RTÉ was "destroying the cultural life of our country and our children" and was responsible for the "pollution of our intellectual, artistic and spiritual lives", the annual General Assembly of Aosdána was told yesterday.
Aosdána is an affiliation of 194 artists born or resident in Ireland.
The visual artist and independent producer, Bob Quinn, a former member of the RTÉ Authority, said the degree to which advertising interests dictated the agenda of RTÉ was "worrying if not terrifying".
He was speaking during a debate on the national broadcaster's level of support for the arts. The meeting passed a motion calling on RTÉ to "recall its publicly financed obligations especially in relation to the areas of the composition and performance of serious Irish contemporary music, visual arts, literature and drama".
In his four years on the authority, Mr Quinn said, the phrase "competitive environment" had "wiped out any discussion on ethics, art or anything that might be of interest to this body. I think we had better realise we live in a world which is run at the behest of advertising interests".
"I'm talking about our public broadcaster, which is 100 per cent in thrall to corporate multinational bodies."
Theo Dorgan, a poet, said Aosdána should look at what was being done by RTÉ "rather than indulge in attacking it". The reality was that the broadcaster did operate in a market place.
However, writer Ulick O'Connor said RTÉ was a public service and it had failed.
"I don't think we should be defending it. We should be attacking it with all guns," he said.
Visual artist Michael Kane said there was too much British and American pop art on the RTÉ radio arts programme Rattlebag, which he called "tittle-tattle bag".
The meeting also discussed the Arts Bill, which the Government hopes to enact in the current Dáil term. Musician Michael Holohan expressed concern at the Government proposal for the establishment of three new standing committees, separate from the Arts Council.
He was particularly concerned about the proposed committee on Irish traditional arts, saying he would not be in favour of it if it would have the dispersal of funds at its disposal.
The meeting passed a motion urging the Minister for Arts, Mr O'Donoghue, to amend the Bill further so as to ensure that practising artists were "significantly represented" on the Arts Council.
The meeting's main function yesterday was the election of seven new members, bringing its membership to 194. Among the seven are Mannix Flynn, a writer, and film-maker Pat Murphy.
Mr Flynn has dealt with institutional abuse, imprisonment and injustice in his work. His most recent play, James X, brought a 10-year work in progress, which began with Talking To The Wall, to a conclusion. Ms Murphy has had numerous exhibitions of etchings. Her films include What Miro Saw (2002), Nora (1999), Sean MacBride Remembers (1998-99) and Anne Devlin (1984).
Also elected was writer Éilis Ní Dhuibhne, who has published four collections of short stories, four novels, five books for children, two plays and much non-fiction.
Peter Fallon is a poet, editor and publisher whose collections include The Speaking Stones, Winter Work, The News and Weather and Strength of Heart.
Musician Stephen Gardner became the first composer-in-residence with a local authority, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, in 1998. His orchestral pieces have been performed around the world and have been widely broadcast.
Ronan Guilfoyle has written music for jazz ensembles, theatre and television and has delivered on commissions for many organisations including RTÉ and the Opus 20 String Orchestra in London.
The poetry of Julie O'Callaghan is included in many anthologies and she has had many of her own published, including Edible Anecdotes, No Can Do and Taking My Pen For A Walk. Members of Aosdána are entitled to apply for a cnús, or allowance, of €11,000 a year, funded by the Arts Council.
