Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

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

Options
1…208209211213214…420

Comments

  • Options
    #6302
    1874
    Registered Users Posts: 2,382 ✭✭✭1874


    Scotty # wrote: »
    The orchestra cost €17m/year, €46,500 per day! that's 291 TV licences EVERY DAY just to fund the orchestra. Do you really think it's value for money? LyricFM and RnaG cost another €18m between them. Good value too?


    Forbes is running a company with revenue of €342m (2019) and is head of 1,830 staff. €338,000 salary (less than 0.1% of TO) is not excessive in the least.

    Again, RTE is not there to make a profit. It's a public service funded by the TV licence and subsided with advertising. According to the 2019 report (the latest report) it would have made money that year if it weren't for the General Election coverage which cost about €8m.


    A quarter of the workforce are on up to €150k?? LOL!


    There is nothing to say that costs might be reduced or greater efficiencies be implemented, whether its value for money or not would have to be ascertained, but I think whatever is being paid for it, the Orchestra should (and hopefully does) go around and perform public services (ie music support stuff in schools, so not related just to playing in the Orchestra, but it should be available to the whole nation.
    I wouldnt listen to RnaG but Im sure they have their audience, Lyric FM is the only station I listen to on a semi regular basis.
    It acts like a business (a badly run one), that is the problem, incomings cant be greater than outgoings, I would like to see a breakdown of how many staff at each level and what they get paid to make a comparison, has that been revealed. Dee Forbes on the money she is on, is pushed up by the misinformation revenue, efficiency is input related to output, the programming output of RTE isnt consistent to the financial input, end of.
    Their costs need to be cut dramatically because they appear to mismanaging their finances badly. Whatever of her pay, which I consider to be disgustingly high (for something you state is not a business, I agree, no one in public service should be paid that highly, go to the private sector and satnd on your own two feet, see if you will get that level of pay), but as one poster said, 50k to move, 25k for a car and 63k towards her pension, we are being fleeced.


  • Options
    #6303
    ligerdub
    Registered Users Posts: 2,584 ✭✭✭ligerdub


    I love that the €8 million cost for election coverage is used as a valid excuse rather than an indictment of how RTE burn money.


  • Options
    #6304
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    ligerdub wrote: »
    I love that the €8 million cost for election coverage is used as a valid excuse rather than an indictment of how RTE burn money.

    2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
    News 60,247 61,161 63,602 70,157 76,198 77,423 68,499 64,400 68,343 61,064 58,018 57,108 60,491 65,553 63,531 67,593 65,298

    What now?


  • Options
    #6305
    steddyeddy
    Registered Users Posts: 27,564 ✭✭✭✭steddyeddy


    AndyBoBandy wrote: »
    RTÉ have 18,000 staff!!!!!

    Eighteen thousand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    More interesting would be how many of them are related to each other.


  • Options
    #6306
    Mal-Adjusted
    Registered Users Posts: 3,575 ✭✭✭Mal-Adjusted


    padraig47 wrote: »
    Rte is full of arrogant presenters. Tonight on Prime Time we had Miriam O’Callaghan aggressively questioning the Minister for Health. However while I agree that the Minister should be aggressively questioned, it should not be by MOC, who flouted regulations re COVID.

    I remember about ten years ago that volcano erupted in Iceland and caused a huge ash cloud. MOC interviewed the icelandic prime minister and more or less berrated him over the travel chaos and just stopped short of asking for componsation...for a volcanic eruption.
    RabbleRouser2k wrote: »
    There ya go Dee, I've saved you money.

    The problem is, you haven't. any spare money left over will just be shovelled into the salaries of the big presenters regardless.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #6307
    ligerdub
    Registered Users Posts: 2,584 ✭✭✭ligerdub


    Elmo wrote: »
    2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
    News 60,247 61,161 63,602 70,157 76,198 77,423 68,499 64,400 68,343 61,064 58,018 57,108 60,491 65,553 63,531 67,593 65,298

    What now?

    Help me out here Elmo. What am I to deduce from this?


  • Options
    #6308
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    ligerdub wrote: »
    Help me out here Elmo. What am I to deduce from this?

    Well I am looking for an extra 8m for news coverage for 2019. I suppose if I go back to 2015 I might get about 5m. I'd go to 2014 only we had the Local and European Elections that year, so won't go back that year to find the 8m.


  • Options
    #6309
    Scotty #
    Registered Users Posts: 3,767 ✭✭✭Scotty #


    Elmo wrote: »
    Well I am looking for an extra 8m for news coverage last year.
    Election coverage is a 'special event' and is not listed under News finances. Other 'special events' include World Cups, Olympics, Papal Visits, etc.

    I misread it though, it was actually €4.1m. The €8m was their increase in revenue from 2018 > 2019.


  • Options
    #6310
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    Scotty # wrote: »
    Election coverage is a 'special event' and is not listed under News finances. Other 'special events' include World Cups, Olympics, Papal Visits, etc.

    I misread it though, it was actually €4.1m. The €8m was their increase in revenue from 2018 > 2019.

    What page of the annual report, the above figures are those for News and Current Affairs.

    Nothing on page 106 (pdf page 108) of the annual report for special events

    AKA 2. Principal Activities and Segmental Information

    here's sports from 2003

    2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
    Sport 35,352 41,171 37,863 47,995 47,609 62,041 45,841 52,666 46,716 53,557 39,220 42,487 34,303 48,097 42,080 41,714 43124

    Am I missing something.


  • Options
    #6311
    steddyeddy
    Registered Users Posts: 27,564 ✭✭✭✭steddyeddy


    AndyBoBandy wrote: »
    There has to be at least another 300-500 people in RTÉ taking in between €120-€150k, and doing next to nothing to get that salary.....

    Bring back the Secret RTÉ Producer....

    Of course there is. A friend of mine is a camera woman there. She transferred from another organisation and says the waste is unbelievable. Some of the camera technicians refuse to upskill so they end up hiring in camera companies ect for big events like Eurovision.

    There needs to be an audit of exactly where the money goes. The top presenters are obviously overpaid but the majority of wages go on people who don't seem to be providing value for money.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #6312
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    Special Events
    2019 4.1
    2018 7.2
    2017 0
    2016 16.1

    Special events are not accounted for in 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 :confused:


  • Options
    #6313
    Skyfloater
    Registered Users Posts: 400 ✭✭Skyfloater


    steddyeddy wrote: »
    More interesting would be how many of them are related to each other.

    Think you might a zero too many there.


  • Options
    #6314
    glenfieldman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,886 ✭✭✭glenfieldman


    She really is tone deaf to the publics opinion

    https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/rtes-payroll-cut-includes-wages-of-the-late-marian-finucane-and-retired-sean-orourke-39997800.html


  • Options
    #6315
    The J Stands for Jay
    Registered Users Posts: 5,660 ✭✭✭The J Stands for Jay


    Scotty # wrote: »
    It's irrelevant who the presenter is. The point is it's not the licence fee that's paying their wages, it's the advertising.

    Missing the point there a bit. If its not about the presenters, why not get some kid in on minimum wage to replace them and save a fortune which could be spent on public service broadcasting?


  • Options
    #6316
    retalivity
    Registered Users Posts: 14,035 ✭✭✭✭retalivity


    glenfieldman wrote: »
    She really is tone deaf to the publics opinion

    https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/rtes-payroll-cut-includes-wages-of-the-late-marian-finucane-and-retired-sean-orourke-39997800.html

    If not for his ill-fated trip to Clifden, SOR would have been back in the door earning tidy sums as a contractor post-retirement, so RTE were really forced to 'cut' his wages - they did everything possible to keep paying him.


  • Options
    #6317
    The J Stands for Jay
    Registered Users Posts: 5,660 ✭✭✭The J Stands for Jay


    glenfieldman wrote: »
    She really is tone deaf to the publics opinion

    https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/rtes-payroll-cut-includes-wages-of-the-late-marian-finucane-and-retired-sean-orourke-39997800.html

    A quote in the article say an hour of late late toy show advertising pays for Tubbs for a whole year. Is there an hour of advertising on the LLTS? Even if the repeats are taken into account, can that be true?


  • Options
    #6318
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    glenfieldman wrote: »
    She really is tone deaf to the publics opinion

    https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/rtes-payroll-cut-includes-wages-of-the-late-marian-finucane-and-retired-sean-orourke-39997800.html

    So is their former commerical director Willie O'Reilly
    "RTÉ has reduced overall annual operating costs by over €100m since 2008 and last year targeted additional savings of €60m over three years, which we are on course to deliver.

    "In that context, we continue to keep the fees of our highest-paid presenters under constant review.”

    Since she became DG (2016) there have been not cuts except in 2020, which are largely made up due to retirement and death.

    2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014
    2740 3220 3222 3074 3030 2876 2666
    -15% 0% 5% 1% 5% 8% -14%


  • Options
    #6319
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    McGaggs wrote: »
    A quote in the article say an hour of late late toy show advertising pays for Tubbs for a whole year. Is there an hour of advertising on the LLTS? Even if the repeats are taken into account, can that be true?

    If RTÉ sell 30sec spot add at 30,000 euro
    and they are allowed 9mins of ads per hour
    then over the course of a 2 hour show they can sell 36 spots excluding ads before and after the show

    RTÉ would make est €1,080,000 on the night.

    That would pay for a third of RTÉ's children's budget!


  • Options
    #6320
    Scotty #
    Registered Users Posts: 3,767 ✭✭✭Scotty #


    Elmo wrote: »
    If RTÉ sell 30sec spot add at 30,000 euro
    The first ad, on the first ad break, in both the live show and the Sunday repeat, is €78,000. The second ad is €56,000. I don't know how much subsequent ads are. Promotions during the show (one for everyone in the audience!) are €10k each. Then you also have the RTE player ads for the toy show.

    I'm sure I read somewhere that all in all the Toy Show is worth about €3.5m to RTE (which would actually cover the entire payroll for the TOP 10 presenters in one night).


  • Options
    #6321
    AndyBoBandy
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 14,954 Mod ✭✭✭✭AndyBoBandy


    Scotty # wrote: »
    I read somewhere that all in all the Toy Show is worth about €3.5m to RTE (which would actually cover the entire payroll for the TOP 10 presenters in one night).

    All they need is to cover the other 1,790 'staff' and they'd be self sufficient.....

    median salary is €60,000 (€60,000 x 1,800 = €108m in salary/contractor fee's), so only another €104.5m to generate - just to pay the RTÉ wages...

    If only they could have a toy show every week eh?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #6322
    Scotty #
    Registered Users Posts: 3,767 ✭✭✭Scotty #


    McGaggs wrote: »
    Missing the point there a bit. If its not about the presenters, why not get some kid in on minimum wage to replace them and save a fortune which could be spent on public service broadcasting?
    But you wouldn't be saving a fortune, that's my point!

    The top presenters generate the vast majority of the commercial income but they cost LESS THAN 1% of expenditure.

    It's always the 'overpaid' presenters that get it in the neck when people moan about the licence fee but the reality is they're almost an insignificant portion of it. Getting rid of them wouldn't make a blind bit of difference to the return on value of the licence fee. Not a bit!


  • Options
    #6323
    Scotty #
    Registered Users Posts: 3,767 ✭✭✭Scotty #


    AndyBoBandy wrote: »
    median salary is €60,000 (€60,000 x 1,800 = €108m in salary/contractor fee's), so only another €104.5m to generate - just to pay the RTÉ wages...
    Ad revenue in last report was €145m.


  • Options
    #6324
    AndyBoBandy
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 14,954 Mod ✭✭✭✭AndyBoBandy


    Scotty # wrote: »
    Ad revenue in last report was €148m.

    so then they have €40m of surplus ad revenue, as well as all the TV licence money....... and they still can't break even!!!


    tenor.gif


  • Options
    #6325
    Scotty #
    Registered Users Posts: 3,767 ✭✭✭Scotty #


    AndyBoBandy wrote: »
    so then they have €40m of surplus ad revenue, as well as all the TV licence money....... and they still can't break even!!!

    The have a number of sectors that run at a loss. The orchestra for example, €17m/year. LyricFM and RnaG, €18m/year.

    The wage bill on only one section of expenditure.


  • Options
    #6326
    AndyBoBandy
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 14,954 Mod ✭✭✭✭AndyBoBandy


    I would have assumed that the vast majority of the €17m a year spent on the orchestra is on wages!!


  • Options
    #6327
    The J Stands for Jay
    Registered Users Posts: 5,660 ✭✭✭The J Stands for Jay


    Scotty # wrote: »
    But you wouldn't be saving a fortune, that's my point!

    The top presenters generate the vast majority of the commercial income but they cost LESS THAN 1% of expenditure.

    It's always the 'overpaid' presenters that get it in the neck when people moan about the licence fee but the reality is they're almost an insignificant portion of it. Getting rid of them wouldn't make a blind bit of difference to the return on value of the licence fee. Not a bit!

    We've agreed that it's either the time slot or the brand name of the programme that attracts the income rather than the presenter. Getting rid of those highly paid presenters and replacing them with minimum wage presenters would save an amount that would be a significant proportion of the current children's television budget for example. It would make a massive difference

    The top earning presenters get it in the neck because they are the only staff type we have any information on. We have anecdotes about well paid camera operators who refuse to operate modern equipment that is required by certain events. Given the data, we would be all over those people, possibly more so than the presenters.


  • Options
    #6328
    Scotty #
    Registered Users Posts: 3,767 ✭✭✭Scotty #


    AndyBoBandy wrote: »
    I would have assumed that the vast majority of the €17m a year spent on the orchestra is on wages!!
    Yes, but they bring in no revenue, so it's funded entirely from the licence fee.

    The big presenters bring in ad revenue, and therefor are not funded by the licence fee.


  • Options
    #6329
    The J Stands for Jay
    Registered Users Posts: 5,660 ✭✭✭The J Stands for Jay


    Scotty # wrote: »
    An Post get €19.20 from each fee ffs! Yet all the whinging seems to be about how much presenters are paid.

    Agreed. This is a shockingly high cost. Do An Post take an measures to ensure compliance, or do they sit back and take whatever comes their way?


  • Options
    #6330
    Sheep Shagger
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 6,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sheep Shagger


    Nothing against having professional presenters and other staff, as you say that can bring in advertising revenue HOWEVER in a country the size of irealnd these salaries are out of sync.

    How come Virgin Media don't pay as much? Because they are a private outfit that's why.

    They should be bought back down to more realistic levels and if they think they can get more money at the BBC etc, then let them go.

    In the vast majority of cases they wouldn't command such high salaries abroad.

    This is not just for presenters, goes for all staff across thr organisation.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #6331
    Scotty #
    Registered Users Posts: 3,767 ✭✭✭Scotty #


    McGaggs wrote: »
    We've agreed that it's either the time slot or the brand name of the programme that attracts the income rather than the presenter. Getting rid of those highly paid presenters and replacing them with minimum wage presenters would save an amount that would be a significant proportion nofbthe current children's television budget for example. It would make a massive difference.
    I wouldn't fully agree. If Joe Duffy went to Q102 tomorrow he'd bring a large portion of listeners (and advertisers) with him. And if you got some unknow in to replace him I'm not sure the format would still work. It's a bit naïve to think the presenter adds no value.


Advertisement