RTÉ HAS formally unveiled its new Northern Ireland headquarters and studios in Belfast in the presence of Taoiseach Brian Cowen, First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.
At a reception to mark the opening of the studios in the Centrepoint building in the city centre, the chairwoman of RTÉ, Mary Finan, said the presence of the joint heads of the Stormont Executive was evidence of what she called the “radically changed environment in which RTÉ’s Northern Ireland operation are working now and will continue to work”.
The broadcaster is to cease broadcasting from Fanum House, where it has been based for more than 40 years, because the building is being closed.
“Our commitment to the audience now is to report from a changing and growing Northern Ireland,” Ms Finan said. Staff numbers were not changing because the news story had changed.
“Rather our commitment of staff and resources is refreshed and renewed and picking new stories and new features which reflect the changing times.”
The new investment was “a vote of confidence in the opportunities we all share on this island to grow together”. She told the audience, which included many RTÉ journalists from past and present, that the national broadcaster’s commitment remained “rock steady”.
She said RTÉ’s availability on the digital Freeview service could come about if the right accommodation is negotiated.
Mr Robinson said the only thing “green” about him was the level of envy at seeing the quality of the new studios. Mr McGuinness, like the First Minister, spoke warmly of RTÉ’s Northern Editor Tommie Gorman, praising his “genuine decency”.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen also praised RTÉ’s commitment to Northern Ireland and paid tribute to Gorman and all his predecessors “who helped chronicle” the Troubles. He welcomed the ongoing commitment to Northern coverage and to portraying “the far more positive events” of current times.
“Around the world today Northern Ireland is . . . a positive example of how a workable political solution to conflict can be found and implemented,” he said.