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RTÉ admits paying Tubridy €345,000 more than declared

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Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,232 ✭✭✭✭Oscar_Madison
    #MEGA MAKE EUROPE GREAT AGAIN


    Well I certainly hope the new DG in charge doesn’t start making allowances for the multiple gravy trains that have been in place in RTÉ for generations at this stage- he’s either there to sort the whole sorry piece of sh1t institution out or he’s not.

    Someone above mentioned similar to “how he could even consider bringing Tubridy back in the first place”

    - yeah I’m listening closely to that comment- that poster isn’t wrong in raising that query at all -

    the new DG is on a honeymoon period but that period is limited- he has a silver platter chance with the ousting of Tubridy to make much more significant changes- he better fcking make them because as a taxpayer I’m paying his fcking wages -

    he can’t take any sh1te from here on in with “established practices” that completely waste taxpayers money- either sort it or resign- that’s my message to him-

    anything less and he’ll get the same backlash Tubridy got- that’s totally evident from the posters on this forum at least and it’s very comforting to be part of such a thread/

    this hasn’t been a bitch/moan thread- practically every regular poster here over the last few days has been genuine in their views and are very respectful and balanced in thief responses to others -

    well done everyone!



  • Posts: 2,825 ✭✭✭ Kingsley Itchy Locust


    So Joe Duffy is now RTEs highest earner for is 1hr 15 minutes a day of breathing into the like saying "Ah jaysus it's terrible Bridie"?

    I think Kevin Bakhurst needs to "talk to Joe".



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,042 ✭✭✭stevejr


    The only logical reason for RTE wanting Tubridy back was muzzle him and Kelly, and to keep his powerful, polical family happy. They are all part of the same establishment after all.

    RTE are facing into an existential crisis. Tubridy was a loose end that needed be tied up before facing into the real storm.

    When Tubridy released the statement on Wed, RTE realised he couldn't be trusted to tow the line so they cut him loose. Silver lining for them(as if they deserve it) was that their new DG came out of it lookin like Billy Bigballs.

    What's the reason for being reasonable?

    Is that an unreasonable question?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 857 ✭✭✭spuddy


    Bakhurst is an intelligent guy. He couldn't get rid of Tubridy based on what had happened to date, as there was fault on both sides. But as soon as Tubs scored the own-goal, Bahkurst siezed the opportunity. Credit where credit is due.

    On top of this, he went on tell Sarah McInerny, straight to her face on PT, that other presenters (like her) would also have their salaries cut. When have we heard anything like this from an RTE DG before? He knows that these are the type of actions which will start to rebuild trust in the organisation. This is no walk in the park, but as a licence fee payer, I'm delighted to see it and I wish him every success.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,732 ✭✭✭Frank Grimes


    There was never going to be an apology, I'd say even now he still believes he did nothing wrong and was entitled to everything he got. You just have to look at how he conducted himself on the radio show (I never watched the LLS with him as host other than clips of him making a balls of various interviews), he was getting paid 6 figures to do it and still he just showed up and read off cue-cards with absolutely zero preparation for half the show, then some interview which he would invariable turn around to talk about himself.

    One of the last 'greatest hits' of his riffing that I heard was him reading a cue-card about technical terms related to meteorology (I think, something scientific anyway), he was struggling to pronounce some of the words (due to the usual zero preparation) and then just casually dismissed it with "I'm not reading that" and went onto the next piece of nonsense. And still RTÉ thought it was appropriate to pay this guy €170,000 to continue this obscene waste of public funding until he wound Kevin Bakhurst up with that statement during the week.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,207 ✭✭✭sporina




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,146 ✭✭✭✭Spanish Eyes


    Evening all. I apologise for not having read the entire thread so if this has been said before ignore it.

    I believe I heard a "half shut door" in Backhurst's statement on this. Something along the lines of T might return "at some point in the future". Now in my mind (and I have no problem if I am totally off the bat here), that to me said that RTE and Backhurst were doing an optics number on this. Look at me, I am sweeping the place clean, Tubs is gone now let's get this organisation back to business.

    Or in other words, Jayzus the unwashed are not paying the license fee, we are in debt up to our eyballs and this is all because of RT the blx. So let's find some excuse to kick him to the kerb. Hey Tubs, give us a one liner that will give me an excuse to fire you cos we need those who don't like what's gone on to start giving us license money again. OK, you do that and I'll look great, everyone will be happy, the money will come in again, and I'll get you back in the family in a little while when the dust settles. What? OK great, thanks that should work.

    To me it is all optics. But I am a cynic.



  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 11,312 Mod ✭✭✭✭squonk


    I think KB showed some form here. I think that up till now he couldn’t rant let RT go as the break would be on RTE. Especially when RT was vindicated by the Grant Thornton Report. I know nobody is ready fooled that RT isn’t morally guilty here but technically he’s done nothing wrong so I’m sure the door would have been open for legal proceedings to arise. I think for just if you are a contractor and your employment ends, so fe it and if you have coasters to cover that great bit otherwise you’re out on your bum. You have no grounds for legal recourse. I think RT/NK are but the average punter though so some solicitous, barristers and judges would likely be bothered due to this.

    im thinking that he knew quite well who he was dealing with so by opening negotiations with RT directly he was giving him enough role to bang himself with and RT dully obliged. I suspect KB was looking for any blot on the RT copybook to use as an excuse to break off and the blame back on RT. I think he was right in maybe thinking that RT was so arrogant and tone deaf he couldn’t help putting his foot in it at some stage, and he did, spectacularly. In the end KB had multiple sources of grievance to cite fir breaking off and putting the blame squarely on RT

    The irony here is that RT comes from a major political family so you’d think some of that nous would have rubbed off in him Instead it was just the sense of entitlement and arrogance he inherited

    KB played him like a fiddle really



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,232 ✭✭✭✭Oscar_Madison
    #MEGA MAKE EUROPE GREAT AGAIN


    Well I can tell ya now my expectation is that he remains Billy Bigballs or he’ll be hearing from me and 1000s of others

    I’m not paying my licence fee again until I see real change happening



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,042 ✭✭✭stevejr


    Like a lot of people I was sad to hear of the death of Michael Parkinson this week. And it was natural to compare and contrast the two men. Parkinson put enormous effort into his interviews and would have large dossiers prepared on each of his guests, his questions would be designed to allow the interviewee to shine. He was rarely overawed by any of his guests. He had the ability to listen to a guest properly, and tease out what they really wanted to say. And like Gay Byrne and Pat Kenny he seemed to be able to read people.


    Unfortunately for Tubridy, he didn't have the innate talent or work ethic to be anything other than the safe mundane poster-boy of a dysfunctional TV station. The deaf-ear he's gotten abroad is proof in the pudding.

    What's the reason for being reasonable?

    Is that an unreasonable question?



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,232 ✭✭✭✭Oscar_Madison
    #MEGA MAKE EUROPE GREAT AGAIN


    Keep posting that every few pages will you- it’s a fcking frightening fact- everyone needs to see the black and white reality of this sh1t show called RTÉ’and that fact says it all - no more licence payer funding from me that’s for sure

    Post edited by Boards.ie: Mike on


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,294 ✭✭✭Rubberchikken


    Bakhurat has to follow through with what he is saying though.

    He has to clean house..and be seen to do it.

    Maybe he can't downsize Joe Duffy et al and their high salaries but he needs to make sure that those amounts are never seen on any of the presenters that aren't in the nose-bleed salary bracket.


    Contract drawing up needs to be changed..agents need to be kept at a very long arms length and the tax/ licence payers need to see big changes/improvements in rte.

    I appreciate that he finally showed tubridy the door but he wasn't going to until tubridys comment regardless of both sides being somewhat responsible.

    Fear of being sued?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 35,913 ✭✭✭✭NIMAN


    I think Bakhurst, with this action, has really put himself in a great position.

    He has basically said to everyone, "I'm the boss here, there's going to be no sh1t taken".

    He can now play hardball when it comes to all the other 'stars' and when their wages are being discussed. Hasn't he already said 170k or 190k should be the max wage? If so , the likes of Joe Duffy, Claire Byrne and Brendan O'connor will have to take big cuts. But not one of them will leave cos they are still on the pigs back. In fact, he should set an hourly rate on them, instead of a salary.

    He also needs to take a good look at the 1800 employees working for him, why has rte got such a huge number of staff?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,130 ✭✭✭coolbeans




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 61,272 ✭✭✭✭Agent Coulson


    I think Brendan O'Connor is probably the highest paid per minute on the radio.

    €245k a year for 4 hours a week that works out at €1,180 an hour take away ad breaks news and weather he is probably only on air for less than 90 minutes each two hour show and that's working a full 52 weeks a year which he doesn't.

    Post edited by Boards.ie: Mike on


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 845 ✭✭✭GSBellew


    (Saint) Patrick Kielty should be good at getting the snakes out of the country 🤣



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,650 ✭✭✭Field east


    It’s latest effort is the. Attempt to create a brand around Marty Morrissey ie THE MARTY SQUAD. Next in line is Kathryn Thomas for this brandtreatment



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,232 ✭✭✭✭Oscar_Madison
    #MEGA MAKE EUROPE GREAT AGAIN


    Equally important is unravelling all of the long term temporary contracts that likely have valid cases to be called full time employees of RTÉ- not the current DG’s fault but another big ticket item that needs to be addressed - really, interested parties who have a gripe against RTÉ need to organise now and get in line for their issue to be addressed- no more of this “everything’s just dandy” bollox that the public have been fed for years-gloves are off now so hopefully they’ll remain off until we see progress



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,148 ✭✭✭Hyperbollix


    This whole system of "contractors" and "talent" needs to go in the bin. It's beyond a joke that in a tiny market like Ireland where only the odd one or two very able broadcasters might be poached to go abroad, that our national PSB should he facilitating people who are in most cases effectively RTE lifers, in avoiding income tax and earning multiples of the people who work off camera. Its perverse.

    Everyone at RTE should be a regular employee with a pension etc. Most of the current "talent" would gladly accept 150 - 200k to work for the nations PSB and largest media organisation. And if they outgrow it and get offered mad money in the UK, let them off and look for the next up and comer.

    But how many Claire Byrne's, Brendan O'Connor's or Miriam O' Callaghan's are going to swap leafy south Dublin and the chance to work and raise their kids in a very comfortable setting at home in Ireland, for grimy Tory Britain? Not many.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,042 ✭✭✭stevejr


    It's unfortunate, but I'd lower my expectations if I were you Oscar.

    Bakhurst will soon be shackled. It's not in the Government's interests for the new DG to rock the boat too much.

    Unless this fiasco tips into some sort of GUBU territory, the government/establishment will close ranks, with the the usual oft-touted final 'report' diluted down to nothing. It's not in any of their interests to allow the contagion to spread.

    It'll be business as usual in no time.

    What's the reason for being reasonable?

    Is that an unreasonable question?



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  • Posts: 2,825 ✭✭✭ Kingsley Itchy Locust


    Haha I'll post it daily so. I don't listen to liveline daily. I only dip in and out of it when there is a major story in that catches my attention to sort of guage opinion. I've probably listened to it less than 10 times in the past 3/4 years.

    However, I've am aware of his hours and where he stands on the RTE salary scale and I'm always left very underwhelmed.

    His style is unremarkable, inarticulate and to be frank, he sounds very disinterested in most topics. I could imagine he's sitting there online shopping or booking a holiday as Bridie is off on her rant. There is no innovation in format. Every time I tune in that catches my attention.

    Thoroughly undeserving of that rate of salary. For that level of work he should be delighted with €100k max (taking into account habitual listeners and advertising revenue) are justifying that level.

    I think Brendan O'Connor is much more intelligent and with it than Duffy however he is also undeserving of the level of pay he is on. Christ the whole thing is a mess to unravel. It really got out of control. RTE Christmas Guide cover should be interesting!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,232 ✭✭✭✭Oscar_Madison
    #MEGA MAKE EUROPE GREAT AGAIN


    Like how da fck has he achieved those frightening salary figures for such nonsense ? It’s laughable as well as tragic 😀

    Post edited by Boards.ie: Mike on


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,232 ✭✭✭✭Oscar_Madison
    #MEGA MAKE EUROPE GREAT AGAIN


    Ah look all you can do is try and keep the momentum going and all I can do is post shoite like that in the hope it helps 😛- yeah my expectations aren’t high at all TBH. and I’m not at all holding my breath o this one



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,305 ✭✭✭Emblematic


    Good analysis, imo. He had to wait for Tubridy to put his foot in it. The odd for Tubs is that the statement that got him terminated was something he should not have said anyway for his own best interest even if he was not negotiating with RTE. What he said merely further undermined his credibility.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,732 ✭✭✭Frank Grimes


    There's no talent in RTÉ, just NKM's spin that the people he represents aren't incompetent fools.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,130 ✭✭✭coolbeans


    What a saga. Glad to see Tubridy where he belongs but the real problem is RTE culture. If I'd my way I'd sell Montrose for a billion or so and use those funds to re-establish the national broadcaster in the various regions. HQ would be in Athlone though. Keeping it in ivory towers land aka D4 would only embolden the effers and lead to the culture eats strategy for breakfast phenomenon. I'd scrap the licence fee too and have it fully funded from the exchequer. Overall budget would be much smaller. None of this advertising shite as we have all seen where that ends.

    All of the above is probably populist nonsense but it's what I'd do.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 16,804 ✭✭✭✭Goldengirl


    100% agree with this .

    Think Tubridy's statement was needed by Bakhurst to get rid , but he has been very careful to play along and give RT enough rope , knowing that yer man would hang himself eventually .

    Am fairly impressed after that interview that he was sending a strong message out to all with NKM that the fun was finally over and that everybody can justify their salaries or move on.

    Good for him , somebody doing their job in RTE , finally.

    Help keep Boards going , subscribe or donate if you can.

    https://subscriptions.boards.ie/



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 18,375 ✭✭✭✭fritzelly


    With linear TV viewership dropping 2-3% year on year the current RTE model is doomed to disaster. UK linear TV has dropped something like 20% in the past 5/6 years

    The only future for RTE is purely as a PSB channel and leave all the commercial stuff to private broadcasters - RTE could never hope to compete and a lot of the stuff on the RTE player (of what is worth watching) is available elsewhere. The RTE player if run right could be a subscription service for 5 euro a month (not worth anymore when you consider the alternatives like Now)

    But RTE cannot see outside their own bubble - lots of talk about modernisation and planning for the changing viewership for years but nothing has happened



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,168 ✭✭✭✭Strazdas


    There's still room for state broadcasters though. The European Broadcasting Union has a huge amount of clout - I don't see any scenario where each country still doesn't have its own national broadcaster, even in 20 or 30 years time.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,197 ✭✭✭✭LambshankRedemption


    I do actually meet many of those requirements. I'm not very smart though. The sound desk might befuzzle me.

    Post edited by Boards.ie: Paul on


This discussion has been closed.
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