Dee Forbes banging the RTE TV licence drum again 60m uncollected fee *poll not working - pl ignore*

Nevin Parsnipp

elperello wrote: »

Sorry I phrased that post badly.

They were meant to be two separate points.

1- the ad in question was terrible especially during the day.

2- the show must be doing something right with 381,000 listeners.

Didn't hear the show so don't know what the ad was.

Sure the show must be doing something right ...but would it still do something right with a different presenter/s at a quarter of the salary ?

I think it would ...

elperello

fritzelly wrote: »

363,000 at last count a month or so ago and still declining - and even at that it's just statistical figures based on a small sampling that doesn't take in to account if someone actually listened to the whole show or 5 minutes.

I didn't know it had gone down but it's still a very high listenership.
That's the method they use, good enough for me.

NIMAN

Listenership figures dropping as they die off (I'd guess the average LL listener is relatively old).

elperello

Nevin Parsnipp wrote: »

Didn't hear the show so don't know what the ad was.

Sure the show must be doing something right ...but would it still do something right with a different presenter/s at a quarter of the salary ?

I think it would ...

Marian Finucane used to be good as was Derek Davis.
Most of the stand ins when Joe is off have not impressed me.

It is the format that is the winner though and who's to say if they got the right jockey it could be even better.

Anyway Joe won't be there forever.

Nevin Parsnipp

NIMAN wrote: »

Listenership figures dropping as they die off (I'd guess the average LL listener is relatively old).

That post really did not add anything to the debate my friend ...

Nevin Parsnipp

NIMAN wrote: »

Listenership figures dropping as they die off (I'd guess the average LL listener is relatively old).

Check the top of your head ?

Might be a few more posts lurking there ?

Nevin Parsnipp

elperello wrote: »

Marian Finucane used to be good as was Derek Davis.
Most of the stand ins when Joe is off have not impressed me.

It is the format that is the winner though and who's to say if they got the right jockey it could be even better.

Anyway Joe won't be there forever.

"Anyway Joe won't be there forever "?

We are talking about RTE pal ...wake up ! think Gaybo...Larry G...Dave Fanning....John Bowman..

Are you sayin we should pay him his massive wedge until he decides to go ?

Heeeey...explain yourself Dude ..

fritzelly

This is only from a few months ago - don't remember it being brought up anywhere
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rte-signalling-its-readiness-to-offload-2rn-network-wing-tfg7qbs9j

How the hell can they be considering selling off the infrastructure for tv/radio etc to a private company so they can raise some money (and you know where that will head)? As far as I'm concerned this should be held in public hands - totally separate from RTE, and I would assume require government approval or would it? Seeing as they are selling off public assets to fund themselves.

elperello

Nevin Parsnipp wrote: »

"Anyway Joe won't be there forever "?

We are talking about RTE pal ...wake up ! think Gaybo...Larry G...Dave Fanning....John Bowman..

Are you sayin we should pay him his massive wedge until he decides to go ?

Heeeey...explain yourself Dude ..

I'm awake thanks, but not for much longer , bed beckons, early start in AM

I don't care what he is paid. The contract was negotiated and will be again on renewal.Let the chips fall where they may.

I only listen to the radio, which by the way is free at point of use, I don't expect to micro manage the staff.

RTE are not selling the RTE Guide after a half hearted attempt to sell it for two weeks. And now they aren't selling the Limerick studio.

So, what are they going to do for money?

elperello

Deleted User wrote: »

RTE are not selling the RTE Guide after a half hearted attempt to sell it for two weeks. And now they aren't selling the Limerick studio.

So, what are they going to do for money?

They don't own the Limerick studio and the lease is up.

I don't think they should sell anything until this new Commission reports.

They are guaranteed €10m pa extra from Government for 5 years.

Nevin Parsnipp

elperello wrote: »

I'm awake thanks, but not for much longer , bed beckons, early start in AM

I don't care what he is paid. The contract was negotiated and will be again on renewal.Let the chips fall where they may.

I only listen to the radio, which by the way is free at point of use, I don't expect to micro manage the staff.

You don't care ? That is what the whole debate is about ???

Let the chips fall as they may ??? the same chips that some somnolent arsehole in senior management decides to pay him from OUR taxes ?

Micro manage ?? The whole point is that these Dudes are paid wedges waaay above what is reasonable and are the focal point of public vitriol.

Jeeze mate ...

mgn

Deleted User wrote: »

RTE are not selling the RTE Guide after a half hearted attempt to sell it for two weeks. And now they aren't selling the Limerick studio.

So, what are they going to do for money?

Same as usual, mugs of taxpayer will foot the bill.

fritzelly

The new commission is a farce - why is it needed to tell RTE how to spend the money, RTE should be spending it wisely itself and not having to be told what to do. It's laughable. The only good that could come out of the commission is a pay ceiling, limit on foreign programmes etc which is what RTE should have been doing to begin with

Now they've got another 10 million a year plus the 7 million saved from the orchestra (weren't they told not so long ago no more money?). In the news quarter of a million on new cars (what's wrong with what they were using and forgive me if I don't understand but 2rn is a private company so why can they not stand on their own for purchases?)
Their cost cutting plan is being rescinded - where will it end.

end of the road

Expunge wrote: »

Yes, of course a lot (sadly not all) of Lyric's output is pure public service and merits support. Once a commitment was made to keep lyric on air, really there was little more to be said. Then the staff based locally made it about keeping lyric in Limerick City. This seems to have been a purely selfish campaign about preserving their terms and conditions and lifestyles with some guff about being embedded in that city.

even if that is the case, so what?
it's generally normal for people who have pride at least, to want to preserve their terms and conditions.
not to mention that the public service broadcaster simply pulling out of a city rather then looking to cheaper options such as sharing a building probably isn't really the best look.

Expunge wrote: »

It's nonsense. They should have been supported for the move or helped out the door.
That's what has happened recently in An Post, Bord na Mona and ESB. These RTE staffers see themselves as exceptional when the vast majority of them are anything but.

this is just soundbitest territory if i'm honest.
what happens in bnm and the ESB isn't going to be relevant to rte workers.

kenmc wrote: »

Unfortunately, we all know there's not a hope that any station in the world would even consider taking on tubridy, Darcy, Joe etc. We're bloody stuck with them. And yet they are paid rediculous amounts of our money in case they're poached.

Pay them 40k a year each. It's not like they've got many other options of employment, can't see any of them being able to do anything else.

thankfully they aren't going to be paid 40 k a year.
while rte is expected to be commercial as well as public service, then quite rightly they pay what they feel the broadcaster is worth.
so there will be no 40 ks or 150ks or whatever one pulls out of wherever because it sounds good to them.
if people want the broadcasters to be paid whatever figure they pull out of wherever because it sounds good to them, but which probably isn't based in reality, then call for the government to change rte's remit to ps only and for wages to be along normal public sector scales.

elperello

Nevin Parsnipp wrote: »

You don't care ? That is what the whole debate is about ???

Let the chips fall as they may ??? the same chips that some somnolent arsehole in senior management decides to pay him from OUR taxes ?

Micro manage ?? The whole point is that these Dudes are paid wedges waaay above what is reasonable and are the focal point of public vitriol.

Jeeze mate ...

Exactly, I don't get worked up over things I can't change.
He is in contract so will be paid as agreed until that ends. Then if they want him another contract will be negotiated. If it's higher or lower I won't be involved in the negotiation.

As you say it's a debate and that is my position.

tayto lover

RTÉ should be self financing.
The amount of adverts is unbelievable.
Cut out the huge wages and exist on what you have.
It’s what every family and other business is forced to do.

end of the road

fritzelly wrote: »

The new commission is a farce - why is it needed to tell RTE how to spend the money, RTE should be spending it wisely itself and not having to be told what to do. It's laughable. The only good that could come out of the commission is a pay ceiling, limit on foreign programmes etc which is what RTE should have been doing to begin with

Now they've got another 10 million a year plus the 7 million saved from the orchestra (weren't they told not so long ago no more money?). In the news quarter of a million on new cars (what's wrong with what they were using and forgive me if I don't understand but 2rn is a private company so why can they not stand on their own for purchases?)
Their cost cutting plan is being rescinded - where will it end.

2rn is part of rte and not private as i understand.

end of the road

tayto lover wrote: »

RTÉ should be self financing.
The amount of adverts is unbelievable.
Cut out the huge wages and exist on what you have.
It’s what every family and other business is forced to do.

it's unlikely to be possible for it to be self financing and provide the amount of ps content it provides as ps content is expensive.
moving away from commercial activities is what it actually should be doing and focusing on the ps content.

fritzelly

end of the road wrote: »

2rn is part of rte and not private as i understand.

Don't totally follow the structure but it's a bit of a maze
They own and run the infrastructure - TV/radio etc, 2rn also built and run Saorview but Saorview is owned by RTE.
2rn is a separate company under RTE
It all feels like a rabbit hole of money changing hands and no accountability as it never really leaves the company. VM's refusal to pay the fees charged by 2rn to broadcast in HD for example

The government should hold all those cards and use part of the licence fee money to run it

Atlantic Dawn

2RN should should be like ESB, completely independent of the organisations running off it.

fritzelly

end of the road wrote: »

it's unlikely to be possible for it to be self financing and provide the amount of ps content it provides as ps content is expensive.
moving away from commercial activities is what it actually should be doing and focusing on the ps content.

PBS America do very well as a non profit station, and have some great programs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PBS

RTE should take a hint from them.

Expunge

end of the road wrote: »

not to mention that the public service broadcaster simply pulling out of a city rather then looking to cheaper options such as sharing a building probably isn't really the best look.

What might be a better look for licence fee payers would be all RTE Radio services operating as efficiently as possible, sharing as many facilities and talent as possible at the most reasonable cost. That is most likely achieved by having them all in the one place.
It really doesn't matter where any national network is located. Anyway, I have heard it said that most of the affected staff live in the 'nice bits' of Limerick..eg. the lake in Killaloe/Ballina, Castleconnell etc. I'm not interested in supporting their nice lifestyles while working for a bust company when there are apparently more efficient options on the table.

FG need cover in Limerick till they hold Michael Noonan's seat. After that, they will give less of a sh*t, I'd imagine.

Loafing Oaf

fritzelly wrote: »

PBS America do very well as a non profit station, and have some great programs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PBS

RTE should take a hint from them.

It wouldn't be RTE's own call if it were to go down that road though

mgn

Just caught the first half hour of Morning Ireland on the tv this morning at 7am, normally i just have the radio on so you don't pass much heed of all the different presenters.
So you have 2 main presenters, someone else to read the news headlines, then someone else to read the newspaper headlines, then comes another with the sport headlines, so you have 5 RTE staff doing what 2 people could do easily.
Not surprised RTE are broke.

Nijmegen

Watching the past few weeks play out has been pure public sector, hasn't it? Needs to make cuts. Announces plan to do so. Rows back on a number of elements of the plan after outcry over X and Y. Gets a few million bunged in and a commission to kick the can down the road.

I'd say that was the actual strategic plan of management, rather than trying to have a vision for how to turn it into a properly functioning organization.

end of the road

Expunge wrote: »

What might be a better look for licence fee payers would be all RTE Radio services operating as efficiently as possible, sharing as many facilities and talent as possible at the most reasonable cost. That is most likely achieved by having them all in the one place.
It really doesn't matter where any national network is located. Anyway, I have heard it said that most of the affected staff live in the 'nice bits' of Limerick..eg. the lake in Killaloe/Ballina, Castleconnell etc. I'm not interested in supporting their nice lifestyles while working for a bust company when there are apparently more efficient options on the table.

FG need cover in Limerick till they hold Michael Noonan's seat. After that, they will give less of a sh*t, I'd imagine.

ah so this is what your actual issue is, the fact they managed to do well for themselves and live in a nice house? come on lad, seriously, who gives a damn about whether they have a nice house, where they live, etc?
you aren't supporting them, they get payed for doing a job. they just so happen to work for an organisation that receives some tax payer funding, as do a lot of people.
a broadcaster that is national having some sort of presence outside the capital city is generally normal.

James Brown

Forbes was using Lyric as a scapegoat. You won't give us enough money? We'll have to give you a direct, easy to follow consequence. It was likely a PR stunt.

Elmo

Matt Barrett wrote: »

Forbes was using Lyric as a scapegoat. You won't give us enough money? We'll have to give you a direct, easy to follow consequence. It was likely a PR stunt.

TBH I think it has back fired. The €10m isn't enough according to RTÉ.

It saves the Minister, its not too much but he's showing the government's commitment (knowing that it really won't be a major part of any election campaign).

It's a catch-22 for RTÉ, its so-called plan of cuts will still have to go ahead and you can be guaranteed they will not chop at 2FM's door or the amount of money the spend on imported programmes.

xl500

Just Watching RTE 6-1 News

What in the name of God is Cathtriona Perry doing in London Do we not have our London correspondent there for that

to make matters worse she ended up interviewing him which she could easily have done from the Studio in Dublin

Its this kind of frivilious use of Taxpayer Funds that causes them to have very poor image

There is absolutely no excuse for having her in London how much did this cost