The Wide Angle - Karen Coleman

[simplyc73]

This morning was the last straw with The Wide Angle. Karen Coleman finally gave up her creaking watery attempt to be unbiased, particualrly where the public service is discussed. Now before I go on I will declare that I am a public servant, not amongst the highest or the lowest paid, in the middle the easiest group to aim at. I don't mind declaring that, just like I wish current affairs staff of Newstalk/today fm and independent news and media would declare that the only reason that they (now) have such an interest in what happens in the public serivice is because they have had pay cuts themselves. Listening to Karen and Alan Ruddock this morning was the aural equivelant of watching a mutual mas%^$£"!ion marathon. I know the obvious question is why did you bother listening? Actually i did turn off during her review of the papers. Sad thing is,i was a fan especially as it's the only current affairs show on at that time though I know that others come later.
What's particularly true of Karen is also true of Matt Cooper, Sam Smyth and all Independent News and Media commentary. Very clear that they are all at least partially controlled by the one person. Though I'd be curious to know what he makes of their lazy journalism motto i.e. "cut their pay becasue our's was cut"
A few weeks ago when discussing the pay of RTE "stars" Karen was making much of the pay recieved by "my equivealant" (Karen's words) She meant Marian Finnucane. Now I'm no great fan of Marian and even if I multply my salary by 10 I wouldn't be on what she's on but, Karen the only way that you are her equivelant is that you are on for some of the same time on Sunday. Mind you, neither of you are on the air much so by "my equivelant" maybe she meant they are both paid for doing very little, only one gets paid more than the other (i presume)

[Hootanany]

You took the Money in good times it is time to give it back in the Bad times we are broke it cannot go on and yes i do feel sorry for the Public Sector but reforms must be made there is an awful lot of waste going on

[simplyc73]

hootanany, I couldn't agree with you more about reforms and the amount of waste in the pubic service. And nobody has asked those of us on the ground where waste could be cut out and reforms made even though we could think of plenty. As for taking money in the good times. well we weren't the only ones that's for sure and that was really my point about Karen's show(s)- to listen to her, you'd think the only people who ever saw the good times in this country were public servants

[mike65]

I thought Karen Coleman was bang on the money (and I'm not a huge fan of hers).

[Koloman]

Originally Posted by simplyc73

This morning was the last straw with The Wide Angle. Karen Coleman finally gave up her creaking watery attempt to be unbiased, particualrly where the public service is discussed. Now before I go on I will declare that I am a public servant, not amongst the highest or the lowest paid, in the middle the easiest group to aim at. I don't mind declaring that, just like I wish current affairs staff of Newstalk/today fm and independent news and media would declare that the only reason that they (now) have such an interest in what happens in the public serivice is because they have had pay cuts themselves. Listening to Karen and Alan Ruddock this morning was the aural equivelant of watching a mutual mas%^$£"!ion marathon. I know the obvious question is why did you bother listening? Actually i did turn off during her review of the papers. Sad thing is,i was a fan especially as it's the only current affairs show on at that time though I know that others come later.
What's particularly true of Karen is also true of Matt Cooper, Sam Smyth and all Independent News and Media commentary. Very clear that they are all at least partially controlled by the one person. Though I'd be curious to know what he makes of their lazy journalism motto i.e. "cut their pay becasue our's was cut"
A few weeks ago when discussing the pay of RTE "stars" Karen was making much of the pay recieved by "my equivealant" (Karen's words) She meant Marian Finnucane. Now I'm no great fan of Marian and even if I multply my salary by 10 I wouldn't be on what she's on but, Karen the only way that you are her equivelant is that you are on for some of the same time on Sunday. Mind you, neither of you are on the air much so by "my equivelant" maybe she meant they are both paid for doing very little, only one gets paid more than the other (i presume)

I'm sorry if the truth hurts but then most of us in the private sector are hurting.

[Kensington]

While you can't expect a commercial entity to be 100% unbiased - how exactly was the programme unbiased? She compares her private sector salary with her public sector counterpath who is earning an obscene amount of money which, frankly, is completely unjustified and totally unnecessary. And why shouldn't the public sector take a pay cut when the private sector have taken one? The reality is the private sector ultimately pay the public sector salaries - the public sector should in no way be immune from the economic situation.

[moe_sizlak]

Originally Posted by simplyc73

This morning was the last straw with The Wide Angle. Karen Coleman finally gave up her creaking watery attempt to be unbiased, particualrly where the public service is discussed. Now before I go on I will declare that I am a public servant, not amongst the highest or the lowest paid, in the middle the easiest group to aim at. I don't mind declaring that, just like I wish current affairs staff of Newstalk/today fm and independent news and media would declare that the only reason that they (now) have such an interest in what happens in the public serivice is because they have had pay cuts themselves. Listening to Karen and Alan Ruddock this morning was the aural equivelant of watching a mutual mas%^$£"!ion marathon. I know the obvious question is why did you bother listening? Actually i did turn off during her review of the papers. Sad thing is,i was a fan especially as it's the only current affairs show on at that time though I know that others come later.
What's particularly true of Karen is also true of Matt Cooper, Sam Smyth and all Independent News and Media commentary. Very clear that they are all at least partially controlled by the one person. Though I'd be curious to know what he makes of their lazy journalism motto i.e. "cut their pay becasue our's was cut"
A few weeks ago when discussing the pay of RTE "stars" Karen was making much of the pay recieved by "my equivealant" (Karen's words) She meant Marian Finnucane. Now I'm no great fan of Marian and even if I multply my salary by 10 I wouldn't be on what she's on but, Karen the only way that you are her equivelant is that you are on for some of the same time on Sunday. Mind you, neither of you are on the air much so by "my equivelant" maybe she meant they are both paid for doing very little, only one gets paid more than the other (i presume)

the public sector have RTE and the irish times + vincent browne on tv 3 , surely the private sector are entitled to newstalk or matt cooper besides that union guy was waffling , the unions ten point plan is toilet paper , it would be an insult to the tax payers of ireland not to highlight how much it stinks


ps , karen coleman is well known as being politically left wing

[ntlbell]

Originally Posted by mike65

I thought Karen Coleman was bang on the money (and I'm not a huge fan of hers).

Maybe you stated before, any particular reason why mike?

[simplyc73]

Originally Posted by moe_sizlak

the public sector have RTE and the irish times + vincent browne on tv 3 , surely the private sector are entitled to newstalk or matt cooper besides that union guy was waffling , the unions ten point plan is toilet paper , it would be an insult to the tax payers of ireland not to highlight how much it stinks


ps , karen coleman is well known as being politically left wing

What on earth does Karen Coleman or anybody else in the media being left wing have to do with this? Is the implication that she being left wing means she might in fact be a secret friend of the public servants and, that by extension all public servants are left wing? I know I'm not or many others. In fact how do you become "well known as being left wing?" what do you do or not do?
As for having rte, the irish times and vincent browne, well I'll bow to your better knowledge on that as I don't have a television and don't read daily newapapers either which is probably why I spend a disproportinate amount of time listening to the radio.

[Koloman]

Originally Posted by simplyc73

Is the implication that she being left wing means she might in fact be a secret friend of the public servants and, that by extension all public servants are left wing?

YES! I thought that was rather obvious!

[irish_bob]

those on the left tend to be more in favour of the state and those who work for the state

as for karen coleman , didnt hear the show last sunday morning

[Arthur Daley]

Anybody who challenges the establishment like Coleman has gets brandished as a troublemaker. Maybe left wing, maybe loony, maybe both.

[deadhead13]

When Newstalk started out it positioned itself left of centre. When Frank Cronin took over his stated aim was to change this. He wanted the station to deliver "a private sector, pro-business viewpoint that respects dynamic people", as opposed to what he called "RTE's public service perspective". So Karen Coleman was just doing what she and the other presenters have been encouraged to do by the management.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...245682787.html

[irish_bob]

Originally Posted by deadhead13

When Newstalk started out it positioned itself left of centre. When Frank Cronin took over his stated aim was to change this. He wanted the station to deliver "a private sector, pro-business viewpoint that respects dynamic people", as opposed to what he called "RTE's public service perspective". So Karen Coleman was just doing what she and the other presenters have been encouraged to do by the management.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...245682787.html

sounds reasonable to me , RTE is overwhelmingly left wing and is overtly pro public sector , every union head who appears on the national broadcaster gets a tongue bath

[Koloman]

Originally Posted by irish_bob

every union head who appears on the national broadcaster gets a tongue bath

They certainly do! On every current affairs programme the first interviewee is usually a union talking head.