Last week, the Sunday Tribune revealed that a quarter of all guests on The Late Late Show, Tubridy Tonight and Podge and Rodgeworked for RTE.

According to RTE, the reason for this is that only media "personalities" are invited onto programmes.

The issue was raised last February by INN, the independent radio news network that broadcasts reports to 27 stations nationwide. Since the network was launched in 1997, no reporter from INN has appeared as a guest on RTE's current affairs programmes.

Peter Feeney, head of public affairs policy in RTE, has told INN that the reason reporters from that news outlet weren't invited on RTE was because "there hasn't emerged amongst its journalists the media phenomena of 'personalities'". But Ken Murray, political correspondent for INN, slammed RTE's practices.

"There does appear to be a cosy consensus when it comes to selecting guests, " he said. "In INN's case, we impact on two million listeners every day. Our people are in the front seat when something big happens in this country, but when it comes to media panellists, RTE has a tendency to select the Fintan O'Tooles of this world who are observing evolving stories from outside the goldfish bowl. I can get on CNN quicker than I can get on RTE. There is a snobbish attitude being adopted that unless you are broadsheet you have no credibility. " In his letter, Feeney stated: "There is no ban on the use of journalists working for any media organisation being invited to participate in RTE programming."

The examples Feeney gave for "journalists with all newspaper groups and on occasion rival broadcasting organisations" invited on to Questions and Answers were "Ray D'Arcy, George Hook, Eamon Dunphy and Damien Kiberd" who, although they all work for various broadcasters, also work for RTE.

Speaking to the Sunday Tribune, Feeney said the reason for people associated with RTE appearing on its programmes has to do with the strength of RTE in the broadcasting arena.

Those who work for the station were bound to be of interest.

"It's to do with public interest and people in the public eye, " Feeney said.

"I don't think it's a conspiracy. It's about getting people who are wellknown."

Andrew O'Hanlon, director of news in TV3, agreed with INN's position. "I think there's probably a degree of conservatism amongst producers in RTE, in particular in Prime Time. We do see the same people. . . there are other people out there that RTE steers away from. They're probably conscious of promoting other people, but when you're in receipt of 150 million a year [TV licence fee], you should have a broader interest."