Whatever happened to the RTE cutbacks?

Sun of a duck

In early September Dee Forbes announced major cost cutting was to be announced in October, well there's only 28 hours left in October and radio silence since. Was this just a stunt, hoping the government would give them a bailout in the budget?

icdg

MOD Warning:

When we had a thread on this two months ago things got rather personal. Anyone making personal comments on this thread against people who aren’t here to defend themselves gets a 48 hour ban straight up

No such public announcement was made.

An internal letter was sent to staff about a review that was leaked to the press and interpreted by the media (as was probably the intention of the leaker) as a signal about cutbacks.

This was internal. For all we know she has already informed staff about the outcome of the review and its has managed not to be leaked. But there was never any public announcement or any announcement that there was going to be an announcement. At most a kite was flown.

Elmo

icdg wrote: »

MOD Warning:

When we had a thread on this two months ago things got rather personal. Anyone making personal comments on this thread against people who aren’t here to defend themselves gets a 48 hour ban straight up

No such public announcement was made.

An internal letter was sent to staff about a review that was leaked to the press and interpreted by the media (as was probably the intention of the leaker) as a signal about cutbacks.

This was internal. For all we know she has already informed staff about the outcome of the review and its has managed not to be leaked. But there was never any public announcement or any announcement that there was going to be an announcement. At most a kite was flown.

“RTÉ remains committed to meeting the ever-changing needs of Irish audiences and to securing the future of public service media in Irish life. We are mindful of RTɒs central role in reflecting who we are as a people and a nation and where we are going, a role that is more important now than ever. However, with commercial revenues and public funding both significantly below what is needed to operate the organisation in its current form, it is no longer possible to continue as we are.

It is in this context that we are currently finalising a review of everything we currently do and what we can continue to do in the future and we expect to be in a position to share details in the coming weeks.”

https://about.rte.ie/2019/09/13/%ef%bb%bfrte-statement/

Also for some reason about.rte.ie isn't available at the moment?

You could read into it that from mid-Sept to Now is the coming weeks.

icdg

But no mention of October nor any specific mention of any cutbacks in that statement (albeit you could take an implication from “no longer possible to continue as we are”).

Also that statement comes from the Press Office and is not attributed specifically to any one person.

Sun of a duck

RTE's prime time put out a propaganda piece that lyric FM was under "review" the next thing you had lyric FM djs on twitter campaiging to "save lyric" when anyone with half a brain should know that there's absolutely ZERO chance of lyric FM being closed down.

Twister2

What is there to cut except salaries

There isn't any output to cutback, they could switch off the Angelus I suppose

tylercheribini

Mary Kennedy is gone.

Atlantic Dawn

Giving daily coverage of forest fires in an oppulant area of California is completely irrelevant to Irish licence payers, what clown decides to cover this rubbish? On 6 One today they had a multi millionaire 'rescuing' her 10 horses.

fritzelly

Looking for bidders for €350k worth of hotel rooms over the next two years - nope no sign of cost cutting to put up the usual canteen guests. Not even 3 star but 4 or 5 star

Spanish Eyes

Any word on the sell off of the prime land around Montrose yet? And if it was lucrative what was done with the proceeds?

Anyway if I didn’t have to pay a license fee for RTE? I wouldn’t care, but I do, so I care.

skooterblue2

Oh the Orts, the Orts wont someone think of the Orts?

RTE and Montrose runs on the never ending Gravy train with Zero creativity (since Andy Ruane left), Massive competition from Netflicks and cable. The educational element is gone with Youtube and when I found that Ear to the Ground was all staged and manufactured.

There has been a successful linage of dull nepotistic tits from the clapper boys to Mod Edit:Deleted
If you are not fit for industry let it go the same way as TV3

fritzelly

Twister2 wrote: »

What is there to cut except salaries

There isn't any output to cutback, they could switch off the Angelus I suppose

Lots like some of the union rules on workers but to ditch the Angelus would be sacrilege

fritzelly

skooterblue2 wrote: »

when I found that Ear to the Ground was all staged and manufactured.

Tell me more

tayto lover

Close her down. Not worth the license fee.

Elmo

icdg wrote: »

But no mention of October nor any specific mention of any cutbacks in that statement (albeit you could take an implication from “no longer possible to continue as we are”).

Also that statement comes from the Press Office and is not attributed specifically to any one person.

In fairness to the OP they didn't associate their post to anyone person in RTÉ and I didn't mention October, I did mean to say that the coming weeks could really be anytime in the next few months, but that you could read between the lines and consider it the end of October.

As for cuts, while the word is not used, I think we could read between the following lines

However, with commercial revenues and public funding both significantly below what is needed to operate the organisation in its current form, it is no longer possible to continue as we are.

TBH I wonder if there was any memo or was this the statement the press got hold of and just blew it out of proportion, and just suggested someone leaked it to them!

icdg

Skooterblue2 banned for 48 hours for breach of mod warning against personal attacks

s8n

Well this thread is weirdly spicy

tylercheribini

Looks like they are starting to edge Darcy out now too with his chat show being reduced.

glenfieldman

Christ these Threads are tiresome and tedious

jon43

very bad hate rte

captain caveman

Interesting times ahead? https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/rté-planning-200-job-cuts-and-15-per-cent-pay-cut-for-high-earning-presenters-1.4074889?mode=amp

NIMAN

10% for herself and 15% for the likes of Tubs, Duffy, Darcy.

Not enough.

riemann

NIMAN wrote: »

10% for herself and 15% for the likes of Tubs, Duffy, Darcy.

Not enough.

We're a small country. No one in their right mind would pay Tubs, Duffy or Darcy a colour of what they're on.

I have no idea how they negotiated such outlandish deals.

skooterblue2

riemann wrote: »

We're a small country. No one in their right mind would pay Tubs, Duffy or Darcy a colour of what they're on.

I have no idea how they negotiated such outlandish deals.

If they were any good they would have jumped ship and gone like Wogan, Norton etc etc to the BBC or C4

Bellbottoms

IrishTimes wrote:

It is also understood that some high-profile members of staff may not have their contracts renewed when they expire.

Sounds like the end of the road for Ray.

Atlantic Dawn

Is Forbes the 3rd highest paid in RTE after Tubs and Duffy?

Recent accounts show Ms Forbes receives a salary of €250,000 along with a €25,000 car allowance and pension contributions of €63,000 – bringing her total remuneration package to €338,000.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/rt%C3%A9-planning-200-job-cuts-and-15-per-cent-pay-cut-for-high-earning-presenters-1.4074889?mode=amp

elperello

Sell things off.
Close things down.
Fire staff.

Doesn't sound too well thought out to me.

icdg

MOD:

As the plan has now been announced I’ve moved some posts from this thread to the new thread and closed this one