RTE - the end is nigh - high wages come home to roost

newbie2

thebman wrote: »

How am I comparing apples and oranges? They are both TV companies making programs and sponsored by the state via TV license fees. They belong to the same set. It is a valid comparison. They are the same thing in two different countries..

The BBC recieved £3 billion in 2006 from the licence fee
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2006/jul/07/bbc.broadcasting1
RTE recieved €197.5 million

thebman wrote: »

RTE isn't commercial? News to me, they sure as hell act like a commercial company...

How?

thebman wrote: »

They maybe a failure of one but they are a commercial entity. The BBC didn't always have Dave, Gold etc.....

Yes but they did have
These separate divisions and companies operate at arm's length from the BBC. They provide commercial services to businesses and consumers, subject to the BBC Fair Trading Guidelines. Their profits are returned to the BBC to help fund public services and keep the licence fee lower than it otherwise would be.
BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide realises the commercial value of BBC programmes and services. It sells programmes and footage, runs commercial TV channels and joint ventures worldwide, and produces magazines, books, tapes, DVDs, CDs and other merchandise.
BBC Resources
BBC Resources is one of the largest production facilities in the UK, offering services that include studios, outside broadcasts, post production, design, costumes and wigs.
BBC Monitoring
BBC Monitoring supplies news, information and comment gathered from mass media around the world.
BBC International Unit
The BBC International Unit supplies TV facilities to overseas broadcasters transmitting from the UK.
BBC Training & Development
BBC Training & Development provides courses, tailored training and consultancy services to help individuals and companies working in broadcasting and related industries.
BBC Shop, BBC America Shop, BBC Canada Shop
These are internet shopping services from BBC Worldwide.

thebman wrote: »

So they manage to sell one series outside Ireland successfully, why aren't the others selling? Why does only a minority of one country watch their programming? Could it be that it isn't up to most peoples standards?.

Please look at the ratings posted earlier in this thread

thebman wrote: »

Did they get a cut from their investment in these things or were they just giving money to Channel 4? Presumably they got a cut. Kind of flies in the face of them not being a commercial entity.

NO

RGDATA!

thebman wrote: »

How am I comparing apples and oranges? They are both TV companies making programs and sponsored by the state via TV license fees. They belong to the same set. It is a valid comparison. They are the same thing in two different countries.

As I've already pointed out in a previous post BBC has far bigger funding and talent pool.

Elmo

thebman wrote: »

How am I comparing apples and oranges? They are both TV companies making programs and sponsored by the state via TV license fees. They belong to the same set. It is a valid comparison. They are the same thing in two different countries.

RTE isn't commercial? News to me, they sure as hell act like a commercial company.

They maybe a failure of one but they are a commercial entity. The BBC didn't always have Dave, Gold etc..

So they manage to sell one series outside Ireland successfully, why aren't the others selling? Why does only a minority of one country watch their programming? Could it be that it isn't up to most peoples standards?

Did they get a cut from their investment in these things or were they just giving money to Channel 4? Presumably they got a cut. Kind of flies in the face of them not being a commercial entity.

RTÉ are not as commercial as BBC. The BBC earn nearly 2billion a year (wow even more than I thought). The BBC always got more from the licence fee due to the large population in the UK.

You have to remember that there is such a thing as cultural dividends, Irish specific programming has a high cultural content than that of British programming. RTÉ have sold other programmes aboard.

The BCI fund (5% of the licence fee) is a grant give to independent producers, the BCI do not take a stake in the production. As they view it as PBS.

Don't compare BBC to RTÉ.

artvanderlay

I don't get this "it's like comparing apples to oranges" thing. They are both fruit, you can eat them, they are good for you...the comparisons are endless (well I thought of 3). I think that phrase should be amended to it's like comparing apples and arses, or oranges and dildos.

thebman

RGDATA! wrote: »

As I've already pointed out in a previous post BBC has far bigger funding and talent pool.

RTE aren't doing very well with the money they have though. They also seem to have a good few Irish people making programs for them which RTE don't manage to do. Neither do they attract British talent over here.

They really seem quite redundant when compared to the BBC which just backs up my belief that they aren't needed in anyway.

There doesn't seem to be anything they which we couldn't achieve by just providing funding to some Irish related projects made elsewhere or made by private Irish tv stations.

It would seem like we'd get better value for money doing that IMO.

newbie2

thebman wrote: »

There doesn't seem to be anything they which we couldn't achieve by just providing funding to some Irish related projects made elsewhere or made by private Irish tv stations.

Read post Number 180

Mossy Monk

thebman wrote: »

They also seem to have a good few Irish people making programs for them which RTE don't manage to do.

You would welcome paying millions to the likes of Graham Norton?

I am surprised nobody has yet made the incorrect comment about RTÉ refusing Father Ted before it went to Channel 4

Elmo

thebman wrote: »

RTE aren't doing very well with the money they have though. They also seem to have a good few Irish people making programs for them which RTE don't manage to do. Neither do they attract British talent over here.

They really seem quite redundant when compared to the BBC which just backs up my belief that they aren't needed in anyway.

There doesn't seem to be anything they which we couldn't achieve by just providing funding to some Irish related projects made elsewhere or made by private Irish tv stations.

It would seem like we'd get better value for money doing that IMO.

RTE as pointed out have certain things that they have to fund unlike the BBC, and they don't hold the rights to many of these show or they don't see a return.

Why would RTE want to attract British talent over here? It makes more sence to use the talent we have.

TV3 employees 155 people, and have plenty of money to employ more if they wanted, RTÉ employ 1500 and however many more indirectly, they have a vast array of things that the must under law undertake. e.g. the National Concert Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra. (the bbc also have these attributes).

You are getting huge value for money

This is what you get from RTÉ on the money they have: -

RTÉ ONE
RTÉ TWO
RTÉ RADIO 1
RTÉ 2FM
RTÉ RnaG
RTÉ Lyric FM
RTÉ RADIO 1 EXTRA
RTÉ 2XM
RTÉ Junior/Chill
RTÉ Choice
RTÉ GOLD

RTÉ NL, their network division which provides terrestrial transmission and is in charge of DTT and DAB testing and roll out (which as pointed out in most countries is paid for by the Exchequre).

RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
RTÉ Philharmonic Choir
RTÉ Cor Na nOg
RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet
RTÉs Archive

With funding distributed to TG4 and the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI).

I am sorry but RTÉ are providing allot of services.

And to finish that of all at 43c per day less then your average daily newspaper. (Now I am sounding like an advert)

What is your sky/upc connection giving you?

copacetic

Mossy Monk wrote: »

You would welcome paying millions to the likes of Graham Norton?

I am surprised nobody has yet made the incorrect comment about RTÉ refusing Father Ted before it went to Channel 4

heh, they did!

syklops wrote: »

For your follow up question, what have I gotten from other channels I dont get from RTE, well, for a start, in my DVD collection, I have discs from 3 different series that were made by the BBC. These are Top Gear, Doctor Who and Spooks. I do not have a single disc from RTE. I have a set of discs from a series that was offered to RTE but they turned it down, the series in question is of course Father Ted.

Venom

RGDATA! wrote: »

As I've already pointed out in a previous post BBC has far bigger funding and talent pool.

RTE's talent puddle is so small because they use the same god damm people over and over again reguardless if they are suited for the programme type in question.

RTE can come up with the best show idea ever but sticking in a knobend like Gerry Ryan is not gonna work due to his terrible track record on TV and the amount of people who will never tune in to see him . However if they were to put new talent into new projects at least the show has a fighting chance to work and good home grown talent dosent need to venture across the water for work.

ART6

cooker3 wrote: »

0% chance RTE will be let go under.

I haven't read all of this thread -- couldn't care less about RTE with digital on it's way and the offerings of Sky and NTL. But RTE will not be allowed to go under. The government will put up €4.5 billions to keep it going, and the current directors will each resign with €1 million golden handshakes and a pension that is ten times the national average earnings. The term is "taxpayers". Note the extension "payers":mad:

Elmo

Venom wrote: »

RTE can come up with the best show idea ever but sticking in a knobend like Gerry Ryan is not gonna work due to his terrible track record on TV and the amount of people who will never tune in to see him . However if they were to put new talent into new projects at least the show has a fighting chance to work and good home grown talent dosent need to venture across the water for work.

Irish talent will always seek fame abroad weather in the UK or US. It just makes sense. That isn't to say that RTÉ shouldn't be more progressive when looking for new talent.

Elmo

ART6 wrote: »

I haven't read all of this thread -- couldn't care less about RTE with digital on it's way and the offerings of Sky and NTL. But RTE will not be allowed to go under. The government will put up €4.5 billions to keep it going, and the current directors will each resign with €1 million golden handshakes and a pension that is ten times the national average earnings. The term is "taxpayers". Note the extension "payers":mad:

4.5billion? 1million golden handshakes? RTÉ aren't a ****ing bank.

Cathal Goan earns 150k a year at RTÉ with some bonus but not much.

RTÉ NL are a fundamental part of Digital Terrestrial TV in Ireland.

thebman

newbie2 wrote: »

Read post Number 180

I did, nothing that couldn't be done by a private company.

Hell if RTE was a private company, I imagine we would already be digital instead of analogue. I'm sure it costs more to broadcast analogue over digital. A private company would see roll out as an investment, RTE see it as something they have to do to comply with regulations. Further evidence that we don't need it and shouldn't be funding it IMO.

Elmo wrote: »

RTE as pointed out have certain things that they have to fund unlike the BBC, and they don't hold the rights to many of these show or they don't see a return.

Why would RTE want to attract British talent over here? It makes more sence to use the talent we have.

In the post I quoted I was being told we don't have any talent, now we do. We don't seem to be putting it to good use if we do have the talent.

TV3 employees 155 people, and have plenty of money to employ more if they wanted, RTÉ employ 1500 and however many more indirectly, they have a vast array of things that the must under law undertake. e.g. the National Concert Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra. (the bbc also have these attributes).

You are getting huge value for money

This is what you get from RTÉ on the money they have: -

RTÉ ONE
RTÉ TWO
RTÉ RADIO 1
RTÉ 2FM
RTÉ RnaG
RTÉ Lyric FM
RTÉ RADIO 1 EXTRA
RTÉ 2XM
RTÉ Junior/Chill
RTÉ Choice
RTÉ GOLD

RTÉ NL, their network division which provides terrestrial transmission and is in charge of DTT and DAB testing and roll out (which as pointed out in most countries is paid for by the Exchequre).

RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
RTÉ Philharmonic Choir
RTÉ Cor Na nOg
RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet
RTÉs Archive

With funding distributed to TG4 and the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI).

I am sorry but RTÉ are providing allot of services.

And to finish that of all at 43c per day less then your average daily newspaper. (Now I am sounding like an advert)

What is your sky/upc connection giving you?

I never said they weren't providing services, I questioned the need for the services, the demand for the services, the cost of the services and whether they could be funded privated or would be better off if they received direct funding from the government and not via TV license and RTE.

If there is demand for the above then why can't they be run privately and let the people who want to subscribe, subscribe to the services?

RGDATA!

thebman wrote: »

Why does only a minority of one country watch their programming? Could it be that it isn't up to most peoples standards?

missed this earlier. Far more people watch either of the RTE tv channels than any other channel, BBC included. I could be facetious and wonder if that could be because none of these other channels are up to most peoples' standards.

Mossy Monk

copacetic wrote: »

heh, they did!

How did I miss it.

thebman

RGDATA! wrote: »

missed this earlier. Far more people watch either of the RTE tv channels than any other channel, BBC included. I could be facetious and wonder if that could be because none of these other channels are up to most peoples' standards.

Well of course they do, its the channel that is easiest to access in the country and people pay a tv license to view it instead of having to pay for a subscription service and most don't know about FTA and couldn't install the satellite dish on their own so are afraid to jump in feet first to that area.

That is about as useful as saying Microsoft make the best OS because they have the highest market share. It doesn't make it so.

I think more realistic viewing statistics would be of the Sky audience or FTA audience or NTL audience, how often is RTE watched on these services. that is the only place any fair competition occurs.

Elmo

thebman wrote: »

I did, nothing that couldn't be done by a private company.

Hell if RTE was a private company, I imagine we would already be digital instead of analogue. I'm sure it costs more to broadcast analogue over digital. A private company would see roll out as an investment, RTE see it as something they have to do to comply with regulations. Further evidence that we don't need it and shouldn't be funding it IMO.

In the post I quoted I was being told we don't have any talent, now we do. We don't seem to be putting it to good use if we do have the talent.

I never said they weren't providing services, I questioned the need for the services, the demand for the services, the cost of the services and whether they could be funded privated or would be better off if they received direct funding from the government and not via TV license and RTE.

If there is demand for the above then why can't they be run privately and let the people who want to subscribe, subscribe to the services?

If RTÉ where a private company all money earned would go back to the financial backer and no one in Ireland would ever see that money e.g. TV3. TV3 are private why aren't they Digital, wait where is the TV3 network?

As for the services RTÉ as pointed out are a public service broadcaster just because you don't like or don't think that other don't like doesn't mean that their services aren't important. PBS does work on demand it works on the idea that all are equal regardless of demand. Look at Lyric FM no private company would have taken such a license, yet it has 3% listnership.

No private radio station want to have anything to do with DAB, for reasons on another form, but IMO it shows how private companies in this country work of the back of public funded networks.

Of course over the last 10 years RTÉ have asked to go digital only to be told by the Government NO. DTT would have been role out if FF/PD hadn't insisted on a private company being involved in the DTT network. Ever hear of Boxer?

Elmo

thebman wrote: »

Well of course they do, its the channel that is easiest to access in the country and people pay a tv license to view it instead of having to pay for a subscription service and most don't know about FTA and couldn't install the satellite dish on their own so are afraid to jump in feet first to that area.

That is about as useful as saying Microsoft make the best OS because they have the highest market share. It doesn't make it so.

I think more realistic viewing statistics would be of the Sky audience or FTA audience or NTL audience, how often is RTE watched on these services. that is the only place any fair competition occurs.

TV3 have been available in Ireland in Ireland for the last 10 years, they could according to you have actually competed with RTÉ to insure better quality of TV in Ireland. Of course at the end of the day a private company is interested in one thing PROFIT. Easier to sell advertising than to make TV. And as I am sure you know TV3 make a **** load of money for one TV channel.

Multichannel stats Peak April 2009:-

1. RTÉ ONE 25.5
2. Other 19.1
3. RTÉ TWO 12
4. TV3 10
5. BBC 1 5.3
6. UTV 4.7
7. BBC 2 3.7
8. C4 3.6
9. Sky 1 2.6
10. TG4 1.9
11. Setanta 1.7
12. E4 1.3
13. Living 1.2
14. Comedy Central 1.1
15. Sky News 1
16. 3e 0.9
17. Sky Sports 1 0.9
18. MTV 0.8
19. E4 +1 0.6
20. Nick Jr 0.5
21. Comedy Central +1 0.5
22. Nick 0.5
23. Sky Sports 2 0.4
24. Sky Sports News 0.3

thebman

Elmo wrote: »

If RTÉ where a private company all money earned would go back to the financial backer and no one in Ireland would ever see that money e.g. TV3. TV3 are private why aren't they Digital, wait where is the TV3 network?

We don't see that money and it is our money from TV licenses. You can't argue that TV3 haven't gone digital when they are in a controlled market.

As for the services RTÉ as pointed out are a public service broadcaster just because you don't like or don't think that other don't like doesn't mean that their services aren't important. PBS does work on demand it works on the idea that all are equal regardless of demand. Look at Lyric FM no private company would have taken such a license, yet it has 3% listnership.

If there isn't enough audience to justify something then unless it is of cultural significance then it shouldn't exist. There are dozens of RTE shows that never needed to exist and that don't offer any cultural value and are just rip offs of American and British equivalent shows such as most of their reality TV shows.

Of course over the last 10 years RTÉ have asked to go digital only to be told by the Government NO. DTT would have been role out if FF/PD hadn't insisted on a private company being involved in the DTT network. Ever hear of Boxer?

It doesn't matter that they would have gone if they could. What matters is they are receiving public funding from tv licenses that people can go to jail for not paying. This isn't justified in any form. If they have the audience make it optional. If they don't then why are we sponsoring them?

To provide services for small groups that are interested in viewing them that are of cultural significance seems to be the only real answer provided IMO and you can easily have public funding for that without RTE and without having tv licenses and without jailing people for not paying or fining them.

Elmo wrote: »

TV3 have been available in Ireland in Ireland for the last 10 years, they could according to you have actually competed with RTÉ to insure better quality of TV in Ireland. Of course at the end of the day a private company is interested in one thing PROFIT. Easier to sell advertising than to make TV. And as I am sure you know TV3 make a **** load of money for one TV channel.

How can they compete with a channel that is state sponsored with funds in the millions as well as having large advertising on their channel? The fact that TV3 still exists shows that subsidising RTE isn't necessary IMO.

Elmo

The only problem is when you take the License fee away you get a public service broadcaster funded by the exchequer(i.e. taxes) that is controlled by the government, that lacks even less political independence than RTÉ currently has.

Their are plenty of documentries that would never have been see unless RTÉ through public funding had made them and if they hadn't schedule them between popular shows.

When was the last time you watch an Irish movie?

If there isn't enough audience to justify something then unless it is of cultural significance then it shouldn't exist. There are dozens of RTE shows that never needed to exist and that don't offer any cultural value and are just rip offs of American and British equivalent shows such as most of their reality TV shows.

RTE make their audience up by news, current affairs, sports or imports. All of these bring an audience into other less well know TV shows. They do this on all TV stations. You have a "culture" show that is good but won't get an audience because of the subject matter, put it on after the news and before a chat show and you get an audience that may never have watched that show.

We don't see that money and it is our money from TV licenses. You can't argue that TV3 haven't gone digital when they are in a controlled market.

I was just pointing out to you that TV3 never took an interest in the Network. It is only since last year that they took an interest in GAA and Rugby. They have no interest in producing drama and selling it abroad as you have suggested, and even with ITV shows (Britain Got Talent and Corrie St) they have no plans to intermix Irish programming between their popular imports even though they know they would get a higher audience with an Irish show, which has been proven time and time again on TV3, RTE and even TG4.

thebman

Elmo wrote: »

The only problem is when you take the License fee away you get a public service broadcaster funded by the exchequer(i.e. taxes) that is controlled by the government at lack even less political independence than RTÉ.

Their are plenty of documentries that would never have been see unless RTÉ through public funding had made them and if they hadn't schedule them between popular shows.

When was the last time you watch and Irish movie?

You don't though. If you just have a funding arm, they give funding to the private companies to make the program. Come on FFS, RTE are funded by the TV license tax. They are biased just the same via this method as if it came directly from standard taxes. And there is no excuse for heavily fining or jailing someone for refusing to pay for a service they don't use.

RTE make their audience up by news, current affairs, sports or imports. All of these bring an audience into other less well know TV shows. They do this on all TV stations. You have a "culture" show that is good but won't get an audience because of the subject matter put it on after the news and before a chat show and you get an audience that may never have watched that show.

And if you had private companies making documentaries using public funding, they could still work into their schedule. As they would be on private channels showing shows people want to watch, more people would be potentially exposed to it.

I was just pointing out to you that TV3 never took an interest in the Network. It is only since last year that they took an interest in GAA and Rugby. They have no interest in producing drama and selling it abroad as you have suggested, and even with ITV shows (Britain Got Talent and Corrie St) they have no plans to intermix Irish programming between their popular imports even though they know they would get a higher audience with an Irish show, which has been proven time and time again on TV3, RTE and even TG4.

TV3 is realistically an Irish divison of ITV though. If you had Irish private TV channels they could expand into Britain with more Irish content in a reverse of what ITV did with TV3.

Elmo

We don't see that money and it is our money from TV licenses.

By that I mean RTÉ use all of the money they earn in license fee either goes back into program making or into the Terrestrial network which we all use. and so does all of their advertising revenue unlike like a private company that see the money returned the investor through dividends.

You don't though. If you just have a funding arm, they give funding to the private companies to make the program. Come on FFS, RTE are funded by the TV license tax. They are biased just the same via this method as if it came directly from standard taxes. And there is no excuse for heavily fining or jailing someone for refusing to pay for a service they don't use.

Currently that is all RTÉ is, as pointed out they are legal required to provide 20% of the license fee to Independent producers (and they give more) they happen to show the shows on RTÉ.

5% goes to the BCI you issue it on a per application basis to any Independent Producer with the back of any FTA TV service.

And if you had private companies making documentaries using public funding, they could still work into their schedule. As they would be on private channels showing shows people want to watch, more people would be potentially exposed to it.

TV3 do this currently and without other Irish programming their shows didn't get the kind of audience expected. Some were good, others I felt were questionable as PSB e.g. Something For the Weekend (a tourist board ad) and Some parenting show with cheap interviews with celebs???? other were well worth the funding such as Diary of... and perhaps the Paul William thing which I felt was a bit tabloid for PSB. (I think TV3 could have taken the risk without License fee funding.) Why should we fund private companies?

TV3 is realistically an Irish divison of ITV though. If you had Irish private TV channels they could expand into Britain with more Irish content in a reverse of what ITV did with TV3.

Why didn't TV3 do this when the first started? ITV bought them in 2001 and sold them in 2006. TV3 should be competing with RTÉ as much as they can, and on average they have earn €60,000,000 per year, €12,000,000 of which was spent in Ireland. Where did the other 48,000,000 go <<< sarcastic confused

population

Terry wrote: »

Bunch of know-nothing-know-it-alls.
The rugger buggers buggering each other while wearing Ryle Nugent masks (what sort of name is Ryle anyway?).

I believe they call it "Ryle Style"

Havermeyer

Tago Mago wrote: »

If Gerry Ryan switched from Doughnuts to Chocolate Digestives the day could be saved.

Possibly.

However, the world would be a better place without him on the radio.

Here's to hoping.

RGDATA!

thebman wrote: »

I think more realistic viewing statistics would be of the Sky audience or FTA audience or NTL audience, how often is RTE watched on these services. that is the only place any fair competition occurs.

in fairness, the stats for Irish tv ratings from households which have more than just the home channels (i.e. these stats DO NOT include people with only rte/tv3/tg4!) have been posted several times in this thread

here are the realistic viewing statistics by your criteria:
http://www.agbnielsen.net/Uploads/Ireland/Apr09FREE.pdf

the analogy about "Microsoft making the best OS since they have the biggest market share" is completely irrelevant, seeing as nobody as far as I can see (and certainly not me), has argued that RTE has the "best" output or is the "best" channel. what RTE does have, of course, and what is probably responsible for these "realistic" stats, is lots of Irish-oriented output that you can't get elsewhere, and lots of prime-time US/UK output that you can which is available as soon as or sooner than elsewhere.

I'm guessing that many of the people who are dissatisfied with RTE and the license fee are those who, broadly speaking, don't care much about Irish news and current affairs, Irish documentaries, Irish arts shows, Irish language shows, Irish daytime/chat shows, lifestyle programs from an Irish point of view. Which is fair enough, but the facts are the majority of Irish households (who do have more channels than RTE) are interested in some or many of these things and the viewing figures reflect this.

Nehaxak

RGDATA! wrote: »

I'm guessing that many of the people who are dissatisfied with RTE and the license fee are those who, broadly speaking, don't care much about Irish news and current affairs, Irish documentaries, Irish arts shows, Irish language shows, Irish daytime/chat shows, lifestyle programs from an Irish point of view. Which is fair enough, but the facts are the majority of Irish households (who do have more channels than RTE) are interested in some or many of these things and the viewing figures reflect this.

Only thing I'd watch on RTE is primetime, occasionally Q&A and rarely the news. There's nothing else of any worth on any of the channels the license fee is going toward. The viewing figures are bloated and based off a small unknown number of people who have those boxes in their houses or the equally small number of people who fill in their suveys.
Do they also still base their viewing figures from the supposed surge in electricity from people making cups of tea when the adverts come on ? Surely the fact the adverts are all timed to coincide with other channels ad breaks would also skew those figures no ?
Rumours of RTE employee familes'/friends having most of those rating boxes also abound, which further detracts from the nonsense viewing figures being given.
RTE isn't worth the license fee and the people working at the stations, both broadcasters and management alike, are all on bloated, greedy wages.

I really cannot believe anyone under the age of 97 years old watches RTE for any more than 1 hour tops a day and their programming aimed at youth (which I'd class as anyone under 30) is just patronising bullshít most of the time and their fake radio DJ's ? lol - "yay guys I'm really hip, lets play lady gaga again, I might be a 60 year old DJ but I feel like I'm 18 again when I speak with this annoying voice on the radio. Phone me up now so I can mention your name and pretend we're a pirate radio station, stoooorrry bud, big shout out to Mary and Johnny in Leitrim celebrating their 70th anniversary today ! Hope you get snot faced on the tinnies lads ! hahah, yeah...." shut up.

Badly run, badly managed, blinkered views, out of touch, politically biased, waste of money, no future. Good riddance to them if they do go under, only programme I'd miss is Primetime and sure isn't that being canned anyway soon so really...

No love lost here if they go belly up.

Nehaxak

Oh and also, the lack of transparency in regards what the license fee is being spent on exactly, in detail, or indeed what any money made in RTE is being spent on is just shocking. They still haven't released to the public domain any updated finance/accounts nor what their employee's/broadcasters are being payed. We get drip fed information from leaks within, that's about all. That's no way for any publicly funded broadcaster to operate and gives off nothing but a sense from the public of RTE mismanaging and misappropriating their finances for the benefit of lining their own pockets.
The figures I've heard and read around in regards what their directors and senior management get paid are absolutely shocking !

RGDATA!

Nehaxak wrote: »

Only thing I'd watch on RTE is primetime, occasionally Q&A and rarely the news. There's nothing else of any worth on any of the channels the license fee is going toward.

i guess you meant to say "in your opinion"

Nehaxak wrote: »

The viewing figures are bloated and based off a small unknown number of people who have those boxes in their houses or the equally small number of people who fill in their suveys.

can you quote any evidence to support any point you make in this sentence? for a start how can a number be unknown, but small at the same time? do you know for a fact that some of these figures are coming from people filling in surveys?

Nehaxak wrote: »

Do they also still base their viewing figures from the supposed surge in electricity from people making cups of tea when the adverts come on ?

lol, i'm pretty sure they don't, no.

Nehaxak wrote: »

Surely the fact the adverts are all timed to coincide with other channels ad breaks would also skew those figures no ?

i have no idea what you're getting at here, unless you're suggesting that somehow the fact that most channels seem to synchronise their ad breaks somehow benefits RTE exclusively. if i've completely missed your point please explain.

Nehaxak wrote: »

Rumours of RTE employee familes'/friends having most of those rating boxes also abound, which further detracts from the nonsense viewing figures being given.

I've honestly never heard any of these rumours, but if there's a scrap of evidence you can quote to support even the fact that there ARE rumours of this I'd be curious

Nehaxak wrote: »

RTE isn't worth the license fee and the people working at the stations, both broadcasters and management alike, are all on bloated, greedy wages.

you're probably right that a lot of management/broadcasters need to have their pay cuts to address the current situation but it's a totally sweeping statment otherwise, unless you know what every broadcaster/member of managment is on

Nehaxak wrote: »

I really cannot believe anyone under the age of 97 years old watches RTE for any more than 1 hour tops a day

yep, this seems to be typical of those in the anti-RTE/license fee brigade, but despite your disbelief, people do. get over it.

Nehaxak wrote: »

only programme I'd miss is Primetime and sure isn't that being canned anyway soon so really...

You're thinking of Question Time.

Nehaxak

RGDATA! wrote: »

i guess you meant to say "in your opinion"

Aren't all the opinions expressed normally our own ? I thought that was taken for granted without a need to state it every single time. If you're quoting or giving someone elses opinions, or indeed acting on their behalf, you'd usually say as such out of at least good manners.

can you quote any evidence to support any point you make in this sentence? for a start how can a number be unknown, but small at the same time? do you know for a fact that some of these figures are coming from people filling in surveys?

Oh come on, you quoted the Neilson figures so at least you must know some background to how they get those figures ?

http://www.agbnielsen.net/system/system.asp
http://www.aaronsilvers.com/2007/04/nielsen-ratings/

Google yourself for more.

I've honestly never heard any of these rumours, but if there's a scrap of evidence you can quote to support even the fact that there ARE rumours of this I'd be curious

Heresay, word of mouth, friend of a friend stuff, no evidence to quote but nonetheless, no evidence put forward or forthcoming from RTE to the contrary either and as far as I know, it's also not against the law for viewing figures to be skewed in favour of one broadcaster over the other by the use of family, friends or whatever to skew those figures - so I guess all is ok then, carry-on. Everyone above 4 in Ireland is watching the news on RTE 1 instead of the Simpsons for example.

you're probably right that a lot of management/broadcasters need to have their pay cuts to address the current situation but it's a totally sweeping statment otherwise, unless you know what every broadcaster/member of managment is on

Yes well it would be nice to know those exact figures, but the thing is, they're (RTE) so secretive about what they pay their own staff, or their finances in general, that all we can do is go on what some whistleblowers from within might leak out. Some figures were quoted earlier in this thread if I'm not mistaken.

yep, this seems to be typical of those in the anti-RTE/license fee brigade, but despite your disbelief, people do. get over it.

...and your answer seems to be typical of those defending RTE/license fee.

The ability to accept criticism, however much it might piss you or your business off, is a big step toward improving that business and actually giving people what they want, rather than rely on pats on the back from your collegues/friends/whatever saying you're doing a great job. No, no your not, you (RTE) are total and utter **** and you (RTE) need to get the finger out and sort out your own mess that you (RTE) created in the first place with mismanagement, greed, stupidity and neglect - or don't and go belly up because of that mess you created. How much is that happy smack faced Tubridy getting paid ? Hmm, yeah, totally justified... Let's get rid of a couple hundred normal staff so we can continue to pay that muppets wages.