What do people think about this?

FlutterinBantam

I was listening to a Sportscast of a recent boxing event, and there was Marty Morrissey giving it socks as an 'MC' I presume.

It struck me that that function would be somewhat incongruous to his paid job as a staffer in RTE, which I assume he is.

What struck me is

A.. Who pays Marty or others for the gig.

B.. If RTE 'personalities' do gigs similar to that ,how can they be objective in their 'day job'?

C.. Have RTE not some clause in the contract that precludes their employees from 'moonlighting' thus preserving their objective stance.?

D.. If not, why not?

E.. I always heard that the official defence of the mega bucks that RTE personalities earn was the fact that they could not peddle their 'talents' to third parties.

F.. Why should the taxpayer fund these people, if they obviously have so much spare time and energy that they can do gigs on the side.


Sorry if this is not the right forum, but would love to know the rationale and answers to my questions.:D

jdivision

He may be a contractor.
And loads of RTE guys do nixers, Des Cahill does loads of them.

JustinDee

That would be a personal gig done in his own time and via his own management. Therefore it is not a "third party" as it would not affect competition with his employer or pull him away from his work for them.

Perfectly entitled to do this.

Lapin

There's nothing unusual for personalities contracted to RTÉ (and elsewhere) to be employed by various entities to act as compére or chairperson for their events.

I don't see how someone like Miriam O'Callaghan (for example) hosting the recent 'Ireland's Top 50 Retail Awards' ceremony in Galway is compromised by doing so.

Last year I attended a conference chaired by John Bowman, the event closed with a question and answer session with some top brass in the industry I worked in at the time, so Bowman was the perfect choice for someone to act in this role.

As for the question of who pays their fees, well the company or organisation holding the event does. Often through an event management company who deals with the agent of the well known figure in question.

Its got nothing to do with RTÉ really. They deal with the same agents in the same manner when negotiating contracts.
RTÉ don't have much of a say on the issue of such "moonlighting" when these contracts are being drafted.

They need their big names (for want of a better phrase - I refuse to call them stars) more than the big names need RTÉ, this is reflected in the high salaries they are willing to pay which in themselves are dictated by ratings and the advertising revenue their big names can generate. Therefore, the high profile names in Montrose have the upper hand when it comes to doing a few nixers on the side.

Of course its not unique to RTÉ. The BBC which is funded almost entirely by the TV licence tax operates in a similar manner.

FlutterinBantam

Lapin wrote: »

There's nothing unusual for personalities contracted to RTÉ (and elsewhere) to be employed by various entities to act as compére or chairperson for their events.

I don't see how someone like Miriam O'Callaghan (for example) hosting the recent 'Ireland's Top 50 Retail Awards' ceremony in Galway is compromised by doing so.

Last year I attended a conference chaired by John Bowman, the event closed with a question and answer session with some top brass in the industry I worked in at the time, so Bowman was the perfect choice for someone to act in this role.

As for the question of who pays their fees, well the company or organisation holding the event does. Often through an event management company who deals with the agent of the well known figure in question.

Its got nothing to do with RTÉ really. They deal with the same agents in the same manner when negotiating contracts.
RTÉ don't have much of a say on the issue of such "moonlighting" when these contracts are being drafted.

They need their big names (for want of a better phrase - I refuse to call them stars) more than the big names need RTÉ, this is reflected in the high salaries they are willing to pay which in themselves are dictated by ratings and the advertising revenue their big names can generate. Therefore, the high profile names in Montrose have the upper hand when it comes to doing a few nixers on the side.

Of course its not unique to RTÉ. The BBC which is funded almost entirely by the TV licence tax operates in a similar manner.

Hmmm thanks for that but I am not convinced that say, Presenter X in RTE can be objective when dealing with an organisation with which he or she has had a financial link with.

Supposing for instance a big boxing promoter comes under scrutiny for 'whatever' how can someone who presumably has been involved financially with the promoter then be objective in reportage?

Kind of gives the reason why such bland trite stuff comes from RTE sports reporters, afraid to rock any boat in case their nice little earner is threatened?

Lapin

I would imagine that Presenter X wouldn't associate themselves with an organisation that had a tarnished reputation as it would in turn, reflect badly on themselves. Through which it follows, objectivity should not be an issue regardless of any financial link the presenter may have with the organisation.

I agree that some presenters come across as being very chummy with some organisations. This is particularly true in the Sports Department in RTÉ, especially in the case of Des Cahill and Michael Lyster of The Sunday Game. Both well known for their non confrontational reverence to the GAA, FAI, and IRFU etc.

But I suspect this has more to do with maintaining the viewing rights RTÉ enjoy rather than the few shillings they might make from after dinner speeches.

Ireland is a small country and these personalities and organisations are often very intertwined and regularly mix in the same circles. Therefore objectivity can prove a costly habit when mild critisism will suffice.

Ultimately the viewer/listener loses out (print media can afford to be more vociferous) but its part of the price we pay for sports coverage on Irish tv and radio.

FlutterinBantam

Indeed, you have good points there.

However, if I was in RTE management, I would worry a bit about some presenters overdoing the extra mural stuff as it were.

I might be asking the question, if these staffers whom I was paying, and paying well, were playing at 100% level for me, or were they throttled back to 60/70% in the day job, to leave some gas for the gig later.

And also if it were a late night gig etc involving travel, did these guys & gals come into Montrose the next day to have a rest.

legitimate concerns I would opine.

Lapin

Legitimate concerns indeed.

RTÉ, like any employer have a right to expect their staff to carry out their work in a professional manner. And for the most part, they do.

However, the undertaking of such extra mural activities is not unique to the broadcasting profession. In all walks of life employees of any organisation have commitments outside their day job.

I would opine that it is possible for one to give 100% commitment to ones job during the time in which they are paid to do so. And also give 100% to any other commitments they may engage in in their own time.

Ensuring adequate rest in the meantime is part of the work/life balance that we must all adhere to. Those who cannot maintain this balance without it interfering with their job usually don't last long in that job.

Getting back to the extra mural activities. These are usually timid affairs such as book launches, ribbon cuttings, after dinner speeches and suchlike which involve little preparation for the most part. Often the most strenuous labours involved will be the signing of autographs and posing for photographs.

jdivision

The worst was Bryan Dobson a few years ago. he should have been suspended.think new rules were brought in after that.

http://www.independent.ie/unsorted/features/rte-controversy--the-strife-of-bryan-217186.html
A top RTE news anchor 'regrets' coaching health board executives for media interviews. But Bryan Dobson isn't the only one who has done nixers for private clients. SAM SMYTH reports

Lapin

There will be exceptions in any walk of life.
As I alluded to.

JustinDee

Lapin wrote: »

I agree that some presenters come across as being very chummy with some organisations. This is particularly true in the Sports Department in RTÉ, especially in the case of Des Cahill and Michael Lyster of The Sunday Game. Both well known for their non confrontational reverence to the GAA, FAI, and IRFU etc.

???
They're presenters. Anchors on TV panels and not much else. Not hired for editorial comment.
I don't know about GAA coverage but if people here under the impression that there are no RTE panels that have goes at the likes of the IRFU, FAI or the players of those two sports, I don't think they've been watching them.

FlutterinBantam

JustinDee wrote: »

???
They're presenters. Anchors on TV panels and not much else. Not hired for editorial comment.
I don't know about GAA coverage but if people here under the impression that there are no RTE panels that have goes at the likes of the IRFU, FAI or the players of those two sports, I don't think they've been watching them.

An excellent point and well made,however in other respects, they are reporters, not on the Sunday game, for Cahill, or Tom mcGuirk, when he chairs the Rugby discussion.

I am aware what goes on and would still concerned about conflict of interest issues.

Do I remember right wasn't Mulooley the RTE guy in the Midlands running a journalistic school in his spare time.

If that is true surely his performance under the pay of RTE would be affected?

Another case would be Finucane who derives a huge wedge from RTE,huge by any standards,and yet finds time to be very involved in a charity organisation in South Africa, extremely laudable worthy cause of course, but surely implies that she is totally underused in RTE?.

Lapin

JustinDee wrote: »

???
They're presenters. Anchors on TV panels and not much else. Not hired for editorial comment.
I don't know about GAA coverage but if people here under the impression that there are no RTE panels that have goes at the likes of the IRFU, FAI or the players of those two sports, I don't think they've been watching them.

I watch them all and enjoy RTÉ's panel discussions during their coverage of Soccer and Rugby. This is the reason why I mentioned Michael Lyster of The Sunday Game in my post above.

I take your point that the anchor is merely there to present the programme and chair the discussions without adding input of his own. But unlike his counterparts O'Herlihy and McGurk (who let their panelists express their opinion), Lyster has a tendency to steer the discussion away from anything controversial and avoid saying anything that might rock the cosy relationship that exists between Montrose and Croke Park.

Apologies to Flutter for going off topic here.