RTE funding

barneyeile

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/1211/broadcasting.html Lets hope this is just the start. RTE is so over staffed and bloated. It has to get into the real world. Pat on the back for Mr Ryan!

havana

Yeah but where will rte pass on the cuts? Not to the massive earners whether on screen or otherwise. No. They'll probably cut back on the lower paid jobs and the money the put in to programme making which will both result in poorer programming for us

barneyeile

havana wrote: »

Yeah but where will rte pass on the cuts? Not to the massive earners whether on screen or otherwise. No. They'll probably cut back on the lower paid jobs and the money the put in to programme making which will both result in poorer programming for us

Obviously it should be their overpaid "superstars" but you are right it will be people at the lower end of the scale.

flogen

Would I be right in assuming that the cut will be doubled in real terms for RTÉ, as they can only raise commercial revenue to match PSB revenue?

I see no issue with the PSB being shared around more than it already is (which isn't by much) - The Sound & Vision fund has seen some interesting stuff get made that RTÉ never would have commissioned itself. Besides, if RTÉ can benefit from both public and private income so should everyone else.

Elmo

Would I be right in assuming that the cut will be doubled in real terms for RTÉ, as they can only raise commercial revenue to match PSB revenue?

I see no issue with the PSB being shared around more than it already is (which isn't by much) - The Sound & Vision fund has seen some interesting stuff get made that RTÉ never would have commissioned itself. Besides, if RTÉ can benefit from both public and private income so should everyone else.

AFAIK that has since been removed from law, RTE must now either break even or make a profit, and the profit should be used for their next years budget.

This 2% will find its way back to RTE through the sound and vision fund, it does not represent a decrease in the license fee.

I assume even if the above law is still a law that their advertising revenues would take into account the 10% or so they have to provide to the Broadcasting fund (a much better name then Sound and Vision IMO).

It would be nice to see RTE get rid of their top earners if they can't afford them. Even a small drop in their salaries would be welcome. IMO.

Have you seen Raising Children? I don't know how TV3 got away with it.

RTE is a public company owned by the people of Ireland. Independent Commercial Broadcasters are own by investors and if those private companies make a profit or loss it is no business to anyone but themselves.

barneyeile

Elmo wrote: »

AFAIK that has since been removed from law, RTE must now either break even or make a profit, and the profit should be used for their next years budget.

This 2% will find its way back to RTE through the sound and vision fund, it does not represent a decrease in the license fee.

I assume even if the above law is still a law that their advertising revenues would take into account the 10% or so they have to provide to the Broadcasting fund (a much better name then Sound and Vision IMO).

It would be nice to see RTE get rid of their top earners if they can't afford them. Even a small drop in their salaries would be welcome. IMO.

Have you seen Raising Children? I don't know how TV3 got away with it.

RTE is a public company owned by the people of Ireland. Independent Commercial Broadcasters are own by investors and if those private companies make a profit or loss it is no business to anyone but themselves.

RTE used to make the point that if they didn't pay top whack for their stars they would go somewhere else! Um.. Who else in Ireland would pay those type of salaries? They should be told that this is the way it is and you can like it or lump it. Let the market decide the going rate and we will see their true worth.

Elmo

barneyeile wrote: »

RTE used to make the point that if they didn't pay top whack for their stars they would go somewhere else! Um.. Who else in Ireland would pay those type of salaries? They should be told that this is the way it is and you can like it or lump it. Let the market decide the going rate and we will see their true worth.

Totally agree with you there, but since all of these Radio and TV stations are getting funding should they be force to state how much they are paying for their stars????

I am sure Ray D'Arcy is doing very well for himself!!!!

Also I wouldn't be surprised if Gerry Ryan did head of to Communicorp just in spite of RTÉ's pay cut. I would love to see it happen. RTÉ Radio needs a bit of a shake up.

I think Communicorp would be delighted to get Gerry Ryan look what Ian Dempsey did for Today FM. 2FM has been desperate to get someone to replace him in the last 10 years, I don't think anyone has lasted, lets hope Colm and JimJim don't last.

barneyeile

Elmo wrote: »

Totally agree with you there, but since all of these Radio and TV stations are getting funding should they be force to state how much they are paying for their stars????

I am sure Ray D'Arcy is doing very well for himself!!!!

Also I wouldn't be surprised if Gerry Ryan did head of to Communicorp just in spite of RTÉ's pay cut. I would love to see it happen. RTÉ Radio needs a bit of a shake up.

I think Communicorp would be delighted to get Gerry Ryan look what Ian Dempsey did for Today FM. 2FM has been desperate to get someone to replace him in the last 10 years, I don't think anyone has lasted, lets hope Colm and JimJim don't last.

Any station that gets public money should have open accounts of what they did with that money. If TV3 gets money for a documentary from the fund then the people involved should have their payments for that project in the open for all to see. After all it is OUR money in the end.

Elmo

barneyeile wrote: »

Any station that gets public money should have open accounts of what they did with that money. If TV3 gets money for a documentary from the fund then the people involved should have their payments for that project in the open for all to see. After all it is OUR money in the end.

Problem is they may view it as a trade secret and how much should we know is the other question. For example if a private company alone gets 10,000,000 out of the fund, are we not entitle to know how much there stars are paid? after all what is stopping them producing these shows with out the assistance of public funds.

For example the annual report for Sound and Vision doesn't even state the top Independent producers or Broadcasters and how much in total they got for the year. It is a very general report just stating that they gave x amount over the current year to the following programmes, no breakdown, no info as to how much the broadcaster invested into the programmes. Why?