TV3 thinks X Factor is more important then Kenny's "state of nation" address

darkman2

http://www.joe.ie/news-politics/current-affairs/tv3-refuse-to-broadcast-taoiseachs-state-of-the-nation-address-over-x-factor-0018312-1


Funny thing is typical X Factor viewers are the very social group that will be hit worst in the years ahead. Kind of ironic but not surprising from the ITV outpost.

pconn062

I'm not an X factor fan but I think I'd rather watch that than be patronised by Kenny and be told I have to take a hit for the "good of the nation".

Crazy Horse 6

Never seen the show in my life but i've heard it's painful viewing. That said i'd rather watch it than listen to Kenny talk utter **** whilst him and his ilk walk away from a broken nation in a few years time with gold plated pensions.

K-9

No fan of TV3 but I don't think they've any obligation to show it, they aren't state funded or have any public service requirement to show it AFAIK.

ebbsy

After hearing about the vat and motor tax increases I could'nt be bothered listening to him.

Who cares ?

Mr Jinx

Pointless exercise, whats he going to tell us? ............Were f*cked and were going to take all your money next year. Tell us something we dont know.

Mr.Micro

ebbsy wrote: »

After hearing about the vat and motor tax increases I could'nt be bothered listening to him.

Who cares ?

When it comes to finances its the IMF/EU calling the shots. FG/Lab are just the mouth piece uttering the words.

CB1989

Well according to an Irish Times report, TV3 had been asking the government what date they had wanted to broadcast his speech and gave them a list of live broadcasted shows that could not be interrupted unless in dire emergency. Our fantastic government told them yesterday (according to the irish times report) that they would be broadcasting it during X-Factor, which I am sure, is one of the highest revenue producing programmes that TV3 broadcast. How can anyone expect them to drop there highest viewing show (I'm speculating there), at 2 days notice? Government is at fault imo

Dirk Gently

I dont see why they should have to interrupt what is probably their most popular show on that station to accommodate a PR statement written by some spin doctor about why austerity is your friend. I'm sure they have commercial clients who paid big money for advert slots during that show.

Chuck Stone

Mr.Micro wrote: »

When it comes to finances its the IMF/EU calling the shots. FG/Lab are just the mouth piece uttering the words.

Which means that maybe, just maybe, the Xfactor is more important.

Oh_Noes

TV3 are dead right to stick with their schedule, X-Factor is their probably their biggest show in terms of advertising. Enda Kenny's not going to tell us anything that we don't already know and he's not going to tell us anything that's going to be announced in the budget ahead of time. If anything it's a shameful piece of ego-stroking on his part, he wants his face on future episodes of "Reeling in the Years". TV3 have to pay their bills just like anything else and dropping everything to facilitate Kenny's pointless excercise would just be bad business.

maddragon

What's the difference, watching a lot of lightweight talentless gobshxtes or watching one lightweight talentless gobshxte.

What's on BBC1.

DB21

Look, it doesn't matter what you think of Enda Kenny nor of the Government, when An Taoiseach has something to say, it supersedes any stupid talent show

phasers

Why does it matter when and if people watch? Nobody's going to benefit from being talked down to by Kenny anyway.

woodoo

He is only going to tell us to tighten our belts anyway.

20Cent

Hate the x factor but would watch it if the only choice was it or Kenny.

Slang_Tang

Speech in a nutshell: "Angela Merkel says we've all been so good. Isn't that grand? We've been through tough times; tough times ahead. Blah blah. We're all going to feel the pinch*. Nighty night."

*Especially the middle class and the poor.

gurramok

Speaking from experience of 'hanging around' with X-factor fans, they care more for that show that any political news. But just wait till this demographic is hit hard in the pocket and then they will only start taking note of why there is austerity in place.

X-factor is a convenient show for the British and Irish govts to deflect away any pain for the electorate, conspiracy maybe?

Basically, hit anyone hard in the pocket and they will start rising up. The reality of austerity has not hit home yet to the demographic of X-factor yet, just look at the recent minuscule attendance at the anti-recent austerity protests, it speaks volumes.

walrusgumble

Oh_Noes wrote: »

TV3 are dead right to stick with their schedule, X-Factor is their probably their biggest show in terms of advertising. Enda Kenny's not going to tell us anything that we don't already know and he's not going to tell us anything that's going to be announced in the budget ahead of time. If anything it's a shameful piece of ego-stroking on his part, he wants his face on future episodes of "Reeling in the Years". TV3 have to pay their bills just like anything else and dropping everything to facilitate Kenny's pointless excercise would just be bad business.

He is responding to the criticisms made by members of the public when Cowan refused to speak to the Nation.

Can't see how anyone in their right mind would want to be remembered for a "tighten the belts" speech. Even if this government gets Ireland out of a hole or are instrumental in doing so, I doubt this interview would be one Kenny would want to show the grandchildren. I doubt even the biggest ego tripper wants this gig

Considering he went missing in action during the Dail Election debates and simply rehased rehearsed lines from the 5 point plan, Enda is not the type of leader you want attempting to speak to the people on TV

Boulevardier

They can both go to hell. I'm sticking with Garrow's law on BBC 1.

jimmynokia

ok x factor is crap this year but i would tolerate it over watching kenny on telling us how much we are going to be out of pocket plus i would end up fcuking a brick through my tv knowing what kenny is going to say:mad:

woodoo

20Cent wrote: »

Hate the x factor but would watch it if the only choice was it or Kenny.

Lets be honest here.... everyone of us will be watching the little mans speech. Eager to here what tripe rolls off his tongue.

FeckinUsername

I would watch the X Factor 100 times before I would watch that man once. To listen to him explaining earnestly why he has to go back on practically everything he promised the electorate when running for election might be too much. Did he manage to blame 'the previous government' for everything? That seems to be the stock answer for everything from FG these days. Only so long that they can keep pedalling that line.

thebman

Seems like there were several ways to avoid this happening and the government managed to screw up all of them. No wonder the country is in the state it is in

Liam Byrne

Wouldn't watch the z-factor tripe in a fit, but until Kenny starts acting in the interests of the state and stops reneging on his promises re taxes and bond holders, I have no interest in listening to him.........we heard enough lies during the election campaign.

cyberhog

Why, pray tell, has the Taoiseach chosen to address the nation at a time when a large proportion of the population will be glued to another programme?

bmaxi

I remember watching Charlie Haughey's speech and on the basis of that and was was subsequently found to be going on, I'll skip this one.
It'll be just Kenny urging us all to be patriotic and take it up the arse for the sake of the nation while he and his ilk continue to live in the lap of luxury.
I've never watched X Factor but I doubt it could be more cringe inducing than that.

murphaph

TV3 are not RTE.

They don't live (leech) off a licence fee. TV3 have to actually turn a real profit, not one gouged from people who have little or no interest in watching their output.

TV3 would have been insane to cancel screening one of their biggest revenue generators in the middle of a deep recession (or at any time really!). It doesn't surprise me at all that a school teacher Taoiseach, in a government surrounded by people who have never had to generate a profit in their lives and who have mostly suckled at the teat of the Irish taxpayer since leaving school, would be oblivious to such concerns.

It shows how out of touch this and successive Irish governments, and the wider apparatus of state is with private enterprise and the pressures therein. There is no taxpayer to hit up for a few quid when it goes pear shaped in the private sector (unless you're a bank!). You live and die by your commercial decisions.

Gregor Samsa

Is there anyone in the country that can get TV3 but not RTE1 on their TV? Why should two channels that everyone can get show the same programme simultaneously? I thought the whole idea of having multiple TV channels was choice?

And of course TV3 thought X Factor was more important than Kenny's speech. They're a commercial channel that rely on viewing figures for advertising revenue, and like it or not, X Factor is their biggest draw.

In any case, in this age of mass media, the urgency of a live broadcast like that is seriously diminished. He is never going to say anything so important that it just has to be heard live right there an then - recordings, analysis and discussion of it will be easily available for anyone interested. And finally, it wasn't as if everyone doesn't know what he is going to say. The speech may be importnt to Kenny's, in terms of making him appear Statesmanlike, but it in itself is pretty irrelevant to most of us, since we already know the state of things.

whippet

I just hope Kenny does not mention anything about 'inheriting' this problem during the speech. We all know our history and why we are where we are, he has to come up with some thing new.

I have a feeling this state of the nation address is about getting excuses out before the budget ... It is nothing more, nothing less.

We could all hope that the speech might be to tell us that the cleaners found €10bn or so in Kevin cardiff's office when he was in Brussels making a show of himself !!!

AlekSmart

DB21 wrote: »

Look, it doesn't matter what you think of Enda Kenny nor of the Government, when An Taoiseach has something to say, it supersedes any stupid talent show

An interesting take on it DB21,but one which I fear is now two decades out of date.

What has occurred in the interim has resulted in the "choice" now being offered to Irelands TV viewers,one between "Beer n Crisps" and a somewhat shifty mediocre Politician putting out a "statement" which may or may not actually reflect what he himself thinks.

Personally I will not be watching either of them,as I'm a Garrows Law fan meself,however if Mr Kenny were to announce that he would be revealing the actual events which occured in Brian Lenihans house in October 2008 then I'd stick Garrow on record.........chances of that happening....????

anymore

It jsut shows what a clown Kenny is !!:D

bleg

I'm sick of Kenny. I didn't vote for any of the Dail parties. He approached the election and government with a platform of change. He has failed to implement anything of substance. Screw him and his poxy speech.

Dirk Gently

I've taken note of all the little boys and girls who wont be watching Kenny later tonight. I've made a list, I've checked it twice. I'll be cross referencing my list against the people posting in the inevitable "dear leader speech" thread later. I hope everyone on my list is tucked up in bed later and not on here posting about kennys speech. (we're all politics junkies and we know it)

Lord TSC

Unless Kenny has some major announcement to make, it doesn't need to be on all the channels. If people want to watch him warn people the budget will be tough, then let them. If they want to watch something else, let them.

The thing is if Tv3 did interupt X Factor, people would switch the channel and wouldn't come back after the speech. Besides, I'd much rather read the synopsis and subsequent critiques of the speech afterwards than sit through a load of nonsense which is designed to not actually tell us anything.

goose2005

Given that it'll be on RTE radio and TV, and probably streamed online, in the morning papers, and maybe written into the sky in clouds, why should TV3 throw away their money showing it?

liammur

Facts are we are an ignorant nation.

X Factor is more important than his address.
The soccer manager is more important than the taoiseach, most people were slamming steve staunton and hardly anyone said anything about bertie
Europe, despite giving us cash for 30 years is now our biggest enemy

beeroclock

pconn062 wrote: »

I'm not an X factor fan but I think I'd rather watch that than be patronised by Kenny and be told I have to take a hit for the "good of the nation".

Me in a nutshell

Mark200

CB1989 wrote: »

gave them a list of live broadcasted shows that could not be interrupted unless in dire emergency.

Well to put that into context, last night they postponed their airing of the "Xtra Factor" in order to show the "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here" final.

It's the Xtra Factor that they'd have to interrupt for Kenny's speech, not the X-Factor proper.


(Although saying that, the Govt. definitely should have given more notice etc).

Slang_Tang

murphaph wrote: »

TV3 are not RTE.

They don't live (leech) off a licence fee. TV3 have to actually turn a real profit, not one gouged from people who have little or no interest in watching their output.

Apart from the few million they receive every year from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland as part of the Sound and Vision Fund.

Sir Oxman

They were feckin right.

anymore

caught a snatch of it on BBC news and Kenny seemed to be his usual 'wooden, muppet[et like self'. Read the text of the speech in paper this morning and have to scratch myself wondering was this package of cliches really worth air time ?
To think these people are paid so much.
What really puzzles me is that there are apparently people who think an address by the Taoiseach, any Taoiseach, is desirable !
Laughable !