Mario Rosenstock says RTE is 'financially compromised' and there's a 'chilling effect' amid perceived lack of comedy

"One of the things that disgusts me is a statement made by Kevin Bakhurst not too long ago when somebody said, there's no comedy on RTÉ at the moment. And he went, 'Oh, well, you know comedy, it's hit and miss'. And basically that was an admission of total defeat. And I'd never heard a head of a TV station saying that before that they actually gave up on making comedy."

"I think they're owned, in a sense, by the powers that be. I think there is a quasi nod and a wink going, listen, just don't give us any trouble and we'll keep funding you into the next 15 years. I think there is a chilling effect on editors and broadcasters who go, 'why would we bother annoying people'. You know?, 'Don't mention Palestine, will you? Don't mention Israel. Don't mention this. Don't mention Micheál Martin'."

Mario Rosenstock criticized RTÉ for censoring comedians during Late Late Show appearances and claimed the broadcaster has effectively given up on producing comedy. He described a comment from Kevin Bakhurst as an admission of defeat and argued that satire remains popular in Ireland. Rosenstock attributed reduced comedy output to financial compromise and a perceived alignment with political interests, creating a 'quasi nod and a wink' that discourages controversy. He warned of a chilling effect on editors and broadcasters who avoid contentious topics, and recounted instances of pre-vetting and explicit refusals to allow certain comedic material.

Read at Irish Independent