RTÉ admits paying Tubridy €345,000 more than declared

Whatever about NewsTalk, Virgin Media stated the other day that they have never made an offer to Ryan Tubridy saying he doesnt fit their brand.

It is simply business and contractual negotiations. The contractors working for public buildings do the same thing. You try to get the highest return possible.

In private employment I see this kind of attitude all the time in regards to promotions etc. "Oh its not fair. John is a smooth talker" "They don't appreciate me". Yes, it is not fair, is purely business and if you don't like it move company to improve your position. I have done this myself multiple times at this stage. A few times I have gotten the sob story, "Oh you are letting the team down" "We are really disappointed and thought you were loyal", all the usual guff.

Who received all the money to market? Who owns the companies? Someone or companies profited big time.

somebody is skimming cash

RTE tells the Oireachtas Media Committee that Toy Show: The Musical sold 11,044 tickets at €451,000 - versus an original forecast of selling about 75,000 tickets (70% of total venue capacity) to garner €3.2m.

Event made a total loss of €2.2m in year one.

Toy Show the Musical was cheaper to produce and rehearse than planned - but spent far more on marketing, and fell *far* lower on ticket sales, than had been first forecast.

The musical would have broken even at 70% across all shows; RTE had actually forecast around 83.75% capacity (90,220 tickets sold) which, after commissions and fees, would have yielded €3.125m.

In the end it sold 11,044 tickets, plus 5,573 guests and 3,645 comp winners

He did indeed take a pay cut to his base salary. These "secret" payments came from the commercial deal with Renault and I see them as a bonus or nixer for extra work. RTE was stupid enough to underwrite them? So be it.

He certainly had other income too from speaking nixers not to do with RTE. Should we string him up for that also?

The real issue here is the ineptitude within RTE and very mixed management due to the dual public/commercial element. We just need to make it a purely public body and pay for it through taxes. This would make any side deals and commercial element null, but at the potential cost of losing talent.

Unbelievable that people here can’t see what Tubridy did wrong. Not illegal as far as we know but wrong and there is a difference

Now he offers to come in to the committees next week. So basically he is saying let’s wait and see what comes out this week and over the weekend so that I know what they know. Then I concoct a cover up story and go in and be questioned. If he had any decency he would go in today and tomorrow……but he hasn’t and he won’t

Tubridy off air til review is over according to Newstalk.

The headings on those Toy show musical figures for expenditure are too broad. If it's just a one pager and no real break down, money is being skimmed. The expenditure is ridiculous.

RT/NK want a private meeting with the chairs of the committee’s first. It sounds like they want to dictate how the inquires proceed.

Sounds typical for them. Well they need to be told no and dragged in

Private companies are just as bad though. What always happens is new entrants for the *same job* and title are given a higher salary than their peers. It happens in my current company and every company I have been in. This is immoral and unfair. Do people argue with this when coming in? You bet they don't.

The solution here is to make RTE fully public and let the forensic accounting proceed.

13:30

Regards...jmcc