RTÉ fight back after Katie Taylor accuses them of ‘disrespect’
Katie Taylor heavily criticised RTÉ’s boxing coverage yesterday, but the national broadcaster insists it “has consistently supported Katie in her successful quest for titles”.
Taylor voiced her criticisms to the Irish Independent, when she collected her Irish Independent / Croke Park Hotel Sportstar of the Year Award.
Taylor won the award after another fantastic year where she won her fifth world title in November, having already picked up a sixth European title in June.
The boxing superstar, who was absent from the RTÉ Sports Award ceremony on Sunday night, was sharply critical of coverage of boxing by the broadcaster.
"I don't know what we have to do to get the coverage or the support from RTE," she said.
"They seem to always consume rugby and GAA but boxing is our most successful sport …the lack of coverage over the years is very disrespectful.
Taylor said she wanted to see consistent coverage of boxing on RTÉ.
She said: "They always want to jump on the bandwagon when the Olympics come around every four years but that's not good enough. We should be getting the support of the national broadcaster. What more do I actually have to do to get that coverage?"
RTÉ have issued a statement defending their coverage of boxing and of Taylor in particular.
“RTÉ has consistently supported Katie in her successful quest for titles at European, world and Olympic level and will be there again in Rio in 2016 as she defends her Olympic title,” the broadcaster said in the statement issued to The Score.
“RTÉ continues to support Katie and had begun the process of also bringing coverage of the 2014 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships from Jeju, Korea to Irish viewers.
“Unfortunately from our point-of-view TG4 decided to bid also and RTÉ decided to step away from the process as it wouldn’t represent value for licence-payers’ money to have two public service broadcasters competing for rights to the same event.
“RTÉ had a reporter and crew at the championships in Korea and we offered comprehensive coverage across news, radio and online.”
The broadcaster also said the decision on coverage of the National Championships this year was made not by them, but by the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA).
“For 2014 the IABA made the decision to work with another broadcaster for the National Elite Finals,” they stated. “RTÉ offered comprehensive coverage but this was declined.”
