The Head of Religious Programmes with RTE television has said there is a great need for articulate lay intellectuals to comment on Church affairs.Fr Dermod McCarthy was speaking at a seminar organised by ICCTRA (Irish Churches’ Council for Television and Radio Affairs) on Religious Broadcasting.
Fr McCarthy, who retires this week from RTE having spent sixteen years as Head of Religious Programmes, lamented the closure of the Communications Centre in Booterstown in the early 90s, which trained thousands of clergy and religious in media for over twenty years.
“Now that site contains yet another complex of expensive apartments – and my heart grieves every morning.
“Because more than ever we need such a training facility, as media assumes an even more powerful role in our society and the depth of penetration which television enjoys into every home and individual increases.”
Fr McCarthy said there was a “serious dearth” in Ireland of articulate lay intellectuals – people like Louis McRedmond, Sean Mac Reamoinn and historian Kenneth Milne.
“I do not see similar people emerging today from our colleges, universities or theological institutes,” he said.
This made it difficult for researchers on programmes like ‘Would you believe’ to find “qualified and articulate” commentators on spiritual, moral and theological issues.
Fr McCarthy said some training was being provided but “not at the level they need to be.”
Asked how priests should respond when door-stepped by media to give a comment on a tragedy in their locality, Fr Mc Carthy advised they should think of the family.
“Use the occasion to inject a Gospel dimension instead of stating the obvious,” he added.
Eileen Good, Director of Religious Network News (RNN), and a member of ICCTRA, told those present that they should take every opportunity for broadcasting as an opportunity to share Gospel values.
“Never miss an opportunity. Training is available. Go and get it!”
Fr McCarthy called on ICCTRA to be vigilant in making representations to the national broadcaster, as it had done over the Angelus, for example.
He felt the organisation had not been sufficiently “outspoken” around the time the decision was made to bump Sunday services to the AM band. “Many elderly people, including my own mother, cannot find the medium wave band. I feel the ball was dropped and it is a perfect example of the robust role that ICCTRA should be playing in the relationship between the churches and RTE,” he added.
The new head of religious programming will be British based broadcaster, Richard Childs, who takes up the appointment as Editor of Religious programmes for both radio and television shortly.
Mr Childs worked for 18 years with BBC, Channel 4, Discovery and WNET in New York.
He has won a number of awards, including a Sony Radio Award and two European Festival of Religious Broadcasting awards.
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