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

StevenToast

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119259685#Comment_119259685

"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didnt exist"

Noel Kelly exists....no one knows who he is or what he does....

He is the greatest parasite in Ireland.....

Dempo1

Dee forbes won't be pleased. She'd hoped Revenue would take over collection of the License fee. Despite RTE getting a whopping €200 a year in funding she's been complaining for years about under funding and yet over sees and clearly signs off on outrageous Salaries to a small cohort of Talentless "contractors" knowing full well other outlets would only pay a fraction of what these contractors are on.

If it wasn't so outrageous it would be funny, but not even worthy of a live line Funny Friday sketch.

From the bewildering Ray D'Arcy, Self indulgent Ryan Turdbidy, Opinionated and Bullying, clueless Joe Duffy who between them get close to €1.3 million a year ( and that's what we know of) it's just utterly unbelievable, combined they don't even work an average working Week infact far less.

It's just beggar's belief not a single politician is calling out what is going on. I was forced to listen to Tubs yesterday and my lord 40 minutes (allowing for news and RTE self promotional adverts) of self indulgent rambling nonsense, it's extraordinary.

https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2022/06/29/plans-for-revenue-to-collect-rte-licence-fee-shelved/

iseegirls

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119265074#Comment_119265074

Don't forget they've pumped 25million into soccer rights that Virgin Media could have bought or shared.

• UEFA Champions League (Tuesday games) x3 years and Finals - €10m 
• EURO 2024 Finals - €6.5m 
• FIFA World Cup Finals 2022 - €5m (agreed five years ago) 
• EURO 2024 Qualifiers - €2m 
• UEFA Nations League 2022 - €1.8m 

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119265825#Comment_119265825

You are aware Virgin Media TV operates on a shoe string budget (and it shows) it is essentially ITV 5

I've personally no objection to RTE spending vast sums on broadcasting rights if they are sustainable. Let's be honest and it's not popular to say this, there's ample choice now available to view sporting events elsewhere , heck I'd wager most people paying the TV licence watch none GAA Coverage on other channels and I might add, pay for it on top of the license fee which in essence funds absorbant salaries and sentimental fluffy nonsense.

RTE should essentially be an Independent News and Current affairs station with some programing related to Ireland, Documentaries, GAA etc in my humble opinion. There's enough reality TV Nonsense elsewhere to contend with it.

RoTelly

@Dempo1 can you imagine that a commission of experts came to the conclusion that the license fee should be replaced by exchequer funding... that's what you get for 9 months of talk and a report. No real change just drop the dead donkey.

As for sports I agree VMTV are complaining about nothing, TG4 has successfully run their sports coverage on a shoestring budget of the years. I agree with VMTV that RTÉ decided to buy more sports after saving money on a deal for 6 nations rather than invest it elsewhere, however I don't think VMTV would have pick up those Irish Games from the Nations cup.

ShamNNspace

The Brennans are back with a new series, mighty stuff altogether, they must be made guys in montrosia at this stage

RoTelly

So Yesterday the Irish Times did a full report on what RTÉ/Public Service Broadcasting is and what it will be. It has a few people what the thought about RTÉ (because TG4 does not exist as a pubic service broadcaster).

One of those people was Dee, you know the DG of RTÉ. Last question posed to her was:-

If you could change one thing about RTÉ what would it be?

This is the DG/CEO of the company... can you give me any clues as to what she would do 6 years into her 7 year contract?

political analyst

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119285473#Comment_119285473

How is TG4 not a public-service broadcaster?

elperello

I read the article by Patrick Freyne in Saturday's paper.

If you can get a copy or have a subscription it's worth a look.

https://www.irishtimes.com/media/2022/07/02/rte-and-its-future-industry-insiders-on-a-station-at-a-crossroads/

Atlantic Dawn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119289192#Comment_119289192

The Player is the biggest joke, TG4's offering works seamless and then if you look at All4 it's perfect too and free for Irish users. Surely an off the shelf solution already built is what RTE need, not some solo run black hole project costing tens of millions.

Marcos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119289097#Comment_119289097

It's crazy if true. They do more public service broadcasting than RTE. Imagine if RTE was cleared out and those running TG4 were put in charge of RTE?

Marcos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119290046#Comment_119290046

There are so many off the shelf solutions that work so much better than their player. They could get a working player outsourced from TG4 or whoever, and stick RTE branding on it. Then look at their calendar to see when there's likely to be more demand for the service e.g. All Ireland finals, 6 nations, World Cup and rent extra service capacity to deal with anticipated spikes in demand. But that would require a little bit of forward planning, not something anyone in Montrose is known for.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119289097#Comment_119289097

You'd really have to ask Patrick Freyne but he completely ignored the channel.

@elperello I'd love to know what parts of the piece you thought was good. Because honestly I couldn't see much. I thought Dee Forbes part was nonsensical.

Jarhead_Tendler

One thing that annoys me is I pay the 160 euro for the tv licence and then when I go on holidays I can't use the rte player. Would be great to be able to watch the GAA without having to go to a pub.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119292557#Comment_119292557

Are you signed up to any of the pay tv providers? AFAIK they have to provide you with access to what every subscription you have at home across Europe not sure how it works.

Hotblack Desiato

Whatever system the RTE Player uses to show the ads always works flawlessly...

Jarhead_Tendler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119293047#Comment_119293047

No i don't think I am. At home I have pipe with 30 something channels with a local company and then my Netflix and Disney etc

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119293215#Comment_119293215

what's the local company?

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119292514#Comment_119292514

Back up there 🙂

I didn't say any part was good, I said it was worth a look.

As you know I've been promoting the idea of public consultation about public service broadcasting for ages on here.

Naturally enough then I found the contributions of the interviewees interesting.

I agreed with some and disagreed with others, but that's not important, the actual exercise was worthwhile in itself.

Jarhead_Tendler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119293384#Comment_119293384

crossan cablecomm

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119293403#Comment_119293403

Oh! Kind of like this thread that's been going since Dee Forbre's became DG.

For example Ed Guiney

Q. What's your favourite RTÉ broadcast?

A. It's a while ago now but Scrap Saturday was a brilliant show - caustic, daring, provocative and very funny. Also loved Home School Hub during the pandemic - it is pbs at its best and I lived the scrappy energy and passionate commitment to serving an audience in an entertaining and engaging way.

So what the discussion? perhaps both Gift Grub (Bauer) and Callan Kick's (RTÉ) replace Scrap Saturday, while a programme like Home School Hub is only available during a pandemic, perhaps News2day is enough?

We can expand what the people are saying.

I could even say that Ed Guiney's Normal People and Conversation with Friends really have nothing to do with RTÉ, and that Harry Wild isn't something that should have such a big production budget.

But perhaps I too could be criticized that RTÉ should be promoting Irish content and that at the very least that is something where no public discussion should take place. In actually fact I think form this report that Dee Forbes agrees with me.

But as always happy to hear a view.

RoTelly

So one of the questions posed to the people interviewed was

How Should public broassting be funded?

Paul Farrell (VMTV CEO) - Agrees with public funding but suggests that RTÉ ONE, NEWS and Radio 1 have no advertising. (This has been suggested on many occassion here on boards, though many think all the rest should be dropped).

Ed Guiney (Co-founder of Element Pictures) - Retained in some form

Sarah MCInerney (RTÉ Radio Presenter) - Retained but no real view

Darren Smith (Kite Entertainment) - Not Asked/Not Answered

Kim Bartley (filmmaker) - not asked/not answered

Cormac O hEadhra (RTÉ Radio Presenter) - not sure what he is saying, if you want in depth analysis it should be funded???

Diarmaid Ferriter (Historian) - does say if he agrees but he sees the problem with direct funding

Marian Keyes (Novelist) - is against direct funding, due to government bias etc

Fergal Keane (BBC Reporter) - not asked not answered

Debbie Ging (Lecturer DCU) - not asked not answered

Larry Bass (Shinawhil) - License Fee not fit for purpose - wants dedicated fund

Siobhán McSweeney (Actress) - not asked not answered

Peter McKenna (Ireland's only TV Drama writer along with Lisa McGee) - old fashioned, should be exchequrer funded

Vincent Browne (Former RTÉ/TV3 current affair presenter) - He thinks it should be divided between those who provided public service current affairs but questions how does that work without government interference ???

Mark Little (Former RTÉ presenter) - get rid of licence fee, replace with direct funding, says focusing on just RTÉ's funding is myopic, should be how do we protect and fund public accessible facts and culture?

Dee Forbes (the person on the title of this thread) - out of date, old fashioned etc

Not one person against the license fee or funding, now I think it should be funded but I respect those who don't think this way enough to let them say so.

Danno

Licence fee should be €100 to fund the following:

• One national radio station
• One national TV station
• One online player/app with a skip ads after 5 seconds function

with the following stipulations

• Amount of broadcasting time given over to advertising limited to set minutes per hour
• licence fee linked to inflation and collected with property tax
• all Irish produced programmes
• the TV licence tendered every five years in line with Presidential Elections and voted for by the people

There is no way RTE should be national broadcaster since 1962 without ever having to apply for a licence to do so. It should be opened to competition.

fritzelly

Let's not forget that RTE already get a fair whack of money off the government in addition to the licence fee and that's not counting all the money they made with the advertising

Atlantic Dawn

Netflix should get a refund of half the millions in VAT they pay in the country back on condition it's used to produce programming in Ireland 😁

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119294565#Comment_119294565

• RTÉ/TG4 can only have an average of 6mins per hour across 24 hours and a max of 9mins in an hour.
• It is currently linked to inflation but they've not implemented that since 2009 I think, collection method hasn'tc changed
• I'd agree, with a mix of some high end programming from abroad.
• Pres election is every 7 years, the company that collects the fee is up for election e.g. An Post?

Not sure about the last part, RTÉ are state owned.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119293651#Comment_119293651

To be accurate DF was in the job for 2 years before this thread was created.

Let's put it down to a honeymoon period.

It is indeed good to hear people's views.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119295027#Comment_119295027

Did they honeymoon period end at 2 years or is she still in her honeymoon period.

Any views yourself?

fritzelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119295067#Comment_119295067

Was straight to divorce proceedings

Viscount Aggro

I overheard Lyric FM the other day, some guy called Hamilton presenting.

I bet my sister 1000 EUR, it couldnt be George Hamilton, the retired RTE sports presenter.

I mean, WTF ?