The Irish-language station, which received another funding boost in last Tuesday’s Budget, had total income of €67.47m last year, with €61.63m of that, or just over 91pc, coming from the Exchequer.
State funding was increased to over €65m in the Budget, with media minister Patrick O’Donovan saying it was to ensure the continued provision of high-quality Irish-language programmes, and “to enable the development of a digital news service”.
The Connemara-based station has long been lobbying for its own independent news service, with the former director general Alan Esslemont saying last year that the service being provided by RTE to TG4 was “no longer fit for purpose”.
Welcoming the €5.4m increase in Exchequer funding on Tuesday, the current director general, Deirdre Ní Choistín, said it was “recognition for expanded news services for TG4”.
In its annual report for 2024, published today, TG4 says it has been notified of a compliance intervention by Revenue. It has paid €32,470 to the tax authorities, including interest of €4,960, in relation to underpayment of Vat on some overseas purchases in 2022, as well as Vat incorrectly claimed on other purchases.
The station says an internal review is underway in relation to Vat compliance, and it is in ongoing talks with the Revenue on this. It has done a review of the years 2020, 2021 and 2023 and has estimated further potential liabilities of €92,382, which includes interest of €19,337.
“TG4 will commence engagement with Revenue on these years once the 2022 review has been completed, as the results of the 2022 review may impact the calculations of these years,” the report says.
There are 58 separate references to the film KNEECAP in the annual report, in recognition of the fact that it was co-funded by TG4, along with the British Film Institute, Screen Ireland, Coimisiún na Meán and others. “It was a resounding success with audiences and critics alike,” the report says of the double Oscar nominated film.
The number of employees at TG4 increased by nine to 130 last year, with a salary bill of €7.4m. Staff costs included €52,000 on an annual voucher paid to all staff, which the station says arises from a Labour Relations Commission ruling from 2012 and which has been paid every year since.
Some 3.73 million people, or over 80pc of the population, tuned into TG4 at some stage last year, according to the annual report, with the share of the national television audience increasing to 2.2pc, the highest since 2009. “TG4 continued to hold its place as the 7th most-watched television channel in Ireland,” it says.
The director general said on Tuesday that, to date this year, TG4’s audience share is up to 2.3pc.
The station received 389 hours of Irish language programmes from RTE last year, 24 hours more than the national broadcaster is statutorily obliged to deliver.
source