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

fritzelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121195864#Comment_121195864

If they cannot be sustainable through the licence fee then they should not be in existence - they have a budget set by the licence fee and other commercial avenues but they still continue to spend beyond their income and have for years now and go to the government with a begging bowl.

This should have been stopped years ago - any bailout is an approval of them doing no wrong. This isn't the HSE etc where money has to be provided else the sh*t hits the fan, this is a non essential service that is sucking the blood from the public

Loafing Oaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121195887#Comment_121195887

Is direct exchequer funding guaranteed to be popular?

Seems to me the purely populist move is to keep their heads down until the government announces its plan then absolutely hammer it without specifying what they would do instead...

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121195887#Comment_121195887

SF are waiting in the not-so-long-now grass to give RTE a good kicking over perceived slights going back decades even to the Section 31 days (as if RTE could choose whether to obey the law or not) so for me this is the same as the Tories in the UK talking about abolishing the licence fee there

We can and do all complain about RTE (same as they do in the UK about the BBC) but public sector broadcasting is an essential part of a developed democracy and society, it can't have the government of the day dangling a sword of Damocles over it if it broadcasts something it doesn't like.

Loafing Oaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121196654#Comment_121196654

I don't see direct exchequer funding as a mechanism for 'giving RTE a kicking'. Seems to me it would bolster pubic service broadcasting more than any of the other proposed funding models.

Hotblack Desiato

Depends entirely on the funding level which they can change on a whim and/or hold conditional to certain rocks not being looked under.

Loafing Oaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121196916#Comment_121196916

But presumably an SF-led government would be increasing public spending left, right and centre. If they were carrying on like that with RTe it would stick out like a sore thumb and make it blatantly obvious what they were up to.

Anyway any funding model for RTE would ultimately be under the control of the government of the day. If SF wanted to undermine RTE they could just as easily use the licence fee for that purpose.

RoTelly

If it is direct exchequer funding the organization need to be disbanded and split. Just handing RTÉ with or without conditions is irresponsible. With conditions will they meet them? and for how long?

Television moves to FÍS ÉIREANN | SCREEN IRELAND

FÍS 1 (RTÉ ONE)

FÍS 2 (RTÉ2)

FÍS Player (Replacing RTÉ Player)

FÍS 1 +1

FÍS 2 +1

Radio with 2RN (Networks and Studios)

2RN (replacing RTÉ Radio 1)

2FM

2OR (Replacing RTÉ Gold)

2XM

2PL (Replacing RTÉ Pulse)

2CAST (Replacing RTÉ Radio Player and Podcasting)

Radio and television with TG4 (Along with TG4, TG4 +1 and CULA4)

4JR (RTÉjr | English Language Children's TV from TG4)

RG4 (replacing RTÉ RnaG)

CULA4jr (Replacing RTÉ Radio Jr mix of Irish and English)

Radio RiRa (Replacing RTÉ Chill)

Radio with National Concert Hall (Concert Orchestra moves to the NCH also)

Lyric (Replacing RTÉ Lyric FM)

Lyric Stream (A streaming service for the NCH and Orchestras)

Radio and Television with NMN (Nuacht na Mean | Media News providing news to FÍS, TG4 and Lyric)

NMN (replacing the RTÉ News Channel, News from FÍS and TG4, with a mix of European International news programming)

300NMN Radio (Replacing RTÉ R1 Extra, News from 2RN, RG4 and Lyric, with a mix of European International news programming)

NMN NOW (access to all NMN news and pod casts across online via the app etc)

Remove Government interference. The Funding comes from an extra tax on all telecommunciation usage, you have a broadband bill, Mobile Bill, Apple +, Now TV etc you see an extra charge CnaM Culture Fund. It is set by the CnaM and ComReg, the charge would be tiny across all bills and would also be applied to businesses who would not be able to claim it back. This would reduce the burden for all users.

Initial total value of €300m.

Total market revenue for q2 2023 is 910,000,000 meaning 8% CnaM Tax on just telecommunications, excludes subscriptions to online services such as netflix so you could bring this down further. Also CnaM may decide just 200m.

jmcc

The problem with taxing telecommunications is that many people pay multiple bills. Why should I have to pay for a shower of incomptent and wasteful gits in RTE management that continually lose money when I already pay for Netflix and other services? Would it bother anyone to see the commercial arm of RTE spun out with these people having to survive in the real world with salaries set at fair market value? As for Tubridy, the payments should be recovered from the salaries, pay-offs and pensions of those involved in that mess. Ditto for Toy Show The Musical. The PAC and Media Committee also need to compel Forbes and Jennings to appear.

Regards...jmcc

political analyst

There is no continuity announcer giving programme-specific introductions on RTÉ One this evening - it's just "This is RTÉ One".

retalivity

Is Dee still sick? Is she in a coma or intensive care? Wish i could get a sick cert for 4 months and counting...

Frank Bullitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121199552#Comment_121199552

Don't think she needs a cert when she has no job.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121198143#Comment_121198143

No need to reinvent the wheel. TV licience, any inhabited dwelling has to pay it. Revenue collect similar to property tax except they collect it from the house residents

kneemos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121198984#Comment_121198984

An independent broadcaster is important for debate and investigation they say.

Independent radio and TV does a similar or better job than RTE at the moment in fairness, Radio1 is an amateur mess. But I suppose there's a stalwart in RTE.

fritzelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121199658#Comment_121199658

RTE have been reliant on independent media for all their "breaking" investigations. Nothing like the UK channels who actually break stories - think of all the stuff Prime Time has covered - all broken by other newspapers or private individuals then poached by RTE for the story - Tuam babies, greyhound racing, the list goes on - not one story actually broken by RTE which should be part of their remit

jmcc

A public service broadcaster rather than an independent broadcaster. There is a difference. The public service broadcaster would concentrate mainly on news, investigation and culture with the commerical part of RTE (light entertainment etc) being spun out into a commerical company. The problem for a lot of RTE employees is that the commercial company would not be funded by the state or licence fee and that would mean job cuts and reduced salaries. They'd have to survive in the real world outside of Montrose.

Regards...jmcc

kneemos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121199758#Comment_121199758

They have a remit to produce Irish programmes as well as current affairs. A lot of it is an Irish version of a franchise and flogged to death on repeats though,along with bargain basement imported stuff.

They could certainly be more imaginative with their bought in programmes, particularly on RTE2.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121198984#Comment_121198984

I did split RTÉ up completely for you, regardless of how RTÉ is funded the company needs to be split up as suggested.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121199577#Comment_121199577

I agree I don't believe you need to change how the fund is funded, to be honest An Post should be asked why the cannot collect. Even if we just decided that An Post would collect the fee and you'd have to pay it regardless of what "Telecommunications equipment you own", An Post would still not be able to collect it.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121199658#Comment_121199658

I don't think they are, I think politicians like to say that they do, there are certain aspects of RTÉ I don't understand (that I outline regularly) ... but Indo broadcasts have largely just done what their license says. Many of the Locals have a semi-monopoly in their areas for advertising, while you have to pay for death notices (one of their so called PSB). An hour of chat, local news bulletins during the day, national centralised bulletins at night (from Newstalk).

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121199758#Comment_121199758

While not necessarily applicable to Radio, VMTV really don't provide any of the commercial part of RTÉ on any regular basis.

I think we are all getting into the idea that Independent Broadcasting in Ireland is wonderful, when clearly this is not the case.

I'd argue that Ireland has never really had a great/innovative broadcasting sector. Either Public or Commercial.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121199766#Comment_121199766

Two areas they need to examine, RTÉ2 and programming outside sport (note RTÉ2 has no News and Current Affairs anymore) and then their spending on aquired programming which sits at 20 to 25m (something the DG didn't know, I met him I said it to him and he poo poo'd the idea, you don't want to poo poo and Idea with me, I know people who poo poo'd poo poo :) )

Hotblack Desiato

I think the humane thing to do with RTE2 now would be to just put it out of its misery. It's an embarrassment. The only thing it has going for it is live sport and RTE want to move that to RTE1...!

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121200512#Comment_121200512

But they also want their Executives to take a 10% pay cut 😂

jmcc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121200388#Comment_121200388

The way that the incompetent management killed off DAB was extremely stupid because it removed a lot of options as regards radio.

I don't disagree with breaking up RTE but the problem is that Ireland is a very small market in terms of media and a lot of the problems that RTE faces with radio are the product of the FF gombeenarchy and its destruction of the radio market in the 1980s. Even in the 1980s, small towns were supporting two or three radio stations. If the TV market had also been opened up, it might have been better. Successive governments have basically skewed the media market for the benefit of RTE.

The weakness of the RTE Player is another problem that has come back to bite RTE. RTE has a major back catalogue of content that could be made available with a well designed player. At this stage, outsourcing it to Youtube might be the only way to get something as well designed as Channel 4's player.

I like the rebrand ideas but 2FM should be spun out as it is really just a Dublin station and has been for decades. If it really is a "yoof" orientated station, a move online might be a better option. It think that there have been at least two failed political parties called Fis Nua.

The 2RN rebrand part is good but 2RN (RTE Networks) is critical national infrastructure and the Eircom mistake must not be repeated. Unfortunately, Martin is completely out of her depth in dealing with RTE.

Regards...jmcc

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121201191#Comment_121201191

IMO splitting RTÉ up into the group outlined should help the media landscape (though I believe it to be a bit late).

I am not suggesting selling off 2RN (RTÉ Networks), I think a national studio is an important infrastructure as the network, that why I would propose that 2RN would be then national public service Radio Broadcaster (save for Lyric and RnaG), national broadcasting network and the national studio of Ireland in Montrose (up to them if they continue to stay their or refocus in another area of the country).

I rather see 2FM go in a different direction under 2RN than either reduce it to a local broadcaster or close it for the sake of "Well everyone else is doing a better job of it".

I think it may become to granular if we start selling or closing operations down. I think intially you have to look at the broader picture, and that broader picture is : -

RTÉ is in disarray and inaction will just continue the kind of service that we are all largely unhappy with. Inaction mean keeping the service as is, the mananagement of RTÉ should not be allowed close down serviced due to their own mismanagement of the national broadcaster. I can seem the coming for those Digital Radio Stations very soon, where is the sense in that? and why should they make that decision?

jmcc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121201421#Comment_121201421

Seems a sensible approach. Unfortunately, the RTE management is anything but. And the mininster doesn't seem quite up the to job. The 2RN brand as a public service broadcaster would go a long way towards solving some of the problems.

Regards...jmcc

alzer100

Response to RoTelly (Quote not working)

Just on them coming for the Digital services. I fully agree with you, I believe they will - purely for demonstration purposes. IMO they will save very little money in doing so. If that is the case, will they make everyone who is associated with them redundant? Or will they be redeployed to some other part of RTE radio in which they will actually become less productive?

political analyst

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121200512#Comment_121200512

Not that again!

Moving all live sports coverage to RTÉ One would mean that Six-One would be knocked out of its slot in the event of extra time in a match. Furthermore, there are sporting events to which RTÉ has the rights and which are on at the same time.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121203045#Comment_121203045

Do not be too worried by Strategy 2024, it was dead in the water in 2019. They already were showing they didn't have a handle on things by that point, just before it they'd hope for millions from the sale of Art work.

3 parts of the strategy couldn't even be completed without government approval, the move of the NSO, the Closure of AERTEL and the closure of their digital Radio stations.

They are lucky that the legislators acted on 2 of those (NSO and AERTEL), while they are stuck with the Digital Radio Stations, I have no doubt they Minister will now be convince to allow RTÉ close them down. @alzer100 The one thing we have is the Broadcasting Act 2009, so they'd have to ask the Minister and Department to close those stations.

But all most all the rest of it was wishy-washy shite - The 1st point on their list of things to do is to move Big sporting events to RTÉ ONE, they only thing keeping RTÉ2 alive. Even considering the Scheduling problems for RTÉ ONE can you imagine RTÉ2 RWC coverage with only the non-Irish matches few are watching Toga V Portugal, or how smaller events would fair without the support of the bigger events, and then what do you consider a big event, Irish games the Women's World Cup doesn't end up on RTÉ ONE ... how very sexist of RTÉ!

And Strategy 2024 is where they stated that the Executives would take a 10%, so I believe it to dead.

NIMAN

Surely RTE can't expect a bailout without it coming with certain expectations?

They can't just have the debt wiped clean, and carry on as normal until it needs another bailout in another year or two. They have to start living within their means, and make hard decisions.

Viscount Aggro

CEO needs to get tough.

Citibank CEO, planning big layoffs globally, was quoted this week ... "we dont have room for bystanders"

alzer100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121203143#Comment_121203143

IIRC Forbes announced the closure of the digital stations and the DAB network back in October/November 2019 effectively putting them into wind down mode but didn't seem to realise that she needed permission from the minister to actually close them. I think Backhurst will do his homework on this and I wouldn't be surprised at all if he has or is already seeking that permission. If and when an announcement is made, again I wouldn't be at all surprised if there is an abrupt cessation of RTE's online digital services.

Hotblack Desiato

The ignorance of the Irish media is allowing RTE to get away with a tissue of lies in relation to closing Aertel.

Every single story about it on all media has a picture of the 70s-tech (well, RTE only got around to it in the 80s) World Standard Teletext which for some bizarre reason still exists on Sky. Saying that's obsolete and can no longer be supported etc. is plausible, it's also very slow and limited.

BUT RTE also want to close the modern teletext they introduced with Saorview, they are not providing any justification for this, making all information disposition dependent on the internet is a mistake.

kneemos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121203226#Comment_121203226

Why have they digital stations? There's millions of the bloody things.

If there was one that played exclusively Irish traditional and contemporary music maybe there would be some excuse.