Funferal

New Chair of RTE authority

I don’t know Mary Finan, who has just been appointed the new Chair of the RTÉ Authority, but I was somewhat annoyed by this description by the Minister, on announcing her appointment:

Mary Finan will bring with her a wealth of experience in business generally and communications in particular.

Now, Ms. Finan is undeniably successful – a graduate of Harvard Business School, current Chairman of the ESRI – but her ‘communications’ experience is as Chairman of a public relations firm. This is, on one level, also in the ‘communications’ sector, but is really very, very different from broadcasting, and public service broadcasting in particular.