Ructions in RTE - Fitzgerald payoff and Ni-Bheolain complaint

Harry Palmr · 23-12-2018 1:09pm #1

Obviously a co-incidence of events but I thought it made sense to crowbar them in together

The Martina Fitzgerald pay off is a real mystery for me, on the face of it she had no grounds for complaint and RTE had even less reason to pay her to stay silent. Given that RTE is state funded in part and so our money is being used to keep Fitzgerald "shtum" we really ought to know why it's occurred and the whole sequence of events that bought the broadcaster to this point.

Meanwhile

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/sharon-ni-bheolain-makes-a-formal-complaint-to-rte-37652529.html

RTE news anchor Sharon Ni Bheolain has made a formal complaint to RTE bosses after refusing to go on air following a disagreement in the newsroom, the Sunday Independent has learnt.

Ms Ni Bheolain, one of the most recognisable and experienced faces at the national broadcaster, and a 20-year veteran at Montrose, has concerns over a number of issues which have emerged since she moved from co-anchor on the Six One news to a new role as sole news anchor on the RTE News: Nine O’Clock.

and from the Mirror quoting the Mail (yeah I know)

The news presenter and and anchor of the nine o'clock news did not appear on the show last Wednesday after the apparent row.

The Irish Mail on Sunday report that Mrs Ni Bheolain and head of news and current affairs Jon Williams had the disagreement in the newsroom.

The bust up is said to have began when the experienced presenter objected to Caitriona Perry co-anchoring the nine o'clock news from Westminster on the night of the failed no confidence vote.

Ni Bheolain is said to have been annoyed by the plans and thought that it undermined her position as presenter of the programme.

Presenter Eileen Whelan was brought in to replace Ni Bheolain for the Wednesday show, doing the same on Thursday and Friday.

What astonishing is that she was so unprofessional as to walk out and either refuse to come back that week or needed to be "stood down" and that can only be because it took days to settle this. If it took days then what on earth does that tell us about Ni Bheolain? Presumably the heart of all this is that she was in the Donnybrook bunker and Perry got the perceived glamour of location reporting from the scene. Deary me. A pro gets on with job.

23-12-2018 1:18pm

Catriona Perry earned that role. She’s a fantastic reporter, has earned her position through hard work and diligence and would make a great news anchor.

Ni Bheolain would be right to feel threatened as the semi-useless piece of furniture she’s become. Perry’s the one who would outshine her for sure.

NIMAN · 23-12-2018 1:20pm

JayZeus wrote: »

Catriona Perry earned that role. She’s a fantastic reporter, has earned her position through hard work and diligence and would make a great news anchor.

Well thats another argument, I don't agree with you, but I think it reflects badly on Sharon that she threw the toys out of the pram.

Necro · 23-12-2018 1:24pm

Weird. If I refuse to do my job then I'll be disciplined and likely sacked - same should apply here, regardless of 'name value' or whatever she thinks it entitles her to.

NIMAN · 23-12-2018 1:40pm

Necro wrote: »

Weird. If I refuse to do my job then I'll be disciplined and likely sacked - same should apply here, regardless of 'name value' or whatever she thinks it entitles her to.

This is RTe though....its not a normal workplace and normal rules don't apply.

UsBus · 23-12-2018 2:03pm

Perry was already in London for the 6.00 news. Made complete sense for her to hang on there for 9.00. Ni Bheolainn wanted to be sent over there for her program.

I'd say she's a bit of a diva. Moaning about Dobbo's pay as well when he was clearly more experienced, longer in the position and a much better news reader/interviewer. She's grand to look at but sure you can't say that anymore...!!

Ardent · 23-12-2018 2:48pm

Seems like anything goes at RTE in terms of getting your own way

ligerdub · 23-12-2018 3:17pm

JayZeus wrote:

Catriona Perry earned that role. Sheâ€™s a fantastic reporter, has earned her position through hard work and diligence and would make a great news anchor.

Rubbish. A bluster merchant and very unprofessional. She spent 2016 in a very biased anti-Trump stance on a pretty much daily basis, then when she did get the chance to meet him she reverted to a schoolgirl persona. She also gave off the vibe of having to be dragged away from the States to take probably the most coveted role on RTE news when she did eventually get shoehorned into the role.

Sharon on the other hand has played the hard yards and been shelved to less glamourous slots like Crimecall and the later news times. She has had the raw deal and I can understand her position if this version of events is true. I find Sharons genuinely held personal opinions to be difficult to ascertain, Perrys not so much.

Perry is treated like the teachers pet.

asteroids over berlin · 23-12-2018 3:25pm

Perry is woeful, i no longer watch six one because of her, dreadful anchoring altogether

jimd2 · 25-12-2018 10:44pm

So Sharon decided to return this evening with her point suitably made to RTE management.

I wonder will the irony of the first news item be lost on her and the real difficulties and challenges faced by people around the world. Perhaps she will consider this before throwing the toys out of the pram over such a minor issue.

martingriff · 25-12-2018 10:55pm

asteroids over berlin wrote: »

Perry is woeful, i no longer watch six one because of her, dreadful anchoring altogether

I actually think she has got a whole lot better. Keelin Shanley I went right off after she tried to do a hatchet job on Peter Casey. In relation to Sharon seems a right diva

lawred2 · 25-12-2018 10:59pm

JayZeus wrote: »

Catriona Perry earned that role. She’s a fantastic reporter, has earned her position through hard work and diligence and would make a great news anchor.

Ni Bheolain would be right to feel threatened as the semi-useless piece of furniture she’s become. Perry’s the one who would outshine her for sure.

she is in her sh!te

lawred2 · 25-12-2018 11:01pm

asteroids over berlin wrote: »

Perry is woeful, i no longer watch six one because of her, dreadful anchoring altogether

herself and Shanley are a hard watch

every sentence is almost taken in turns in some weird desperation.. leads to some very disjointed reporting and constant breaks in flow

It's a very poor production

Also why did RTE even see the need for two anchors? Every other news broadcaster of any merit has long ditched two anchors in favour of one. And they are much better productions for it.

oceanman · 25-12-2018 11:08pm

they are all pretty much rubbish if you ask me, working or should I say employed in one of the biggest doss houses in the country....

STB. · 26-12-2018 12:39am

JayZeus wrote: »

Catriona Perry earned that role. She’s a fantastic reporter, has earned her position through hard work and diligence and would make a great news anchor.

Ni Bheolain would be right to feel threatened as the semi-useless piece of furniture she’s become. Perry’s the one who would outshine her for sure.

Are you having a laugh. Earned the role my backside.

Sharon is a well respected, seasoned broadcaster and senior news anchor. Perry was a reporter up until last year.

The issue is nothing to do with divas. It's to do with respect and undermining a senior staff member in front of subordinates.

There is a hierarchy in terms of news team. The issue I gather is that the senior news anchor wasn't consulted on the content or location of the 9 O'Clock News. The 6 O Clock news got preference to position themselves in London and therefore anchor both. That shouldn't have happened without discussion and consultation with the senior anchor.

There is clearly a lack of communication. How did this not come up at the programme prep and team discussion?

Would this have happened when Dobbo was there ?

Like fúck it would.

Elmo · 27-12-2018 5:08pm

I have heard bad things about both Ni Bheoláin and Williams based on such stories (if true) it was bound to happen, purely a clash of egos.

The Fitzgerald story is more to interesting, where will she go???

dixiefly · 15-01-2019 2:24pm

I wonder how RTE will work the feed from Westminster this evening.

I dont think they will have Caitriona Perry co hosting the 9pm News - even though if its the right thing to do they should do it.

If they refrain then Sharon will have got her way after the little spat.

IRE60 · 16-01-2019 5:30pm

dixiefly wrote: »

I dont think they will have Caitriona Perry co hosting the 9pm News - even though if its the right thing to do they should do it.

It's such a 'first world' problem - who gets to be seen in the UK and who stays at home. Jesus!

Harry Palmr · 03-02-2019 11:48pm

Now some ructions from just outside the tent.

Damien Tiernan having just left RTE regional set up for WLR FM has unleashed a broadside at the decline of regional input into RTE News. RTE not happy with his version of events.

https://www.thejournal.ie/rte-damien-tiernan-4474245-Feb2019/?utm_source=facebook_short&fbclid=IwAR2PzX3uIX6RV4DRS1Wbn_rVw4IY0St_5AYvj6Ax2BG3GsIw5EsCrp8mjWo

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/ex-rt%C3%A9-correspondent-claims-station-has-little-interest-in-regional-news-1.3780775

This is a good point and I agree, the main evening news has long struggled with the concept of hard news from the regions that is not something related to jobs or deaths. Anything that requires some deeper work and so longer time is not sought. In the south east you could do a few reports about the undermining of the University for example - something strategic and important but also complex.

“There is frustration at many different levels in RTÉ, as there would be in any big organisation. But when it comes to something like this it’s very difficult to see the way forward.”

He said regional correspondents are used for “the big stories” and “the quirky stories, the three-legged duck, that type of this.”

What is missed are the stories in the middle, he said, “the good, regional rows, controversies and issues.

“The 6.1 News was originally extended to an hour to allow for those but that hasn’t been fulfilled.”

90k a year is more than he'll be getting as host of Deise Today so if it's a point of principle , and if RTE will actually replace him (the website still has Tiernans profile) and if so when.

Elmo · 04-02-2019 1:05pm

Harry Palmr wrote: »

90k a year is more than he'll be getting as host of Deise Today so if it's a point of principle , and if RTE will actually replace him (the website still has Tiernans profile) and if so when.

They were very slow to get a North-Eastern Correspondent, and according to him they wanted to reduce that role to Reporter. Not sure who their North-Eastern correspondent was.

If the correspondents are filing local video stories, why not put the on RTÉ2 at 7 and simulcast it on News Now?

Harry Palmr · 04-02-2019 1:52pm

News Now is wildly underutilised.

TheRiverman · 04-02-2019 2:40pm

I watched some of The Week In Politics last night,Aine Lawlor looked like she would more comfortable sitting on a furze bush than on the couch.

STB. · 04-02-2019 3:29pm

Have to say the Twitter spat between Williams and Tiernan is highly entertaining.

Of course the hatchet job being employed in the news department actually belongs elsewhere.

Elmo · 04-02-2019 3:30pm

STB. wrote: »

Have to say the Twitter spat between Williams and Tiernan is highly entertaining.

Williams didn't say anything after Good Luck?

STB. · 04-02-2019 3:34pm

Elmo wrote: »

STB. wrote: »

Have to say the Twitter spat between Williams and Tiernan is highly entertaining.

Williams didn't say anything after Good Luck?

It's what Tiernan said.
https://mobile.twitter.com/WilliamsJon/status/1091958231742722048

Ructions in RTE - Fitzgerald payoff and Ni-Bheolain complaint

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