RTÉ land sale and restructuring [Merged]

Maysa07 · 26-06-2019 2:10pm

The CFO job? Nah, There was a Finance job advertised alright but not for a CFO.

Elmo · 26-06-2019 2:36pm

Maysa07 wrote: »

The CFO job? Nah, There was a Finance job advertised alright but not for a CFO.

Sorry well Frances Abeton is not mention in RTÉ's annual report for 2018, but interestingly Rory Coveney is mentioned and so is Geraldian O'Leary but she is not on their about page! (as member of the board in 2018).

The Cush · 28-08-2019 9:52pm

Cairns Homes have submitted Strategic Housing Development (SHD) planning documents to An Bord Pleanála to develop the site purchased from RTÉ in 2017.

An Bord Pleanála notice

305232: Former RTE Lands at RTE Campus Montrose, Stillorgan Road and Ailesbury Close, Donnybrook, Dublin 4.

Dublin City Council

611 no. apartments, 3 no. town houses, 2 no. cafes, 1 childcare facility, demolition of 1 no. existing sports & social club, change of use of Mount Errol from existing office use to private residents member's club & gym and associated site works.

Case reference: PL29S.305232
Case type: Strategic Housing Development - Consultation

Status: Case is due to be decided by 22/10/2019

Parties
Cairn Homes Properties Ltd. (Applicant)
Cairn Homes Properties Ltd. (Prospective Applicant) (Invalid)

History
21/08/2019: Lodged

http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/305232.htm

A nine-week long pre-planning consultation process now begins.

This will involve Dublin City Council planners and at the end of the consultation, An Bord Pleanála will provide an 'opinion' on the development.

It is then open to Cairn Homes to take into account the views expressed by the appeals board before lodging an application direct to An Bord Pleanála under fast-track planning rules.

The Strategic Housing Development (SHD) rules allow developers to bypass local authorities and have their applications decided by the board.

The move can save a year or more in the time required to have large-scale planning applications decided upon.

Third parties cannot make submissions on pre-planning consultations but when Cairn Homes lodges its planning application, all documentation in relation to the pre-planning will be available to view and third parties will then be able to lodge submissions.

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2019/0828/1071496-cairn-homes-rte/

The number of units planned is 105 - or 20.6% - higher than the original 500 apartments and nine homes the company initially indicated it would construct on the 8.64 site in Donnybrook after its purchase of the land in June 2017.

Back in 2018 they submitted a similar application to An Bord Pleanála but subsequently withdrew it, this application included 3 apartments more than the current application

303097: Former RTE lands at RTE Campus Montrose, Stillorgan Road and Ailesbury Close, Donnybrook, Dublin 4.

Dublin City Council

614 no. apartments, 3 no. townhouses, 2 no. cafes, childcare facility, change of use of Mount Errol from commercial office use to private residents member's club and associated site works.

Case reference: PL29S.303097
Case type: Strategic Housing Development - Consultation

Decision: Withdrawn
Date Signed: 20/12/2018

Parties
Cairn Homes Properties Ltd. (Applicant)
Cairn Homes Properties Ltd. (Prospective Applicant) (Active)

History
20/12/2018: Decided
26/11/2018: Lodged

http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/303097.htm

Cairn Homes are also appealing a DCC planning decision which refused retention permission for a V-shaped sign in front of Montrose House on the RTÉ Campus. The sign I assume would be used to advertise the new development - http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/304800.htm

L1011 · 29-08-2019 7:56am

The Irish Times illustrated a news post on this with an aerial photo of the old MW transmitter site in Beaumont which was sold for housing some time ago - someone must have put "RTE" "site" "housing" in to the pictures system!

The Cush · 29-08-2019 8:51am

L1011 wrote: »

The Irish Times illustrated a news post on this with an aerial photo of the old MW transmitter site in Beaumont which was sold for housing some time ago - someone must have put "RTE" "site" "housing" in to the pictures system!

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/construction/cairn-plans-for-rté-site-to-have-more-apartments-than-previously-indicated-1.4000316

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/commercial-property/rte-to-get-20m-for-site-at-beaumont-1.1142124

The Cush · 15-09-2019 8:53am

RTE to sell its studio in Cork

In the Irish Mail on Sunday - RTÉ is preparing to sell its Cork studios and more of its Dublin 4 ...
Review into broadcaster's finances also urges: Cut pay Lay off workers Sell more land in Montrose.

Minister Richard Bruton on RTÉ's This Week programme at 1.00pm today, discussion includes the RTÉ situation.
Listen back - https://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/html5/#/radio1/21619405

The Cush · 15-09-2019 11:45pm

The Cush wrote: »

RTE to sell its studio in Cork

In the Irish Mail on Sunday - RTÉ is preparing to sell its Cork studios and more of its Dublin 4 ...
Review into broadcaster's finances also urges: Cut pay Lay off workers Sell more land in Montrose.

What the Mail has reported

- The RTÉ Studio on Father Matthew Street, Cork could raise between €1m and €1.5m on the open market. The four-floor building is under-used. The studio is used for Today with Maura and Daithí, The John Creedon Show and editing Nationwide.

- Land Sale at Montrose, possibly where the radio centre sits which is adjacent to the lands sold to Cairn Homes in 2017. High value but not as high as the last sale because it may be a lower density development site and because of adjacent development. According to an RTÉ insider this land has to go as the radio centre is adjacent to a major development that no amount of sound-proofing could deal with on site activity like pile driving with live radio broadcasting.

- Closure of Lyric FM

- Reduction of staff by 200-300

- RTÉ hoping to make an announcement in the coming weeks.

Doblin · 16-09-2019 12:05am

No mention lately of the Mooted sale of the RTE guide

punisher5112 · 16-09-2019 12:09am

Why oh why..... It's just a fire sale of Irish people's land..... It's a shambles...

Maysa07 · 16-09-2019 2:05pm

The Cush wrote: »

What the Mail has reported

- The RTÉ Studio on Father Matthew Street, Cork could raise between €1m and €1.5m on the open market. The four-floor building is under-used. The studio is used for Today with Maura and Daithí, The John Creedon Show and editing Nationwide.

- Land Sale at Montrose, possibly where the radio centre sits which is adjacent to the lands sold to Cairn Homes in 2017. High value but not as high as the last sale because it may be a lower density development site and because of adjacent development. According to an RTÉ insider this land has to go as the radio centre is adjacent to a major development that no amount of sound-proofing could deal with on site activity like pile driving with live radio broadcasting.

- Closure of Lyric FM

- Reduction of staff by 200-300

- RTÉ hoping to make an announcement in the coming weeks.

This is the first time i have heard about the Cork studios getting put up for sale, Interesting... will they use the money they make to pay off the staff? hmm

Yes they are scoping building radio studios in the "Stage 7" building, It's the newer building build about 20 years ago facing Nutley road.

Staff - The number of staff verses the number of managers in RTE will have to be addressed.
Last year 200 plus staff took the package yet they are still hired big numbers.

All in all.. they have to sort there house out first.

dublinman1990 · 16-09-2019 9:39pm

One thing that is on my mind right now is that if RTÉ decide to close down their Radio Centre in future; they couldn't just ask the planning agencies here to propose a new building for it because they might not afford to do it because of issues with their finances. I think that RTÉ could move their Radio stations into the main building at Montrose by doing a cheap refit job from one of their current TV studios. That could be possible in hindsight. But it depends on what RTÉ says on the matter.

If the Radio Centre closes in 2020 because of the construction work of the new houses by Cairn Homes with no proper back up plan to move or close some of their radio stations because of low listenership figures; they're honestly screwed. Obviously some of the radio stations from RTÉ like Lyric FM & RNaG are based outside of Dublin.

But what I'm talking about here are the futures of radio stations like RTÉ 2XM, RTÉ Pulse, RTÉ Jr radio & RTÉ Gold. Will they still continue after the RTÉ Radio Centre is closed by 2020? Do these additional digital radio stations provide value by offering a public service remit to their TV licence payers? If the answer is no; well then why provide them in the first place? Heads need to start thinking from within RTÉ and fast on this issue because time is ticking.

Elmo · 20-09-2019 3:53pm

RTÉ Radio Centre could be come listed, it is down as one of the building you must visit before you die! The campus was originally designed quiet well for a TV and Radio studio.

The Cush · 22-09-2019 10:57am

Sunday Times reporting that RTÉ is interested in selling in whole or part its transmission network, 2rn.

They have appointed KPMG to review the company with sources estimating it could be worth over €200m.

The network was previously withdrawn from sale in Oct 2002 when 67% was on offer (plus an additional 5% to staff ESOP). The value placed on the network during the sale process ranged between €60 and €127 million but by the end of the process the value has dropped to between €20m-€30m. The new company was provisionally named DTTN*/Netco (previously Digico). After the failed sale, the network division was spun off in 2003 as a separate wholly owned subsidiary of RTÉ - RTÉ Transmission Network Limited (RTÉNL).

(*DTT Network Co. (CRO No. 310485), a dormant subsidiary of RTÉ created in 1999 in preparation for the sale of its transmission network)

The McCarthy Review Group recommended its sale back in early 2011.

The Cush · 23-09-2019 10:51pm

Breda O'Keeffe, RTÉ's CFO, is to leave in March after more than seven years in the position. She replaced Conor Hayes back in Sept 2012.

https://www.independent.ie/business/media/rts-top-financial-officer-set-to-leave-broadcaster-38520350.html

Doblin · 23-09-2019 10:56pm

The Cush wrote: »

Sunday Times reporting that RTÉ is interested in selling in whole or part its transmission network, 2rn.

They have appointed KPMG to review the company with sources estimating it could be worth over €200m.

The network was previously withdrawn from sale in Oct 2002 when 67% was on offer (plus an additional 5% to staff ESOP). The value placed on the network during the sale process ranged between €60 and €127 million but by the end of the process the value has dropped to between €20m-€30m. The new company was provisionally named DTTN*/Netco (previously Digico). After the failed sale, the network division was spun off in 2003 as a separate wholly owned subsidiary of RTÉ - RTÉ Transmission Network Limited (RTÉNL).

(*DTT Network Co. (CRO No. 310485), a dormant subsidiary of RTÉ created in 1999 in preparation for the sale of its transmission network)

The McCarthy Review Group recommended its sale back in early 2011.

We read months ago that kpmp were appointed to review the future of the RTE guide but heard nothing since

The Cush · 24-09-2019 12:48am

Doblin wrote: »

We read months ago that kpmp were appointed to review the future of the RTE guide but heard nothing since

It was in the Sunday Times back in May

Montrose bosses chew over sale of beloved magazine RTE Guide

Gavin Daly and Sean Pollock
May 19 2019
The Sunday Times

RTE is weighing up a sale of the RTE Guide, the country’s bestselling magazine, as part of a continuing strategy to offload non-core assets and boost its finances.

The broadcaster has appointed accountants KPMG to review options for the magazine and the process is expected to lead to a sale in the near future. The RTE Guide had average circulation of 43,195 copies a week in 2018 and claims a weekly readership of 345,000 adults.

The Christmas edition of the RTE Guide sells almost 300,000 copies each year. It is understood the magazine is trading profitably.

In response to queries from The Sunday Times, RTE said: “No decisions have been made on this matter. RTE has no further comment to make at this time.”

The magazine, first published in 1961, is edited by Catherine Lee and has a core staff of about 12.

RTE does not publish separate financial figures for the RTE Guide but incorporates them into its commercial enterprises unit, which is also responsible for licensing content and some sponsorship ventures.

The broadcaster recorded “circulation and events income” of €5.3m in 2017, which it said comprised net income from the RTE Guide and events organised by the RTE orchestras. It had €1.4m in “printing and related costs” for the RTE Guide.

The magazine does not have a dedicated online presence but some of its content is available on RTE’s website.

RTE Guide could be attractive to groups such as Irish Studio, which bought titles including Irish Tatler and Food & Wine in 2017.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/montrose-bosses-chew-over-sale-of-beloved-magazine-rte-guide-6w5clkztz

Strange case of the RTÉ Guide

Media&Marketing: State broadcaster set to sell listing magazine that defies all the odds

Tue, Jul 2, 2019, 05:30
Bernice Harrison

…

Although, given the station’s perilous financial situation, cutting the publication from its long list of services does represent a delicate pruning rather than a savage cutback.

Reports that RTÉ had engaged KPMG to examine the viability of the RTÉ Guide’s sale appeared in the Sunday Times in May with the broadcaster issuing a terse statement that no decisions have been made and that it had no further comment to make.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/strange-case-of-the-rté-guide-1.3943396

I assume we'll know more by the end of October

RTÉ Statement

Friday, 13 Sep 2019 12:15

“RTÉ remains committed to meeting the ever-changing needs of Irish audiences and to securing the future of public service media in Irish life. We are mindful of RTɒs central role in reflecting who we are as a people and a nation and where we are going, a role that is more important now than ever. However, with commercial revenues and public funding both significantly below what is needed to operate the organisation in its current form, it is no longer possible to continue as we are.

It is in this context that we are currently finalising a review of everything we currently do and what we can continue to do in the future and we expect to be in a position to share details in the coming weeks.”

https://about.rte.ie/2019/09/13/%ef%bb%bfrte-statement/

Elmo · 24-09-2019 3:22pm

Problem with both is who will buy it and what is it value, here you have a profit make part of RTÉ, all be it on it sits on top of fees large got from RTÉ, and if RTÉ decide to drop DTT transmissions? You may find it easier to sell the Saorview brand.

Sam Russell · 24-09-2019 3:43pm

Elmo wrote: »

Problem with both is who will buy it and what is it value, here you have a profit make part of RTÉ, all be it on it sits on top of fees large got from RTÉ, and if RTÉ decide to drop DTT transmissions? You may find it easier to sell the Saorview brand.

2RN would be a good fit for ESB, particularly if they got the TV licence/Household Charge collection gig.

medoc · 25-09-2019 10:18am

Sam Russell wrote: »

2RN would be a good fit for ESB, particularly if they got the TV licence/Household Charge collection gig.

National infrastructure should be state owned. The national grid, esb networks , roads, rail, airport runways etc. I’d include 2rn in this category. Also the open Eir network but that ship has sailed. Let retail and services compete on the state owned infrastructure.

political analyst · 25-09-2019 10:43pm

Elmo wrote: »

Problem with both is who will buy it and what is it value, here you have a profit make part of RTÉ, all be it on it sits on top of fees large got from RTÉ, and if RTÉ decide to drop DTT transmissions? You may find it easier to sell the Saorview brand.

Terrestrial transmission of public-service broadcasting won't become obsolete any time soon.

Sam Russell · 25-09-2019 10:53pm

medoc wrote: »

National infrastructure should be state owned. The national grid, esb networks , roads, rail, airport runways etc. I’d include 2rn in this category. Also the open Eir network but that ship has sailed. Let retail and services compete on the state owned infrastructure.

That is why the ESB would find it a good fit. It would also be small beer for them, and could be paid for out of petty cash.

2RN have income from other services than just DTT broadcasting.

The Cush · 01-11-2019 12:34am

The Cush wrote: »

Cairns Homes have submitted Strategic Housing Development (SHD) planning documents to An Bord Pleanála to develop the site purchased from RTÉ in 2017.

http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/305232.htm

On Oct 21st last, An Bord Pleanála gave Cairn Homes the go-ahead to make its formal planning application to the appeals board under the Government’s fast-track planning regime and a decision will be made within 16 weeks.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/construction/an-bord-plean%C3%A1la-gives-cairn-homes-go-ahead-for-rt%C3%A9-site-plan-1.4066163

The Cush wrote: »

Cairn Homes are also appealing a DCC planning decision which refused retention permission for a V-shaped sign in front of Montrose House on the RTÉ Campus. The sign I assume would be used to advertise the new development - http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/304800.htm

Retention permission appeal refused by An Bord Pleanála on Oct 3rd last.

The Cush · 04-03-2020 1:04am

The Cush wrote: »

On Oct 21st last, An Bord Pleanála gave Cairn Homes the go-ahead to make its formal planning application to the appeals board under the Government’s fast-track planning regime and a decision will be made within 16 weeks.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/construction/an-bord-plean%C3%A1la-gives-cairn-homes-go-ahead-for-rt%C3%A9-site-plan-1.4066163

Ailesbury Road residents challenge fast-track planning laws - Irish Times

Three residents of Ailesbury Road, in Ballsbridge, Dublin, are challenging the constitutionality of the strategic housing development system, which allows for the fast-tracking of major residential projects.

Businessmen Chris Comerford and John Gleeson, and Pat Desmond, wife of the billionaire businessman Dermot Desmond, are challenging a system they say is not solving the housing crisis but is “creating even more problems that will impact all of us for generations to come”.

In October, An Bord Pleanála gave approval for a 611-apartment development in Donnybrook to be processed through the fast-track planning process.

The proposed development, by Cairn Homes, is on land bought from RTÉ for €107.5 million which extends to the back of houses on Ailesbury Road. A planning application has not been lodged for the project.

The High Court action which is being taken by the three Ailesbury Road residents is not aimed at the Cairn decision but at the legislation generally.

Elmo · 26-05-2020 6:19pm

RTÉ are currently in the process of putting in an application the Department to close the RTÉ Digital Radio stations.

That's 6 months after they announced that they were planning to close them by the end of this year. I expect them to continue on air until this time next year.

The Cush · 28-05-2020 1:36am

The Cush wrote: »

On Oct 21st last, An Bord Pleanála gave Cairn Homes the go-ahead to make its formal planning application to the appeals board under the Government’s fast-track planning regime and a decision will be made within 16 weeks.

Cairn Homes has finally submitted plans to build 611 apartments, three town houses, a childcare facility, two cafés and a residential facilities area on the 4.155ha site it bought from RTÉ in Donnybrook, in 2017 for €107.5m according to media report yesterday.

The application has been submitted as a Strategic Housing Development (SHD), meaning it goes direct to An Bord Pleanála under fast-track planning rules. The SHD process allows developers to bypass local authorities and have their applications decided by the board. The board has up to 16 weeks to decide on whether or not to grant planning permission.

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2020/0527/1143006-cairn-homes-submits-planning-proposal-for-donnybrook/
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/construction/cairn-homes-seeks-permission-for-611-apartments-on-rt%C3%A9-site-1.4264227
https://www.independent.ie/business/irish/cairn-homes-seeks-to-build-611-apartments-on-montrose-site-it-bought-from-rte-for-1075m-39239312.html

Elmo · 26-07-2020 7:54pm

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2020-06-23/639/

Question:
639. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

if he has received communication from the Director General of RTÉ regarding the future of its digital radio stations; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Richard Bruton
Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment
Section 103 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 requires that Ministerial consent shall be sought if RTÉ wishes to vary the number of television or sound broadcasting channels it operates. It also requires that the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland be consulted as to the sectoral impact of such changes.

I have not, to date, received a proposal from RTÉ regarding the closure of digital stations.

RTÉ land sale and restructuring [Merged]

Comments