The institutional snobbery of RTE

steelcityblues

As part of their 50 years of Irish TV series, an interesting article on the history of TV3 by Laura Slattery mentioned that at the time of the broadcaster's setup, RTE staffers dubbed the station 'Tallaght TV'. This was due to the studio's close proximity to the big, largely working-class suburb. As if the postcode in Dublin somehow can determine the quality, or not, of a TV station.

Judging by here and in ordinary life, a growing number of people see RTE as an elitist broadcaster, and I think that one line about their rival goes a long way to highlighting it. Not to say that every staffer in RTE is a snob, either.

While not every programme on the station appeals to me, I think TV3 has gone from strength to strength in recent years, with its increase in home made programmes, and this should at least be given respect.

number10a

Not saying anything about Tallaght because I basically know nothing about it and have never been there, but TV3 has some awful scummy shìte on 90% of the time.

steelcityblues

I don't disagree that there is some dross on the channel. But given RTE get a massive amount of money from taxpayers through the licence fee, what gave them the right to dismiss a commercial broadcaster, with no certain future?

paddyandy

I look down on everybody who watches TV .I don't have one as i don't need one .What's wrong that people need so much escapism .There is no such thing as " good on the telly " if there is it only lasts a few seconds .Have you no peace in yourselves that you need that yoke in your lives .

steelcityblues

paddyandy wrote: »

I look down on everybody who watches TV .I don't have one as i don't need one .What's wrong that people need so much escapism .There is no such thing as " good on the telly " if there is it only lasts a few seconds .Have you no peace in yourselves that you need that yoke in your lives .

If you really were superior, you wouldn't have visited this section.

Benny_Cake

steelcityblues wrote: »

I don't disagree that there is some dross on the channel. But given RTE get a massive amount of money from taxpayers through the licence fee, what gave them the right to dismiss a commercial broadcaster, with no certain future?

Sounds like workplace banter between members of staff, the article in the Irish Times described those saying this as "RTE staffers". I don't think most of us would hold an organisation responsible for how members of staff describe rivals amongst themselves. It wasn't as if Bryan Dobson was on Six One announcing that "Tallaght TV launched today".

steelcityblues

Benny_Cake wrote: »

Sounds like workplace banter between members of staff, the article in the Irish Times described those saying this as "RTE staffers". I don't think most of us would hold an organisation responsible for how members of staff describe rivals amongst themselves. It wasn't as if Bryan Dobson was on Six One announcing that "Tallaght TV launched today".

I wasn't exactly suggesting that they should be banned from work or such, merely that points to a certain attitude.

Benny_Cake

steelcityblues wrote: »

I wasn't exactly suggesting that they should be banned from work or such, merely that points to a certain attitude.

It's not an attitude that would be exclusive to RTE employees. I'd imagine there are those in TV3 who would describe RTE as the D4 crowd or something similar.

the scrote

paddyandy wrote: »

I look down on everybody who watches TV .I don't have one as i don't need one .What's wrong that people need so much escapism .There is no such thing as " good on the telly " if there is it only lasts a few seconds .Have you no peace in yourselves that you need that yoke in your lives .

you look down on everyone who watches tv,so your better than 99% of everyone in this country,that's some achievement you must be proud of yourself.Also you say "there is no such thing as good on the telly".As you never watch t.v how do you know this?You should check out documentary's such as frozen planet & journey to the edge of the universe,also it was the tv pictures beamed into our sitting room's in the 80's that awoken the world to the famine in ethopia,reading about it wouldn't of had the same effect.Granted there is alot of ****e on tv but the beauty of a remote control mean's i don't have to watch it & can switch over.

Benny_Cake

paddyandy wrote: »

I look down on everybody who watches TV .I don't have one as i don't need one .What's wrong that people need so much escapism .There is no such thing as " good on the telly " if there is it only lasts a few seconds .Have you no peace in yourselves that you need that yoke in your lives .

Ever read a book? That's escapism too.

paddyandy

steelcityblues wrote: »

If you really were superior, you wouldn't have visited this section.

You are so right though i'm not perfect either but i'm thinkin' of leavin .I 've suggested BOARDS.IE clean up this place but...

benmad

good job you were not around when they invented the wheel.

jdivision

Of course, as Laura points out, The Irish Times also looked down at it. Why is RTE in Donnybrook? Because most of the older staff live around there. Montrose should have been flogged in the boom and the studios moved to Sandyford

paddyandy

the scrote wrote: »

you look down on everyone who watches tv,so your better than 99% of everyone in this country,that's some achievement you must be proud of yourself.Also you say "there is no such thing as good on the telly".As you never watch t.v how do you know this?You should check out documentary's such as frozen planet & journey to the edge of the universe,also it was the tv pictures beamed into our sitting room's in the 80's that awoken the world to the famine in ethopia,reading about it wouldn't of had the same effect.Granted there is alot of ****e on tv but the beauty of a remote control mean's i don't have to watch it & can switch over.

Can't get away from the "thing" it's eveywhere i go ..like the noise in shops .There is very little good on tv . i feel so proud of myself for not having a tv set that humility is sometime a real effort....until i try to understand this feckin' computer then i'm humble again .. gloating over the evils in each others lives that's what tv IS .

lagoon

RTE should be got rid of (radio and Tv). Does anyone even watch\listen to it anymore? RTE presenters are living in a bubble of their own self importance, it is truely unbelieveable listening to interviews of its presenters when they make these appearance on chats shows and radio shows. Such egos !!
Newsflash,, were not interested...Get rid of RTE now..
Have a new national station that just gives us the national news..
We dont need any more sh..te from RTE like the attempt starting tonight of an x factor style show which is a concept outdated 5 years ago..

paddyandy

benmad wrote: »

good job you were not around when they invented the wheel.

Madben The wheel was NEVER invented.....it evolved .

dublinman1990

Benny_Cake wrote: »

It's not an attitude that would be exclusive to RTE employees. I'd imagine there are those in TV3 who would describe RTE as the D4 crowd or something similar.

The staff at RTE don't have different types of snobbery IMO. There are people in RTE however, who are members of the RTE board who probably don't get much attention externally, one such example was Anne Doyle who was replaced by Joe Little from RTE News.

I heard the staff are all executives from abroad from places like Canada and Australia for example.

paddyandy

Where ever there are people scales will appear .Humans are Creatures full of Judgements ..... and nothing else .