RTE's budget

RedPlanet

According to an article in this weekend's Irish Times, RTE are looking at a budget shortfall of 68 million euro.
This is due to loss of ad revenue.
The article claimed this is about 15% of RTE's budget.
I'm crap a math so if 68million = 15% does this mean that RTE has a budget of almost 400 million?
If so, i think that is outrageous.
I know there's been a bit of publicity regarding RTE "stars" taking a paycut of 10% :rolleyes: but seriously, do we need to bankroll a media corporation?

Personally, my own contempt for RTE (and the TV License requirement) has seen me getting rid of my TV altogether.
I really don't like the idea of bankrolling them.
Does the rest of RTE's budget come exclusively from the TV License? Or do they have their fingers in the public purse too?

silverharp

RedPlanet wrote: »

Personally, my own contempt for RTE (and the TV License requirement) has seen me getting rid of my TV altogether.

fair play , in this day and age it is an outrageous transfer of wealth from the working class to the luvvies. , I doubt if any RTE pesonality would make it on UK local radio yet they command high 6 figure salaries here.
It is as simple as we cant afford the luxury of it , privatise it and let the remains continue funded by advertising.
The free market could have killed this pig years ago.

segaBOY

I'd like to know how much cash they blew advertising the Lucy Kennedy show alone, there where ads everywhere and quite frankly the show was dire.

Also heard they sold off their fleet of 4x4s for a song and some slick fella from mayo bought them and sold em to farmers at a good mark-up when their grant came up

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

deadhead13

The licence fee contributes 44% of RTE's overall budget, commercial revenue making up the remainder. As a reluctant licence fee payer I am unimpressed.

Moriarty

The only thing I'd miss if RTE were closed down tomorrow would be the independant news and current affairs section. They're the only section of worth in the entire organisation. They could be better, but I feel it's important that we have a state broadcaster in that area that has funding and remains independant of government and commercial interference to honestly and completely report the news and important issues.

They really shouldn't be involved in entertainment - there's already hundreds of channels fulfilling that need and it makes no difference whether you watch Grays Anatomy or Lost on a channel branded RTE, BBC or Sky. 'Home grown' entertainment programming is bloody depressing in it's amatuerness. If a program with Irish actors directed specifically at an Irish audience was any good, it could just as easily be picked up by any of the commercial networks. Father ted, anyone?

Seriously. Get rid of it. It's a waste of money - whether we're rolling in it or experiencing harder times - and useless in the most specific use of the word.

nesf

silverharp wrote: »

fair play , in this day and age it is an outrageous transfer of wealth from the working class to the luvvies. , I doubt if any RTE pesonality would make it on UK local radio yet they command high 6 figure salaries here.
It is as simple as we cant afford the luxury of it , privatise it and let the remains continue funded by advertising.
The free market could have killed this pig years ago.

Your opinion on TnaG and RnaG?

gnxx

A reasonable compromise in my mind would be axing daytime programming and imports.

Moriarty wrote: »

Seriously. Get rid of it. It's a waste of money - whether we're rolling in it or experiencing harder times - and useless in the most specific use of the word.

pseudonym1

I completely agree it is an outrageous budget! A prime example of lavish funding producing FA. We do it so well in this country

However, it is important we have a state brodcasting that remains impartial. It has produced some wonderful documentrys (Prime time) and is an opportunity for young actors directors etc. While the majority homegrown soaps are woeful there have been 1 or 2 that have been good (pure mule) Presenters that deserve credit are Muriam O Callaghan - that is the only one perhaps!

AFAIK RTE remains old school boys club lots of undeserving over paid top jobs.

Arcee

pseudonym1 wrote: »

AFAIK RTE remains old school boys club lots of undeserving over paid top jobs.

You're right. The worst thing about it is that people scrutinise every penny that is spent on health, education, ministers trips abroad and no one ever seems to pick up on the massive waste of money in RTE. Of course, the media reporting on the mismanagement of funds is hardly going to be broadcast on the 9 o'clock news is it?

The root of the problem though is the management team in RTE. Hundreds of creative, unique proposals for tv shows are submitted to them every year by independent production companies looking for funding. I've been lucky enough to see some samples of these and am honestly impressed at the quality out there. What I find seriously frustrating is that the commissioning editors in RTE are not allocating budgets for these shows to be made but are instead throwing their money at the same tired old formats, internal RTE productions and anything featuring RTE lovies like Charlie Bird, Lucy Kennedy, Ryan Tubridy and Gerry Ryan.

Where's the public consultation? Where do we get a say in how our money is spent? Why can RTE not release some of these great submissions to the public and ask them to vote for their favorite idea? Or at least to a test group?

Gah, now I'm annoyed :( /rant

SeanW

nesf wrote: »

Your opinion on TnaG and RnaG?

100% waste of money.

nesf

SeanW wrote: »

100% waste of money.

Why?

Edit: I should state something of what I think really. A common standpoint for most economic liberals is that the State should provide services that the market won't but that are in the public interest to have. TnaG especially would not be feasible as a commercial venture. So if we agree that an Irish language broadcaster is a good thing culturally etc then it would make sense for the State to fund it, though obviously it would not rank as a high priority.

karen3212

donegalfella wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Isn't the BBC funded by British licence payers, or do you just make sure you only listen to BBC stations that are comercially profitable?

I tend to agree that the licence should be used to encourage home-grown stuff, and that the imports should be left to the other commercial channels to import.

pseudonym1

SeanW wrote: »

100% waste of money.

I disagree - FWIW TnaG is probably station I would watch most - BTW not fleunt in Gailge.

karen3212 wrote: »

I tend to agree that the licence should be used to encourage home-grown stuff, and that the imports should be left to the other commercial channels to import.

Yes and No - probably wouldnt be very commercially viable. There are many folk who watch TVfor souly these programmes. Ought to be a decent balance and as Acree stated an imput from the public not the nitwits we are sick to death of looking at!

silverharp

nesf wrote: »

Your opinion on TnaG and RnaG?

Can they exist on advertising or community funding? if not close it down. You would be surprised, if there is any real demand the gap might be filled by an internet radio station or TV station that could be run for a fraction of the cost and might tap community energy in a way that wouldnt happen under the current structure.

FlutterinBantam

Bottom line:

RTE as the Public Service Broadcaster, is a given, no point in saying close it down or the other "arms" TnaG.
An independent voice and viewpoint is needed and RTE ,taken in the round is to be fair, quite good.

What's the problem?

Cost is the problem, costs way way too much for the size of the state and the target audience,

Far too many fat snouts in the trough out there,swilling deeply from the public mealbag.

That's the problem.

jimmmy

Heard on the radio Gerry Ryan is at last taking a pay cut. About time. He is paid more than the p.m of the UK, or the President of the USA or UK. It was a bit rich listening to him bragging about his many and frequent trips to Dromoland Castle, America etc first class all the way, when the rest of us work longer and harder for much less.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

E.T.

There's actually some really good documentaries as Gaeilge on TG4. There was an excellent one on Irish cadets who were at JFK's funeral, and another recently about Burke and Will's expedition in Australia. I'll get over them having so many imported shows if they're pulling in the advertisers, and letting them continue making their own good programmes. Ideally it would be great if they didn't have to do this of course. I've way more of a problem with the amount of absolute rubbish on RTE - at least TG4 get in some decent American trash!

silverharp

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

Bottom line:

RTE as the Public Service Broadcaster, is a given, no point in saying close it down or the other "arms" TnaG.
An independent voice and viewpoint is needed and RTE ,taken in the round is to be fair, quite good.

The only given is that RTE will continue in its wasteful ways that I have no doubt of. What does Public Service broadcaster even mean ?, how do you measure it? , what are the costs? , what are the unintended consequenses? Does it mean the same thing in 1970 as it does in 2009 with the internet, cable TV etc.?
In reality it is just one of the many state organisations in this country that have made us less competetive then our neighbours, and in the current economic situation is a drag on the economy

faceman

jimmmy wrote: »

Heard on the radio Gerry Ryan is at last taking a pay cut. About time. He is paid more than the p.m of the UK, or the President of the USA or UK. It was a bit rich listening to him bragging about his many and frequent trips to Dromoland Castle, America etc first class all the way, when the rest of us work longer and harder for much less.

As much as a I despise Gerry Ryan and his show, I didn't feel he should feel obliged to take a pay cut. What is it an the end of the day, a sentimental gesture to show his solidarity with the rest of the nation? He works in the entertainment industry, where his fee is dictated by his popularity. If he takes a pay cut there is nothing to stop another station here or abroad snapping him. As I said, I cant stand his program, but if we want to target the overpaid there are far bigger fish to fry.

yoshytoshy

Someone mentioned rte's budget as being large .
BBC's budget is £4.3 billion :eek: ,They have no ads either:eek:

TnaG is a marvellous station and a credit to all involved.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

silverharp

faceman wrote: »

He works in the entertainment industry, where his fee is dictated by his popularity. If he takes a pay cut there is nothing to stop another station here or abroad snapping him.

No way, he earns an economic rent because you can go to jail if you dont pay your hard earned over. The point is he doesnt have a market outside of RTE. No doubt TV3 might pay him a 100K a year so that is probably closer to his real worth. The point is there is no price discovery in RTE , they are simply given a budget and they go and spend it , value for money is not a concept that they have to deal with

segaBOY

nesf wrote: »

Why?

Edit: I should state something of what I think really. A common standpoint for most economic liberals is that the State should provide services that the market won't but that are in the public interest to have. TnaG especially would not be feasible as a commercial venture. So if we agree that an Irish language broadcaster is a good thing culturally etc then it would make sense for the State to fund it, though obviously it would not rank as a high priority.

Not many people here obviously watch TG4 as it hasn't been called T na G for nearly 10 years now, fair point tho.

faceman

silverharp wrote: »

No way, he earns an economic rent because you can go to jail if you dont pay your hard earned over. The point is he doesnt have a market outside of RTE. No doubt TV3 might pay him a 100K a year so that is probably closer to his real worth. The point is there is no price discovery in RTE , they are simply given a budget and they go and spend it , value for money is not a concept that they have to deal with

Whats his salary out of curiosity?

deadhead13

558,000euro

segaBOY

faceman wrote: »

Whats his salary out of curiosity?

Used to be €558,900 EDIT Deadhead13 beat me to it!!

Can't find what it is after paycut, is he taking the standard 10% cut?

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0310/ryang.html Typical RTÉ, report the news in a selective fashion-no mention of what he actually earns in their poor report.

faceman

holy cabbages, I didnt realise it was that much! :eek:

I take my original comment back!

segaBOY

faceman wrote: »

holy cabbages, I didnt realise it was that much! :eek:

I take my original comment back!

Cos anyone who is so sloppy to eat toast while talking on a morning radio show deserves that salary.....

thebman

I think the money in TG4 would be better spent on reforming how we teach Irish so the people on the island can actually understand the programming on the channel.

It is a waste of time at the moment when most people in the country can't speak the language.

I think RTE's home grown stuff is terrible and they should be reduced to news, political and sports coverage around the country and documentarie which is what they are best at anyway.

The other stuff they do is either crap or availabe on other stations anyway. I don't think we need big name stars in their either not that there are any, they just get the salaries as if they were and RTE force them on us and try to get us to believe they are stars or even charismatic which most of them are not.

A lot of people don't want to subsidise this nonsense and their entertainment wing makes them look less valuable than they actually are TBH.

pseudonym1

deadhead13 wrote: »

558,000euro

*chokes* What a joke! Is it correct that he refused to take a pay cut?

For someone that pretends to be a man of the people that is almost priceless. Wonder if his ratings have suffered? Tom Dunne FTW

Yes TG4 translates imported programmes -it has giving a new lease of life to the Irish language. IMO it is culturally the best television station we have

pseudonym1

thebman wrote: »

I think the money in TG4 would be better spent on reforming how we teach Irish so the people on the island can actually understand the programming on the channel.

It is a waste of time at the moment when most people in the country can't speak the language..

Strongly disagree on so many levels - probably TOT for now.

.[/quote]I think RTE's home grown stuff is terrible and they should be reduced to news, political and sports coverage around the country and documentarie which is what they are best at anyway.


The other stuff they do is either crap or availabe on other stations anyway. I don't think we need big name stars in their either not that there are any, they just get the salaries as if they were and RTE force them on us and try to get us to believe they are stars or even charismatic which most of them are not.

A lot of people don't want to subsidise this nonsense and their entertainment wing makes them look less valuable than they actually are TBH.[/quote]

Ya and we should all wear grey, cull music and alcohol :rolleyes:

thebman

pseudonym1 wrote: »

Ya and we should all wear grey, cull music and alcohol :rolleyes:

I'm just going to assume you mean that would be boring or something.

Privately owned channels focus primarily on entertainment. RTE have no business competing with them when funded by the state.

Same way it is wrong for Dublin Bus to try to kill off competition when subsidised by the government.

They are there to provide a service others won't, not to compete for services that others will offer.

pseudonym1

thebman wrote: »

I'm just going to assume you mean that would be boring or something.

Privately owned channels focus primarily on entertainment. RTE have no business competing with them when funded by the state.

Same way it is wrong for Dublin Bus to try to kill off competition when subsidised by the government.

They are there to provide a service others won't, not to compete for services that others will offer.

Some folk depend on state funded channels and do not have the luxuary of private owned channels. NTL etc..

Yes competition is healthy but unfortunately it can then become monopolised and even controlled!


Yes you assumed correctly!

thebman

pseudonym1 wrote: »

Some folk depend on state funded channels and do not have the luxuary of private owned channels. NTL etc..

Yes competition is healthy but unfortunately it can then become monopolised and even controlled!


Yes you assumed correctly!

With Digital Terrestrial Television being released later this year, there will be other channels available.

There is also Free to Air Satellite which my father uses on which you can a lot of the best channels available for free once you buy the dish and a box.

On FTA you can get BBC 1-4, ITV 1-4, Channel 4, Film 4, E4 and many others although some of them are crap. All you really miss is the Sky channels although Sky News is FTA. Even some of the music channels are FTA.

It sure beats paying for channels, I'll tell you that much.

pseudonym1

thebman wrote: »

With Digital Terrestrial Television being released later this year, there will be other channels available.

There is also Free to Air Satellite which my father uses on which you can a lot of the best channels available for free once you buy the dish and a box.

On FTA you can get BBC 1-4, ITV 1-4, Channel 4, Film 4, E4 and many others although some of them are crap. All you really miss is the Sky channels although Sky News is FTA. Even some of the music channels are FTA.

It sure beats paying for channels, I'll tell you that much.

Digital terrestrail Tely sounds scary!
Satellites wouldn't be everyones cup of tea - which brings me back to point some people (Granny rural living outside the pale types) depend on state provoided networks!
I have no idea of how many - but it seems unfair to exclude them access to the commercail entertainment.

thebman

pseudonym1 wrote: »

Digital terrestrail Tely sounds scary!
Satellites wouldn't be everyones cup of tea - which brings me back to point some people (Granny rural living outside the pale types) depend on state provoided networks!
I have no idea of how many - but it seems unfair to exclude them access to the commercail entertainment.

Well the analog transmission (current broadcasting system) is being shut down in 2012 so unless Grannies don't want TV, they will have to migrate to DTT.

It isn't excluding them from commercial entertainment. They will be able to buy extra channels on the DTT such as Setanta I imagine and some others and they will get more channels standard from DTT as it is much cheaper to broadcast DTT than the current analog transmissions.

Overall RTE aren't good at home grown entertainment so why not let private companies do it. They can't compete at the moment with the state subsidised broadcaster. We have TV3 already and more channels could start up once RTE step out of the market.

pseudonym1

thebman wrote: »

Well the analog transmission (current broadcasting system) is being shut down in 2012 so unless Grannies don't want TV, they will have to migrate to DTT.

It isn't excluding them from commercial entertainment. They will be able to buy extra channels on the DTT such as Setanta I imagine and some others and they will get more channels standard from DTT as it is much cheaper to broadcast DTT than the current analog transmissions.

Overall RTE aren't good at home grown entertainment so why not let private companies do it. They can't compete at the moment with the state subsidised broadcaster. We have TV3 already and more channels could start up once RTE step out of the market.

Big brother will be watching then.
Good poin about the private companies but how and what sort of budget would be distributed. Clould such productions be produced under the umerella of RTE? Would there be benifits of that ? I cannot imagine RTE will step out of the market it inarguably needs to be reinvented and restructured.

thebman

Oh and my father is 60 years old, when I told him about FTA and showed him a list of channels he could get for free instead of paying Sky, he went out and bought a FTA box and setup a new bigger dish for it to get better coverage from other satellites and he aligned the dish himself and set it all up.

He's never been happier Oh and he lives in the middle of a bog about 6 miles from the nearest form of civilisation so its not just for the pale types :P

I think overall FTA is the way forward. You can even get FTA HD boxes and receive BBC HD for free. Its all about education and on top of all that you get a quality improvement! People should break free from NTL and Sky subscribed TV and hopefully this will help them move toward cheaper and good alternatives.

Arcee

pseudonym1 wrote: »

Good poin about the private companies but how and what sort of budget would be distributed. Clould such productions be produced under the umerella of RTE? Would there be benifits of that ? I cannot imagine RTE will step out of the market it inarguably needs to be reinvented and restructured.

When you say 'private companies', do you mean that RTE should ask private production companies to make programs and give them a budget to do so? If so, that's already the way it works. Much of what you see on RTE is made by independent production companies who submit an idea and a costing to RTE and receive a budget if their idea is approved.

My biggest issue with that process is that the folks in RTE often commission some awful rubbish to be made. Considering they get hundreds of submissions every year, it's infuriating that they can't commission some of the better ones. Or indeed, supply the idependent companies with something more substantial than a skeleton budget so they are not forced into cutting corners on production quality.

pseudonym1

Arcee wrote: »

When you say 'private companies', do you mean that RTE should ask private production companies to make programs and give them a budget to do so? If so, that's already the way it works. Much of what you see on RTE is made by independent production companies who submit an idea and a costing to RTE and receive a budget if their idea is approved.

My biggest issue with that process is that the folks in RTE often commission some awful rubbish to be made. Considering they get hundreds of submissions every year, it's infuriating that they can't commission some of the better ones. Or indeed, supply the idependent companies with something more substantial than a skeleton budget so they are not forced into cutting corners on production quality.

Are there use of facilities etc? How are the budgets discerned?

Arcee

pseudonym1 wrote: »

Are there use of facilities etc? How are the budgets discerned?

Lets say the independent production company is submitting an idea for a reality tv show or quiz show or something. They'll submit a list of expenses, eg a presenter, all the various camera, sound, production crew they need, post production facilities, editing rooms, voiceovers, graphics for the credits etc and a total cost including their fee as the producers of the show.

If RTE are interested, there's usually some negotiation. They might not like a particular aspect of the show or they may insist that an RTE presenter is used rather than one of the production companies choosing. They may want it to be filmed in RTE studios rather than an other location or they may just say no, it's too expensive, cut corners/re-do the proposal and come back to us.

Eventually the two parties will reach an agreement and the show will get made - on RTE's terms mostly. The whole process often leaves a great idea torn to shreds just so it fits RTE's idea of 'entertainment' but as they're the ones with all the money, if you want to have a job and get paid - you just have to run with it.

oscarBravo

Not really a political discussion - moved from Politics.

RedPlanet

What i was hoping to find out, (see my OP) does RTE dip into the public purse? Or are their revenues entirely comprised of money gotten from TV Licenses and ad revenue?
Other posters have dragged this off-topic and the mod's allowed it to go that way.
The point is RTE's budget, and if they are dipping into the public purse, then it's a political topic.

thebman

Arcee wrote: »

Lets say the independent production company is submitting an idea for a reality tv show or quiz show or something. They'll submit a list of expenses, eg a presenter, all the various camera, sound, production crew they need, post production facilities, editing rooms, voiceovers, graphics for the credits etc and a total cost including their fee as the producers of the show.

If RTE are interested, there's usually some negotiation. They might not like a particular aspect of the show or they may insist that an RTE presenter is used rather than one of the production companies choosing. They may want it to be filmed in RTE studios rather than an other location or they may just say no, it's too expensive, cut corners/re-do the proposal and come back to us.

Eventually the two parties will reach an agreement and the show will get made - on RTE's terms mostly. The whole process often leaves a great idea torn to shreds just so it fits RTE's idea of 'entertainment' but as they're the ones with all the money, if you want to have a job and get paid - you just have to run with it.

From talking to people that do work for these production companies they pretty much say it is always the same people hired to do the same jobs.

This is why you only get crap out IMO. There is no attempt to introduce new people to it. It is essentially a club for current members.

RTE rather than picking the best ideas, seem to pick the people they know and this isn't what the public pay for.

MattEmulsion

RedPlanet wrote: »

What i was hoping to find out, (see my OP) does RTE dip into the public purse? Or are their revenues entirely comprised of money gotten from TV Licenses and ad revenue?
Other posters have dragged this off-topic and the mod's allowed it to go that way.
The point is RTE's budget, and if they are dipping into the public purse, then it's a political topic.

RTÉ is reliant on Licence Fee and Ad revenue only therefore it is not a polical topic.

TG4 (now independent from RTÉ) get millions from the public purse by way of grants, otherwise if they were relaint on their cut of the licence fee and advertising revenue they wouldn't be able to afford things like Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill - oops I meant to say continue with Ros na Run and all those documentaries. TG4 also get a number of hours per week made for them by RTÉ

TvWatcher

There's no grand conspiracy here. If you want the answers to all your questions why not just go to www.rte.ie/about and read their Annual Report?

You can read it here http://www.rte.ie/about/annualreport.html

In there you will see that, broadly, RTÉ is dual-funded. 44% of income comes from licence fee; the remainder comes exclusively from commercial revenue. There is no other funding route.

Specifically with regard to TV, RTÉ spent 77million euro on programmes commissioned from the indepdent sector in 2007. It's statutory obligation was to spend 30million euro. It exceeded its obligation to the private sector by more than 50%. As such, without RTÉ the independent production sector would collapse as, without a statutory mandate, a private company would have no obligations in this regard (eg TV3).

RTÉ is also not-for-profit. All monies are re-invested. Fair enough, you don't like x or y programme, but I don't see that as a sound basis for advocating the removal of Public Service Broadcasting as a model.

RTÉ is required, by legislation* to operate as a Public Service on behalf of the people of Ireland: this includes operating two TV channels (with minimum statutory commitments to news and current affairs, regional output, Irish language output, young people's programming, multi-cultural programming, arts, factual and entertainment; subtitling, access services, teletext, 10% content to TG4, Sport); 4 radio channels (Radio 1, 2fm, Lyric (Limerick) and R na G(Galway)), 6 digital radio channels (RTÉ is also charged by law with the maintenance and development of a digital radio hub for use by all the peoples of Ireland); performing groups (the National Symphony Orchestra, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the Van Brugh Quarter, RTÉ Philharmonic and Cor na Nog); RTÉ Publishing (incorporating RTÉ.ie with requirements in law to develop a web-tv platform, and the RTE Guide, as well as a range of books, DVDs, cds etc, www.rte.ie/shop); and RTÉ Networks Limited which is charged, by law, to maintain and develop Ireland's broadcasting infrastructure, an infrastucture used by all independent radios, by Gardai, by emergency services, and by TV3. RTÉ also operates a range of regional radio and TV studios (Cork, Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Letterkenny etc), a studio in Belfast and a news bureau in London.

RTÉ is also mandated by law to fund Ireland's transferral to DTT and the analogue switch-off (2012); it is mandated by law to fund the diaspora channel RTÉ International; it is mandated to run the Supporting the Arts scheme and is instituted on the board of the Irish Film Board and the Broadcasting Commision of Ireland (soon to the the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland).

RTÉ also donates 7.5% of its licence fee to the BCI Sound and Vision Fund, which funds programmes on Today FM and TV3, for example (so it is inaccuraute to say these outfits are purely commercially funded -- they are also funded by you.)

RTÉ is obliged to act as a corporate arts sponsor (Dublin Theatre Festival, Beckett Centenary etc).

RTÉ is also charged with maintaining and exploiting the National Audio-Visual Archive. To do this it runs a full restoration and storage unit off-site at Furze Road, Dublin. The riches and importance of this archive, going back to the foundation of 2RN in the 1920s, is inestimable.

The license fee, and commercial income, is spread across this very substantial diversity of activities. All these activities are instituted in law.

If you want to know what RTÉ is doing with your money this year you can look at the 2009 Strategic Plan here http://www.rte.ie/about/policies.html. The BBC have similar pages.

You could also look at the Statement of Commitments 2009 here http://www.rte.ie/about/statement.html. Again, the BBC operate by similar principles.

As someone who works in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility I take a nerdish interest in these matters (you don't say ...)

My point I suppose is that all the information people are looking for in this thread is available, freely, to all of us. There's no mystery. Whether, after all that, you like The Afternoon Show or think it's a pile of crap is part of the colourful debate that is Boards.ie

*(further provisions and PSB obligations will be instituted when the new Broadcasting Bill becomes law, see http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?) fn=/documents/bills28/bills/2008/2908/document1.htm)

Fighting Irish

jimmmy wrote: »

Heard on the radio Gerry Ryan is at last taking a pay cut. About time. He is paid more than the p.m of the UK, or the President of the USA or UK. It was a bit rich listening to him bragging about his many and frequent trips to Dromoland Castle, America etc first class all the way, when the rest of us work longer and harder for much less.

jealousy is a bitch, if i was offered €1 million to do **** all i'd take it, you expect Ryan to turn down his contract or take a cut because the country is in bits?

if i was him i'd only take a cut if the tv licence took a cut

ScumLord

pseudonym1 wrote: »

I disagree - FWIW TnaG is probably station I would watch most - BTW not fleunt in Gailge.

Same as that, I don't speak much Irish but it's easy to recognise TNaG put the effort in. You can tell the people working there believe in what their doing and want to make it work. There are many homegrown shows on it that whip fair citys ass up and down the street, simply on production values.

MattEmulsion

ScumLord wrote: »

Same as that, I don't speak much Irish but it's easy to recognise TNaG put the effort in. You can tell the people working there believe in what their doing and want to make it work. There are many homegrown shows on it that whip fair citys ass up and down the street, simply on production values.

TG4 get about €30m directly form the exchequer + a cut of the licence fee + Sound and Vision funding + ad revenue + several hours of free programming per week from RTÉ. I'd believe in what I was doing with that pot of cash open to me as well