,” she said.
RTE: The new DB admitted that Brexit has affected the station
The Cork native admitted that a lot of advertisers who spend money in Ireland are dictated by the UK, such as Unilever.
“A lot of advertisers that spend money in Ireland are dictated by the UK,” Dee told Tony Lyons at Dublin’s Media Con.
“So some of the big international brands like Unilever and Procter & Gamble where their money is confirmed by the UK.
“They are slowing down certainly, exchange rates are affecting us – the market place is more volatile than we would all like it to be.
“Having said that, the local market is good for advertising and we’re seeing some really good campaigns coming through for the autumn.
“What we’re dealing with is a very mixed market right now.
Perspective: Dee hopes to bring a wide perspective to her new role with RTE
Dee also spoke about her RTE plans in her new role which she is thrilled about.
“I think timing is everything on many of these occasions,” she said at Dublin’s Media Con.
“When I got the phone call to say the job was available, it got me thinking.
“Being from Ireland and having spent a lot of time here in the last five or ten years, in particular [going] back and forth, there was something in me that did want to come back at some stage.
“So I went for the role, thrilled to have got it, and I think it’s a really important time for the role in RTE and for the media in general.”
