Has RTE reached the end?

Poor Uncle Tom

Has RTE as a broadcaster reached the end of the line? Is the station just a drain on public resources and should it be closed down?

The latest pay out over badly researched material with unverified sources have resulted in yet another innocent person putting their hand into the tax payers pocket for retribution.

Would it be worth considering providing an annual purse to whatever private company who comes up with the goods regarding fresh entertainment instead of yet another re-hashed Quicksilver and 7Days or TodayTonite variant?

silvine

Poor Uncle Tom wrote: »

Has RTE as a broadcaster reached the end of the line? Is the station just a drain on public resources and should it be closed down?

The latest pay out over badly researched material with unverified sources have resulted in yet another innocent person putting their hand into the tax payers pocket for retribution.

Would it be worth considering providing an annual purse to whatever private company who comes up with the goods regarding fresh entertainment instead of yet another re-hashed Quicksilver and 7Days or TodayTonite variant?

No. Don't watch them if it bugs u.
They provide a lot more than current affairs.

Love/hate is good as us their sports coverage.

Poor Uncle Tom

I know they do but I don't think the remainder of what they show is rateable either.

If people actually had the choice of not paying the license fee and not watching, then fine, but they don't.

saa

I think RTE should scale back its operations to a minimum while we're in a recession (including high salaries who are rte heads to give themselves wealth and their stars also) and become more like a community channel which can provide the current affairs and regional programming/documentaries..
Frankly RTE stop kidding yourself you just can't seem to produce any decent drama or comedy just stop pouring money into it

Minstrel27

The end? Over reacting a bit there.

mikom

Poor Uncle Tom wrote: »

Is the station just a drain on public resources and should it be closed down?

Yes.

Poor Uncle Tom wrote: »

Has RTE as a broadcaster reached the end of the line?

No, not yet at least.
It will continue to be propped up for a while yet I reckon, shuffling along like a zombie with all the maggots infesting still being well fed.
there is a head shot a comin' however.

Richard Dower

I don't think it should close, they do provide an essential service, especially for the old biddies out in the sticks. they have an excellent news/current affairs programming. Just scale things back, bring down the salaries for the talentless numpties they employ....stop the cronyism.

don ramo

the economy will kick back into gear on about 7-10 years and if RTE is still here then (which im 90% certain it will) nobody will care if it looses money or not cause well all be rolling in it again :D:D

Poor Uncle Tom

Richard Dower wrote: »

I don't think it should close, they do provide an essential service, especially for the old biddies out in the sticks.

That may have been the case 30 years ago, but not anymore. How many people would gladly spend their evenings viewing watching an RTE channel alone? and I wonder what percentage of that would be bought in programming already seen from their original broadcaster.

TCDStudent1

Personally, I watch RTE more than any other station, and I would think it a shame if it did wind down. There is stuff on it that I dont like, most notably current format of the late late show.

But Prime Time is an fantastic show, especially the "Prime Time Investigates" series which serves the public interest well.

mikom

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

But Prime Time is an fantastic show, especially the "Prime Time Investigates" series which serves the public interest well.

Father Kevin Reynolds begs to differ.

briany

RTE have things they do very well and things they do very badly. There's not a lot of middle ground when it comes to their TV programming.

Obviously they have to, or at least want to, cater to as many markets as possible but they should also attempt to play to their strengths. Few if any broadcasters have the talent pool or style to cater to every audience under the sun.

Minstrel27

Poor Uncle Tom wrote: »

That may have been the case 30 years ago, but not anymore. How many people would gladly spend their evenings viewing watching an RTE channel alone? and I wonder what percentage of that would be bought in programming already seen from their original broadcaster.

Aren't the non pay tv channels the highest viewed channels?

A Disgrace

Poor Uncle Tom wrote: »

That may have been the case 30 years ago, but not anymore. How many people would gladly spend their evenings viewing watching an RTE channel alone? and I wonder what percentage of that would be bought in programming already seen from their original broadcaster.

I would hazard a guess that most family homes around Ireland watch a good few hours of RTE every night. I personally do, from the 6.1 News onwards and almost always the 9.30 RTE1 slot. In fact, I found that I really only watched Irish TV anyway so I cut off my UPC account and just use Saorview now (I download anything good from the UK channels)

In fact, on a one-by-one basis, there's no real difference between RTE and most of the big UK channels, it's just that there are so many of them, there always appears to something worth watching on

Every country needs a national broadcaster, so it would be a disaster to consider 'killing off' or even fully privatising them

As for bought-in programmes, RTE1 (though not RTE2) has very few of these, apart from the early morning/afternoon slot and certainly a lot less than the likes of TV3

mikom

Minstrel27 wrote: »

Aren't the non pay tv channels the highest viewed channels?

What are these non pay tv channels?

matthew8

silvine wrote: »

No. Don't watch them if it bugs u.
They provide a lot more than current affairs.

Love/hate is good as us their sports coverage.

Are you serious? People have to pay an absolute ton of money for the crap they produce. It's the biggest rip off I've ever seen, and we're forced to pay for it. Even if I don't watch it, I still have to pay for it.

Love/Hate is the only decent thing they've produced in a while, though it's not really what I'm into. Their sports coverage is about as bad as any sports coverage I've ever seen. It's gotten to the stage where I prefer the TG4, BBC Alba and S4C coverage.

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

Personally, I watch RTE more than any other station, and I would think it a shame if it did wind down. There is stuff on it that I dont like, most notably current format of the late late show.

But Prime Time is an fantastic show, especially the "Prime Time Investigates" series which serves the public interest well.

I hope the bit on prime time investigates was sarcastic after what they did to Fr. Reynolds. Now they have no credibility whatsoever.

Lapin

Poor Uncle Tom wrote: »

Has RTE as a broadcaster reached the end of the line? Is the station just a drain on public resources and should it be closed down?

Close it down? So your first action is also your last resort?

Surely you can come up with some other ideas before suggesting the nuclear option.

laoch na mona

republic of telly and hardy bucks are class

Minstrel27

mikom wrote: »

What are these non pay tv channels?

RTÉ, TV3, BBC, ITV would be examples of non pay tv.

Before you reply with your predictable "but RTÉ requires a licence fee," don't bother. Non pay tv refers to those channels available for free without encryption.

A Disgrace

Minstrel27 wrote: »

RTÉ, TV3, BBC, ITV would be examples of non pay tv.

Before you reply with your predictable "but RTÉ requires a licence fee," don't bother. Non pay tv refers to those channels available for free without encryption.

The vast majority of countries have a licence fee, in most cases going to a single national broadcaster. Remember BBC also charge a fee (which is incidentaly higher than ours). Yes, RTE also have extra advertising revenue, but when arguing for and against RTE, the first thing we have to remember is that we have a relatively small population so there's not huge amounts of money in the first place (in general TV terms anyway)

Minstrel27

A Disgrace wrote: »

The vast majority of countries have a licence fee, in most cases going to a single national broadcaster. Remember BBC also charge a fee (which is incidentaly higher than ours). Yes, RTE also have extra advertising revenue, but when arguing for and against RTE, the first thing we have to remember is that we have a relatively small population so there's not huge amounts of money in the first place (in general TV terms anyway)

It is amazing how some people aren't able to grasp this.

Sica

I wouldn't do away with RTE altogether, but I do think having two state-funded channels which show a lot of imported TV shows is unnecessary. Scrap RTE 2 and refocus RTE 1 on current affairs and other shows within a strict public service broadcaster remit?

mikom

Minstrel27 wrote: »

Non pay tv refers to those channels available for free without encryption.

See also BBC, ITV, C4 and everything else free via satellite.

One RTE channel showing nothing but news and sport would be enough for this country.
Everything else can be recieved by other means and need not be replicated just so that we can be as good as the "neighbors".

"Fur coat and not knickers" seems to be RTE's current motto......... with the fur coat and and untrue rape accusations funded by the tax payer.

Minstrel27

You want RTÉ to exist purely for news and sport? What about those who don't have a satellite dish?

Should the same happen in Austria, Canada or any other country beside a bigger country speaking the same language?

Pretty stupid idea really.

mikom

Minstrel27 wrote: »

You want RTÉ to exist purely for news and sport?

Yep.
It would help if they could even get the news part right.......... before they go paying out settlements to members of the clergy.

Ditch your imported soaps, CSI's, desperate housewives etc that can be got on other free channels. The savings could be pumped into obtaining the rights to sports involving Irish participation.
PSB and all that lark.

Minstrel27 wrote: »

What about those who don't have a satellite dish?

The price of the current licence 160 euro would buy a decent set up.

Minstrel27 wrote: »

Should the same happen in Austria, Canada or any other country beside a bigger country speaking the same language?

Let them look after themselves.
RTE is the issue here.

Minstrel27 wrote: »

Pretty stupid idea really.

In your (vested interest?) opinion.......

The Sparrow

Just to confront the Prime Time Investigates issue, one cock up doesn't negate all the good stuff that they have done in the past. If you are making investigative programmes like they do, occasionally a mistake will be made. It is just human nature.

So don't start bashing the show because of one mistake. They have apologised and paid up as well so it is hardly a reason to shut the whole station down.

Poor Uncle Tom

The Sparrow wrote: »

Just to confront the Prime Time Investigates issue, one cock up doesn't negate all the good stuff that they have done in the past. If you are making investigative programmes like they do, occasionally a mistake will be made. It is just human nature.

So don't start bashing the show because of one mistake. They have apologised and paid up as well so it is hardly a reason to shut the whole station down.

That isn't good enough, really. A mans life is ruined and in tatters after that programme aired, saying sorry and throwing money at it doesn't change that in any meaningful way.

I would like to see how many apologies and payments RTE have made over the last 10 years, not just the ones we read about.

mikom

The Sparrow wrote: »

They have apologised and the licence payers have paid up as well so it is hardly a reason to shut the whole station down.

Fixed your post.

Also interesting to note that nobody has lost their job over this false rape allegation.
No producer, no reporter, no retained lawyer.
Who says RTE is not cosseted.

They wouldn't be long in hauling you up in front of a judge if they found you without their little bit of licence paper.

The Sparrow

Poor Uncle Tom wrote: »

That isn't good enough, really. A mans life is ruined and in tatters after that programme aired, saying sorry and throwing money at it doesn't change that in any meaningful way.

I would like to see how many apologies and payments RTE have made over the last 10 years, not just the ones we read about.

His life was ruined at all. Of course it was hugely regrettable and it must have been horriffic for him. But he has clearly demonstrated his innocence so I don't see how it ruined the rest of his life.

Poor Uncle Tom

The Sparrow wrote: »

I don't see how it ruined the rest of his life.

Do yourself a favour and read the full story before making that statement.

Also, I'm sure you may agree that it doesn't matter what RTE retracts after the fact there will always be an element of society who believe that "there is never smoke without fire" and of course how many people saw the original programme and didn't see the apology?

mikom

The Sparrow wrote: »

His life was ruined at all. Of course it was hugely regrettable and it must have been horriffic for him. But he has clearly demonstrated his innocence so I don't see how it ruined the rest of his life.

If he was upset enough he could have gone as far as taking his life.
Then you'd have a shitstorm on your hands.

That's not to say that he may currently have suppressed emotions on the claims which may come back to haunt him long after the RTE staff have moved on to their next project.

The rape claims were made in the name of every licence payer.
Hardly public service is it?

A Disgrace

mikom wrote: »

Fixed your post.

Also interesting to note that nobody has lost their job over this false rape allegation.
No producer, no reporter, no retained lawyer.
Who says RTE is not cosseted.

They wouldn't be long in hauling you up in front of a judge if they found you without their little bit of licence paper.

The entire basis of your argument seems to be based on this one incident. Maybe you have a personal involvment in it, or are just genuinely sympathetic, and that's fine... but it is not a reason to call for the wholesale deconstruction of a national TV and Radio broadcaster that, like it or not, still gets the biggest ratings, and also provides a huge amount of people with entertainment and information.

Go abroad sometime and you will see the state of TV across Europe and the rest of the world. I've spent a lot of time in Hungary, Italy, and many other places and the amount of US TV that is shown on the main stations is unreal. It's not an RTE only issue (and even at that, I still think they show, pound for pound, more homegrown TV than a lot of other networks)

RTE is far from perfect (I'm currently watching Francis Brennan's Grand Tour, and it's a mis-judged mess) but it's ours. It speaks to us in our language, it delivers our culture and it gives us the ability to showcase ourselves, and a platform for our writers, directors and actors to do their stuff. Getting rid of it will get rid of all that.

texidub

Close Network 2. Close TG4. Merge what meets the public broadcasting remit within those stations with RTE 1. Slash the workforce. Ireland is the size of Manchester, giving loads of people state funded jobs so they can play at being in the media is an insult to real media workers everywhere. Dose of reality needed BIG TIME.

Country is going down the tubes. Sponsoring loads of overpaid RTE workers is no longer on.

the_syco

silvine wrote: »

No. Don't watch them if it bugs u.

Don't watch them if it bugs you, but you still have to pay for it.

A Disgrace

texidub wrote: »

Close TG4.

TG4 is one of the better stations around, and anyway, it now operates indepenently from RTE and largely funds itself from advertising

mikom

A Disgrace wrote: »

Go abroad sometime and you will see the state of TV across Europe and the rest of the world. I've spent a lot of time in Hungary, Italy, and many other places and the amount of US TV that is shown on the main stations is unreal.

As I said earlier, let them look after their own.

A Disgrace wrote: »

It's not an RTE only issue (and even at that, I still think they show, pound for pound, more homegrown TV than a lot of other networks)

I should hope so, as they are taking enough off the public to do so.

A Disgrace wrote: »

RTE is far from perfect (I'm currently watching Francis Brennan's Grand Tour, and it's a mis-judged mess) but it's ours.

You mean that rip off of Channel 4's coach trip........... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHnw0iiLz_U&feature=player_embedded
Yeah...... it's ours

A Disgrace wrote: »

It speaks to us in our language,

I think you'll find that's TG4

A Disgrace wrote: »

it delivers our culture

Again TG4

A Disgrace wrote: »

and it gives us the ability to showcase ourselves, and a platform for our writers, directors and actors to do their stuff. Getting rid of it will get rid of all that.

How did Irish writers and musician ever survive though the oppression of British rule without RTE...... I'll never know.
Irish writers, directors and actors are showcasing themselves on the world stage not on a jumped up community channel.

The Sparrow

Poor Uncle Tom wrote: »

Also, I'm sure you may agree that it doesn't matter what RTE retracts after the fact there will always be an element of society who believe that "there is never smoke without fire" and of course how many people saw the original programme and didn't see the apology?

Even if that was true, I still don't see how it has ruined the rest of his life. And actually the fact that the programme got it wrong, got much more publicity and column inches then the original accusation. So I would very much doubt if that many people saw the original and don't know that it was proved to be wrong.

joewicklow

Does anyone know how many people are employed full time by RTE?

mikom

joewicklow wrote: »

Does anyone know how many people are employed full time by RTE?

See below........ from Friday, June 12, 2009

Friday, June 12, 2009

The Oireachtas Committee heard that 2,350 staff are employed in RTÉ, earning an average salary of €62,406 per annum. A total of 148 employees earn in excess of €100,000 per annum.

However, the figures exclude the station’s top earners and best-known presenters like Pat Kenny, Gerry Ryan and Marian Finucane who are employed on a contract basis.

Mr Goan revealed that RTÉ currently pays out €12m per annum to 249 people employed on such contracts.

Read more: http://www.examiner.ie/ireland/rte-looks-to-offset-ad-losses-with-licence-fee-hike-93923.html#ixzz1eHLZGwxT



Read more: http://www.examiner.ie/ireland/rte-looks-to-offset-ad-losses-with-licence-fee-hike-93923.html#ixzz1eHLB2u2N

Jesus wept.

Ah but shur it "give us the ability to showcase ourselves, and a platform for our writers, directors and actors to do their stuff."

Madness.

Minstrel27

mikom wrote: »

In your (vested interest?) opinion.......

Do you think I work for RTÉ or something? You've surpassed yourself with that one.

Do you wear a tin foil hat while posting?

mikom

Minstrel27 wrote: »

Do you wear a tin foil hat while posting?

I used to........... but RTE classed it as a device capable of receiving a TV signal.

A Disgrace

mikom wrote: »

If he was upset enough he could have gone as far as taking his life.
Then you'd have a shitstorm on your hands.

That's not to say that he may currently have suppressed emotions on the claims which may come back to haunt him long after the RTE staff have moved on to their next project.

The rape claims were made in the name of every licence payer.
Hardly public service is it?

You clearly have an agenda, and one which is bordering on the obsessive

RTE made a mistake, we all make mistakes. Find me a TV station, a Newspaper or any public figure that hasn't and I'll gladly meet you outside Monstrose tomorrow with my bulldozer.

Sure, we're paying for it, but we also paid for it when the Government paid out huge sums of money for Clerical Abuse scandals, we pay for compensation for people who are victims of the hospital malpractice and anyone who was mistreated by the judicary. Should we shut down the courts, the hospitals and the government just because 'someone' made a mistake.

I'm sure you're an intelligent person, although some of your posts would indicate othetwise, but do you genuinely think RTE set out to deliberately destroy this Priest? Do you think they'd actually do that?

They either got some information that was wrong or there is some detail we're not hearing, either way, why would they have done it. For entertainment purposes??

btw, when I said 'it's ours' I was refering to RTE and not Francis Brennan's Grand Tour and anyway, it's not a rip-off of the CH4 show, as there are some big differnces (voting off for example) but yeah it's similar, in the sense that it's a group of people travelling in a bus. Which in the first place isn't exactly a hugely novel idea anway

Also, you wouldn't post up an image of your TV licence would you? Just so we know that you have actually paid it

Minstrel27

He has stated in the past that he doesn't pay a tv licence.

Poor Uncle Tom

A Disgrace wrote: »

You clearly have an agenda, and one which is bordering on the obsessive

Attack the post, not the poster.

A Disgrace wrote: »

RTE made a mistake, we all make mistakes. Find me a TV station, a Newspaper or any public figure that hasn't and I'll gladly meet you outside Monstrose tomorrow with my bulldozer.

That's no excuse to bungle on paying obscene fortunes to an elite workforce while robbing joe public.

A Disgrace wrote: »

Sure, we're paying for it, but we also paid for it when the Government paid out huge sums of money for Clerical Abuse scandals, we pay for compensation for people who are victims of the hospital malpractice and anyone who was mistreated by the judicary. Should we shut down the courts, the hospitals and the government just because 'someone' made a mistake.

So it's expected that we should pay shed loads of monies to these people, we should turn our backs, shut our mouths and be glad they're there?

A Disgrace wrote: »

but do you genuinely think RTE set out to deliberately destroy this Priest? Do you think they'd actually do that?

There should be failsafes in place to make sure it didn't happen, they had chance after chance along the way to stop it but they railroaded it through. Even if it was genuinely not meant it should not have happened.

A Disgrace wrote: »

They either got some information that was wrong or there is some detail we're not hearing, either way, why would they have done it. For entertainment purposes??

You may very well have answered your own question.

A Disgrace wrote: »

btw, when I said 'it's ours' I was refering to RTE and not Francis Brennan's Grand Tour and anyway, it's not a rip-off of the CH4 show, as there are some big differnces (voting off for example) but yeah it's similar, in the sense that it's a group of people travelling in a bus. Which in the first place isn't exactly a hugely novel idea anway

That's just lazy with a capital L. If the salaries mentioned above are accurate these people should be blazing a trail in programming instead of regurgitating some other channels tired drivel.

Minstrel27 wrote: »

He has stated in the past that he doesn't pay a tv licence.

Attack the post, not the poster. It's a sure sign of losing temper when we take a stab at the poster.

A Disgrace

Poor Uncle Tom wrote: »

Attack the post, not the poster.

Ridiculous. 99% of this guys posts on this thread have been about this topic. So I have a right to challenge him, based on his overall input. We get it, we've all read his first post, and his second, and so on, but he does not need to keep repeating it because that just comes across as being obsessive.

And I will respond to your other comments too, when I figure out how to multi-quote

Frank Funk

A Disgrace wrote: »

a platform for our writers, directors and actors to do their stuff.

I can tell you right now that RTÉ treats writers like dirt.

All good TV comes from good writing and the fact that RTÉ will never understand that explains why they will never make a programme worth watching.

Personally I'm hoping the IMF shuts the rotten nepotist place down. Let TG4 take over the news. I can't understand this "but their current affairs are good" nonsense.

Prime Time is basically an unintentional Brasseye (oooh, graphics superimposed on something to ominous music and puns, it must be true) and it took them a week to admit that there was an IMF bailout, when the BBC and Sky were streaming footage from the Dail, they had Daithi O'Shea braying horse****e at Gerry Ryan's daughter.

mikom

A Disgrace wrote: »

You clearly have an agenda, and one which is bordering on the obsessive

Agenda:
RTE is a waste of tax payers money.

A Disgrace wrote: »

Should we shut down the courts, the hospitals and the government just because 'someone' made a mistake.

Courts, hospitals, government............ all essentials.
RTE................. non-essential.

A Disgrace wrote: »

I'm sure you're an intelligent person, although some of your posts would indicate othetwise, ?

Well, I can multiquote.
See, we both can get in masked digs.

A Disgrace wrote: »

They either got some information that was wrong or there is some detail we're not hearing, either way, why would they have done it. For entertainment purposes??

700 euro was the price of the paternity test they failed to undertake.
A little over four times the fee paid to households with a TV.
Now the bil has ran to over four million.
PSB.......... whoooooo.

A Disgrace wrote: »

btw, when I said 'it's ours' I was refering to RTE and not Francis Brennan's Grand Tour and anyway, it's not a rip-off of the CH4 show, as there are some big differnces (voting off for example) but yeah it's similar, in the sense that it's a group of people travelling in a bus. Which in the first place isn't exactly a hugely novel idea anway

Novel........ RTE....... don't make me laugh.

A Disgrace wrote: »

Also, you wouldn't post up an image of your TV licence would you? Just so we know that you have actually paid it

I can post you up a scan of my parents and siblings one if I nip over the road............... right after you produce your licence inspector card.

Poor Uncle Tom

A Disgrace wrote: »

when I figure out how to multi-quote

If you hit the button beside the quote button on whatever posts you want to quote on, in the order you want them displayed and hit the quote button on the last one, they should all come up in line.

matthew8

A Disgrace wrote: »

You clearly have an agenda, and one which is bordering on the obsessive

RTE made a mistake, we all make mistakes. Find me a TV station, a Newspaper or any public figure that hasn't and I'll gladly meet you outside Monstrose tomorrow with my bulldozer.

Sure, we're paying for it, but we also paid for it when the Government paid out huge sums of money for Clerical Abuse scandals, we pay for compensation for people who are victims of the hospital malpractice and anyone who was mistreated by the judicary. Should we shut down the courts, the hospitals and the government just because 'someone' made a mistake.

I'm sure you're an intelligent person, although some of your posts would indicate othetwise, but do you genuinely think RTE set out to deliberately destroy this Priest? Do you think they'd actually do that?

They either got some information that was wrong or there is some detail we're not hearing, either way, why would they have done it. For entertainment purposes??

What RTE did was worse than the phone hacking scandal. If you accuse anyone of rape, you ruin their life. That's my main problem. The state broadcaster should have better scruples than the other broadcasters, but they conduct themselves shamefully. I'm glad that a large sum was paid to Reynolds, he deserved every penny. RTE should be more responsible.

Poor Uncle Tom

A Disgrace wrote: »

...this guys posts on this thread have been about this topic. So I have a right to challenge him, based on his overall input. We get it, we've all read his first post, and his second, and so on, but he does not need to keep repeating it because that just comes across as being obsessive.

You also come across as being obsessive, having read quite a few of your recent posts I have to ask, have you any interests here that you would like to declare?

Minstrel27

Poor Uncle Tom wrote: »

Attack the post, not the poster. It's a sure sign of losing temper when we take a stab at the poster.

Hold on a second. The person you are defending has already had a dig at me on this thread and I merely stated what mikom has said in the past. Funnily enough you will only raise this issue with people who think your original post is a bit over the top. Selective criticism is a great thing isn't it.

As for your suggestion that I am losing my temper? Oh please. But while we have the finger of accusation out let me ask you this, who's attacking the poster now?