asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether, in view of the high rate of engagements by Radio Eireann as a result of Dublin auditions as compared with rural auditions, he will consider having a certain percentage of engagements allocated each year to applicants outside Dublin in order to give more encouragement to rural performers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Radio Eireann Engagements.
I must explain to the Deputy that engagements to broadcast are not offered solely as the immediate result of auditions. Many of the programmes are of necessity planned in the first instance by the programme officers, who then commission the artistes best fitted by talent, training and experience to execute them. Since the maintenance of standards sufficient for the satisfaction of the listeners is the overriding consideration in broadcasting it would not be wise to make a rigid and artificial division of engagements into those for Dublin artistes and those for artistes residing elsewhere.
I would like to assure the Deputy, however, that every possible effort is made by Radio Eireann to find, train and reward talent in every corner of Ireland. The vast quantity of material required to fill some 3,500 hours of broadcasting in the year would alone ensure such efforts, but the social desirability of employing rural talent is also fully realised.