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

RoTelly

Yesterday's committee meeting was the beginning of a white wash.

Kay Before states it was "unfortunate". No one knew about the write down.

The TD's failed to ask why the chair and the DG signed of on part of the impairment of which they new nothing about.

Kay Before stats it wasn't hidden and was different to the Toy Show and Tubs remuneration.

The news promo went from bad to worse.

How much?

Head of News: I don't know

Deputy DG: I am over that

DG: About 100k

Head of News: Misformation spread in the news papers about the project, it will highlight the work of 3 jornalists

TDs: were are the promos at the moment

Deputy DG: They are in Brussels filming

TDs: And you brought in extra people for the promo

and on and on

Showing that RTÉ don't understand value for money.

Peter Dragon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123495676#Comment_123495676

I didn’t have time yesterday to examine the detail of what emerged in the hearing (nor will I until the weekend) but the fact that they’re sending people to Brussels to film an ad for the news after receiving a staggering bailout really shows how out of touch these people are.

Brendan Bendar

It’s fairly obvious that this lot in Montrose have little respect for taxpayers money.

Obfuscation, strange accounting practices, poor management seem to be the name of the game along

with eye watering contracts which ,given the on air results are puzzling.

RoTelly

Has KB4 gone on any Radio or TV show to talk about this? I know he did a soft interview with their arts correspondent but he doesn't seem to have been on any other shows?

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123416090#Comment_123416090

Just on their own podcasts, Alan Kelly is not impressed.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123416157#Comment_123416157

LambshankRedemption

I didn't know where to put this but RTE taking the pi$$ with the schedule tonight.

RTE One, 6.30 or there abouts The Addams Family 2 starts. It stops at 8pm for the Lotto. 8.03 the movie resumes, and finishes at 8.15 for yet another re-run of Killinaskully.

Either put the movie on 15 minutes earlier, OR trim a few of the ads out of the ad breaks OR put the Lotto on at 8.15. Don't pause the movie for 3 minutes when there is only 12 minutes to go!

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123503222#Comment_123503222

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058387235/the-big-big-movie-axed-from-rte

They had previously start a new schedule as they had postponed 2024's Fittest Family.

RabbleRouser2k

Watched the RTE Prime Time program on the Tina Satchwell case.

Was someone from the Union of Journalists trying to make a point, because the whole thing was a disservice to Tina Satchwell. It felt like 'last minute doc com', an assignment done the night before it was due to be handed in. We've heard about the whole calamity with the RTE advert promoting journalists but hiring actors instead of real RTE crew. Was someone on staff trying to say 'If you think we're unimportant, let the actors fix it'.

The sound edit was terrible, with some people talking being undiscernable, drowned out by the sounds of machinery in some cases. Then you had abrupt cuts, audio literally cutting out. They announced this program about 3 or 4 days ago, but it felt like it was only finished an hour before deadline, and nobody went and checked up on it's quality.

I checked on twitter, I initially thought it might be my sound setup. Nope, lots of people having the same sound problems.

RoTelly

Other than the short interview with RTÉ News did KB4 go any show to take questions? It seems strange that he didn't at least make appearances on Six One or Drivetime after the Oireachtas Committee.

RabbleRouser2k

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123518271#Comment_123518271

Any time there are hard questions to be asked to RTE, we get another 'Trump did this' story. Effectively another 'look over there!!!'.

'Trump and Elon have a spat'… yeah, nothing's gonna change, it's 3 years and 6 months more of this. Rinse and repeat. We knew all the scandals before Trump was elected, for the first term.

I want to know about how RTE swindled 6 million euro with the dodgy IT system and Covid payments. And also, when is Tubridy gonna repay the €150,000?

RabbleRouser2k

https://www.independent.ie/news/des-cahill-at-centre-of-rtes-11m-prsi-court-case/a1391217429.html

Could this lead to other RTE employees following a similar path?

Dublin Calling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123526366#Comment_123526366

They are lined up. The PRSI is only Mickey Mouse money, the jackpot is to have their pension entitlements back funded.

At one stage RTE was paying Class A for 'Subcontractors'.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123503222#Comment_123503222

Killinaskully, ffs, who is watching that who is not stuck in a nursing home with no remote?

RTE gave up trying years ago.

Someone posted a video on another thread recently with Network 2 continuity / ads from 1998, it was a proper channel then and really tried to engage with the 20-something audience. RTE just don't care anymore and don't even try to broadcast anything appealing to anyone who isn't an OAP. They're losing most of their sports rights as well. We'll have to listen to URC in gibberish.

saabsaab

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123526421#Comment_123526421

I guess it could reduce the number it called employed by them? i.e. make the staff figure look smaller than it was in reality.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123526698#Comment_123526698

I think RTÉ Investigates cut that out of the documentary they did, it was felt that not even a viewer discretion advisory notice could help viewers if left in, and it was then followed by Mrs Brown's Boys Live!

RoTelly

Really doesn't look all that good for RTÉ from a public preception point of view.

A recent poll had 55% of people suggesting that Tubs pay back the €150k, while just 12% thought he should replace Mr. Duffy on liveline. (I'd say that in fairness he did not take the loyalty fee at the end of his last contract, only that fee seems to be a standard in RTÉ for many years for contractors).

One of the other interesting things is that Licence fees haven't gone up, year on year they are down 3% and massively down from 2022, which shows not return to levels predating the scandal.

It will be interesting to see if the IT debacle will see others choose not to pay the licence fee, after all at least 30% of people seem to be getting away it.

Meanwhile, KB4, the DG, is AWOL with no interviews lined up.

fliball123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123534634#Comment_123534634

There will be a large % who will not pay the TV license. Why should they - RTE are a blackhole of corruption and people like Dee cannot be questioned. Until this changes good luck with them chasing this cohort a lot of whom would rather risk going to jail and having the option to shout about RTE at the top of their lungs when they get their day in court. The gov and RTE are completely out of touch with the reality of what is going on in the country.

RabbleRouser2k

https://www.thesun.ie/news/15349325/rte-mice-rats-invading-campus-fair-city-set/

Tubridy trying to sneak back in to RTE?

I joke, but there's been issues with mice and rats over almost two decades, at least. That and leaking roofs in the last campus.

ShagNastii

The new ads commically show how aware RTE are that people have voted with their licence fee and are rightly telling RTE to FRO.

What's the tag line?

"You might not like it (paying the licence). But it's the law to pay it".

RabbleRouser2k

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123535408#Comment_123535408

You'd get a lot of tv license fees out of the almost 6 million they poured down the drain, or the 150 K they spent on Tubridy, or the almost 6 K spent on getting rid of rats.

I'd hate to be a TV license inspector. They're doing their job, it's not their fault they represent a corrupt organization like RTE, but one can just imagine the abuse they're getting. It'd be easier working for a bank.

jackofalltrades

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123534634#Comment_123534634

Where are you getting the 30% evasion figure from?

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123536001#Comment_123536001

Under Forbes RTÉ had stated the evasion rate in Ireland was at 14%. (Though as the title of this thread suggests RTÉ gave some fanciful figures)

I correct my estimation to 28% based on their 14% estimation in 2019.

https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/publications/tv-licence-sales/

https://about.rte.ie/2019/11/06/rte-announces-plan-to-address-key-issues-fight-for-its-future-and-for-public-service-media-in-ireland/

Ireland has one of the highest evasion rates in Europe (14%) which results in the loss of €25 million in public funding every year.

On current trends evasion rate will hit 31% by end of year

jackofalltrades

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123536030#Comment_123536030

Thanks, appreciate the detailed reply.

RoTelly

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025/06/16/numbers-prosecuted-for-not-having-tv-licence-down-despite-wave-of-evasion-set-off-by-rte-scandal/

I have never seen a TV license inspector, before or after the scandal, do they exist?

More than 43 per cent of the An Post database comprises “addresses entitled to free TV licences and addresses listed as having ‘No TV’.”

That doesn't seem to make sense and also what about vacant properties? Or is vacancy consider "no TV".

RabbleRouser2k

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123548456#Comment_123548456

I did, about ten years ago or so. I was living in a new county, had to set up a few things, such as the bins, and the broadband.

Didn't have a tv, was getting one weeks later, but got visited by the tv license inspector. They'll leave a note if they suspect you have a tv. I think he saw my laptop and thought that was a tv.

Rubberchikken

We might not see the 150,000 if reports are correct and Ryan has splashed tcash on an engagement ring for his beloved.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123548456#Comment_123548456

They are in existence, came across a TV Licence inspector, inside a multi-unit apartment building. Was about ten years ago also.

Very determined sort, I feel his talents might have been better suited to tracking down real criminals!

ericzeking

They were around and kept missing me….I was avoiding paying…..then one day my wife was home, opened the door and took the reminder card….they then started addressing all reminders/threats to her, she doesn't have the same contrariness as me so I had to stump up…..it really is a disgrace of a charge for what you get. They showed no football match last weekend….Irish sport, arts and basic news is about all it should be showing and massively scaled back. We should not be paying for episodes of Home and away not to mind the flip flops.

RabbleRouser2k

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123551694#Comment_123551694

Getting engaged…cos his last marriage went oh so well… (about 3 years).

The RTE page posted about it and had a good old 'dig' at him. The Examiner and the Independent covered it, with not a mention of his scandal, but how Ryan likes his 'privacy'.

RTE then turned around, and devoted a good final chunk of the article to the scandal, the Oireachtas Committee, and then told about his previous failed marriage and his two children from that marriage.

Well played, RTE… well played.

https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2025/0617/1518881-ryan-tubridy-announces-engagement-to-partner/

I'd say the thief still thinks he'd get back into RTE.

Baba Yaga

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123552527#Comment_123552527

same as that,was full on determined no to pay but like that my mrs opened the door and there was yer man,(mrs is Italian and hadnt a clue about telly licence inspectors) after a couple of months of them sending her all the notices/threats of prosecution etc and me enduring rapid fire Italian swearing i had to give in and cough up…feckin pains me to know im paying for all this shite!!