Swing that Axe- RTE

Corsendonk

We all know how badly financially RTE is suffering with the downturn in the economy and advertisement revenue falling. In the private sector downsizing would begin but in the protected cozy world that is RTE they have flittered around the edges by encouraging older staff like Brendan Balfe to retire but actually failed to tackle the big hitters with only talk of a pay freeze or slight reduction in wages. So who would you cut and who would you keep if you had the final decision and why?

2008 wages
Pat Kenny (€922,949)
Ryan Tubridy (€533,333)
Gerry Ryan (€558,000)
Marian Finucane (€570,000)
Joe Duffy (€408,889)
Derek Mooney (€286,809)
Miriam O'Callaghan (€301,667)
Sean O'Rourke(€218,656)
George Hamilton(€219,833)
Eamon Dunphy€328,051)

• Tubridy would be gone, his performances have got worse as his wages and profile has increased.
• Kenny and Finucane should be retired early, always the option of bringing Kenny back as a cheaper contracted presenter for the Frontline.
• Mooney should be given a kick up the ass(too much self indulgence on his radio show) and a pay reduction. His wages have increased and his workload has gone down since he no longer presents Winning Streak.
• Joe Duffy should have a sizeable paycut, lets face it who is going to poach him? Ban on Funny Fridays. The nation is depressed enough without that ****e.

bureau2009

There is much one can say about RTE presenters and their salaries, starting with:

WHY are the 2008 rates the most up-to-date available???? Why don't the public have knowledge of their 2011 pay levels?

I seem to remember hearing the 2008 rates announced on a Friday evening. I wonder why that was?

JonathanAnon

RTE say that the information is commercially sensitive.. that is why they only give out the wages..

They are terrified that a private radio/TV station will look at the pittance that poor Marian Finucane is being paid (a mere €570,000 for four hours broadcasting a week) and say to themselves ... "Marian really isnt being properly remunerated for her four hours of backbreaking sitting down and drinking tea.. Lets make her a better offer."

Oh_Noes

The idea that Pat Kenny is being paid a million a year because of competition from other stations is absolutely laughable.

Mark Coleman stated on Newstalk a few weeks ago that while he didn't want to disclose his own wage (which he shouldn't, it's not a publicly-run station), he stated that he gets a "modest five-figure sum".

Who the hell is going to try to poach Pat Kenny or Ryan Tubridy for even a fraction of what they're being paid? They're exactly the reason we have such inflated TV licenses in this country.

OP is right, swing that axe.

That_Guy

Marian Finuncan's wages are a disgrace given that she only does weekends.

Rubik.

Oh_Noes wrote: »

The idea that Pat Kenny is being paid a million a year because of competition from other stations is absolutely laughable.

He isn't, his salary was cut to around 600k when his latest contract was negotiated in 2008. The same thing will happen to the of rest of them when their contacts are up. In the case of Finucane and Duffy, this will be sometime in 2012 and there lies the problem - allowing people who spend their whole careers with RTE act as contractors. As a result Finucane and Duffy, who signed those contacts in 2007, have been untouchable despite RTE's advertising revenue collapsing in the meantime. They are still being paid boom time wages 3 years into the worst recession experienced by any country since the 30's.

Bard

This is not the board for discussing RTE wages, it's for discussing RADIO and RADIO PROGRAMMES.

Thread closed.