RTE is facing an extremely challenging financial situation but is not on the verge of bankruptcy, its director general has insisted.Kevin Bakhurst warned members of a parliamentary committee in Dublin that failure to implement a new longer term funding model for public service media in Ireland would jeopardise the future of the national broadcaster.Mr Bakhurst has introduced an immediate recruitment freeze and a halt to discretionary spending as RTE continues to grapple with a fall in licence fe

RTE is facing an extremely challenging financial situation but is not on the verge of bankruptcy, its director general has insisted.Kevin Bakhurst warned members of a parliamentary committee in Dublin that failure to implement a new longer term funding model for public service media in Ireland would jeopardise the future of the national broadcaster.Mr Bakhurst has introduced an immediate recruitment freeze and a halt to discretionary spending as RTE continues to grapple with a fall in licence fee revenue following a series of controversies over the summer.The crisis at RTE erupted in June when the broadcaster revealed it had not correctly declared fees to its then highest-paid earner Ryan Tubridy between 2017-2022.The furore subsequently widened as a series of other financial and governance issues emerged.Prior to its difficulties over the summer months, RTE had asked the Irish government for 34.5 million euro (£29.6 million) in additional interim funding this year.