RTÉ HAS DEFENDED its actions in awarding €2.7million in programming contracts to members of its own board of directors last year.

The broadcaster’s annual report for 2010 shows that it made purchases worth €2.7million from companies controlled by board members, other “key management personnel” or their close relatives in 2010. The figure was primarily payment for commissioned programmes, the report states. In 2009, the equivalent figure was just €100,000.

The Irish Mail on Sunday (print edition only) reported that members whose companies received payments include Stuart Switzer, whose Coco Television firm produces Crimecall and Desperate Houses; and Orlaith Carmody, who is involved in a firm which created several episodes of Capital D. If the €2.7million figure all went to commissioned programmes, it would represent 4.7 per cent of RTÉ’s total spending on commissioning from outside producers.

The broadcaster has denied any conflict of interest, saying all the contracts were on normal commercial terms. A spokesman saidt: “RTÉ’s board operation on the one hand, and its executive process for programme commissioning on the other, are separately drawn up, operated and supervised.”