RtÉ Declines to Comment on Bai Inquiry Reports

Breaking News
April 10, 2012

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/rte-declines-to-comment-on-bai-inquiry-reports-546824.html


RTÉ has declined to comment on fresh reports surrounding an official inquiry into its 'Mission to Prey' programme which libelled missionary priest Fr Kevin Reynolds.

A report carried out by former BBC Northern Ireland controller Anna Carragher for the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland has yet to be released (BAI).

However the Irish Times this morning published leaked details of briefing documents it says were prepared for the board of the BAI.

According to the Times, the report "has heavily criticised the standards of journalism involved in the broadcast", concluding that the programme was "unfair and a breach of Fr Reynolds' privacy".

Last week, RTÉ announced a range of measures dealing with the fallout of the programme, including the scrapping of the 'Prime Time Investigates' series, under which the 'Mission to Prey' programme was produced.

The broadcaster however said it would not comment on today's reports because its own submission to the BAI is still being prepared.

"This is the difficulty we are placed in by the leak to the Irish Times this morning," said

Kevin Dawson, head of Corporate Communications with RTÉ.

"We are obliged, statutorily, by our regulator (the BAI) to deal with them in private process on all of these matters while they are looking into them.

"We will then comment on all of them, absolutely fully."