Not a good look. I wonder did he go because this was going to come to light?
Threadbans:
CGI_Livia_Soprano
Sorolla
Stevie2001
Rothco
realdanbreen
Paterson Jerins
Aldo006
HBC08
Clay Shaw
Pintman Paddy Losty
northknife
StevenToast
ButtersSuki
Bobson Dugnutt
He made an statement that the original figure published was actually right and RTÉ were wrong to print a restatement of his earnings. Implying that the "extra money" wasn't paid to him in 2020 and 2021, it was owed, as part of his agreed (secret) contract, but not paid. It was actually paid in 2022, but as RTÉ hadn't published the top earners for 2022 yet, the original figure was actually correct.
I see Kathryn(shouty)Thomas mentioned above and people wondering what's goin on - Pretty simple explanation afaic...classic Noel Kelly at work. Was most likely a deal that was done and dusted before the Tubs payment scandal - contract signed months ago and cannot be reneged on irrespective of the bad optics now. It's exactly how Noel works - Think 'Drivetime' for instance...cash-strapped RTE replaces 1 presenter with 2 (Cormac O'Hara being an NKM lad, certainly at the time) Cormac proceeds to destroy the show imo. The result of these two placements simply makes Kelly more money
How Kelly got away with this time and time again is the big question and would need a standalone investigation. I would guess a deep-dive into Forbesy's emails/phone comms would help
I noticed Kelly was extremally reluctant to divulge how much he was paid for a particular deal during the committees and was let off - he shouldn't have been let off. We need to know how many millions have been paid to NKM (via RTE) over the years...It's public money, the clue is in the committee name - The Public Accounts Committee
Separately -
While Bakhurst's hand was forced into dumping Tubridy, the net result of that is he [KB] has now been blooded - he's made his first kill and it will make any further kills that much easier. So I hope that Mr Bakhurst has become emboldened and more confident in his role. I'd say he's feeling pretty good right now...because it sure was a 'baptism of fire'
I didn't twig that at the time but I'm not surprised. He's being channeling the whole Kennedy aesthetic for years. The Communion haircut and sharp suits are about as far he'll get.
I wonder if he ever had any intention of bringing him back. He's obviously an infinitely more intelligent man than RT. Maybe he was going through the motions, showing willing, but knew in his heart RT wouldn't be able to help himself and then it'd be game set and match with Tubridy the author of his own demise? Keeping NK out of the negotiations and meeting Tubridy on his own would make me believe he knew he could outsmart him.
Maybe?!
Sorry. Not caught up. High level, what did Tubridy do to essentially shoot himself in the foot?
Most definitely.
Perhaps Tubridy has some fantasy in his head about the Presidency, perhaps fancies himself as JFK
I certainly think that, during the committee hearings, he was channeling his self-perceived RFK gene; Ryan was tapping away at the desk as emphasis to his lofty remarks. This tapping was a bit of a hallmark of RFK
Zig and zag and Ian Dempsey was my favourite breakfast show ever
The timeline - this is an extract from an article I read online.
On June 22, the RTÉ board issued a bombshell statement detailing hidden payments made to Tubridy from 2017-22.
His earnings had been under-declared by RTÉ to the tune of €345,000, partly as a result of a deal worth €150,000 with Renault Ireland that had been curiously underwritten by RTÉ.
The issue came to light during a routine internal audit, which was then reported to RTÉ’s Audit and Risk Committee.
It asked Grant Thornton to carry out a full review, which was presented to the board on June 16.
If memory serves me, the auditors discovered the barter account payments in March 2023, and Tubridy anounced his departure from the LLS in March also. He was then taken off air in June and the rest, as they say is history.
Ryan’s name still on the website for tomorrows show- looks like they haven’t made the new jingle yet 🤪
https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/listings/radio/#/radio_1/2023-08-21/
Yeah, tbh as I said it was something someone suggested on the thread when I mentioned that I was surprised at the timing of announcing a second presenter for the Rose of Tralee. It seemed very tone deaf, to say the least.
Tubridy maintains he made the decision to leave TLLS well in advance of the enquiry- doing this wouldn’t have stopped “awkward questions” as he still had his radio show and obviously wanted to remain with RTÉ so no, I don’t believe he left TLLS because of that -
I think he left it because he knew what a poisoned chalice it really was and has just kept up the facade in recent years to make the most of the ludicrous salary he was on- now with the hay made, he thought he’d spread his wings a bit, do money for old rope on his radio show for close to 200k a year and spend his time doing other projects.
Obviously that hasn’t gone his way- however he can still do those “other projects” - it’s actually a pity he hadn’t written that JFK book as now would be the perfect time.
Id day he’ll be back to writing and researching another book- something about Ireland or a former Irish politician - honestly can’t think who as so much has been written about so many- so maybe it will be about a place- likely somewhere in Connemara- but will need to be something that catches the imagination as again, so many books on that place.
I don't think Katherine Thomas is with RTÉ except as a stand in and for the RoT, her work on OpTrans is for an Indo Company. So as I have mentioned before she doesn't get into the top ten list!
RTÉ have to look at what they are providing in terms of content. Do we honestly think that the presenters of the Today Show on TV should be paid anymore than €80k for an 8 month position?
RT maintains he had been planning to leave for the previous year and had been discussing it with people close to him.
I find that extremely hard to believe.
As for the recent developments, RTs position was untenable, I have no idea why KB was trying to bring him back on the airways in any instance. Part of the rational for these guys being contractors for the employer is you don't have to beat around the bush with this type of thing. Just don't renew the contract.
Maybe we can move to more important questions no that RT is off the table. When are we going to hear from Dee Forbes and the remainder of the board? When are charges going to be brought against individuals? What is the future for RTE?
This whole situation seems to have started unravelling from when Tubridy announced his withdrawal from the LLS. Did that announcement trigger the whole sorry mess, or was his departure from the LLS because he knew awkward questions were being asked and he thought maybe he'd sidestep the during a director general handover.
Sorry if this has been covered earlier in thread but I'm only following it now because I always find the cover up phase in such dramas as more entertaining than the initial revelation shock.
I agree, I think a new broom, a complete outsider would probably have swept Tubridy out straightway. It would have been easier for the new broom too, no prior relationship with the person or the organisation.
I thought all along Bakhurst didn't have the backbone to do the needful. And he didn't. Until his hand was forced by none other than Tubridy himself.
He has at least set down a marker anyway as regards salaries. Still overblown imo for the work and the hours involved. But the arguments about other jobs for the 'talent' and all the revenue/ ads they bring in, have been well and truly blown out of the water.
He came across quite well on Prime Time, I thought. Measured in his delivery. But as others have said I don't think he is the reformer that is needed.
Let's see what happens next.
Whatever happens, when Tubridy does come back from his 'extended break' he'll be so recharged, he'll make the Duracell Bunny look lethargic.
Yeah on some level I would empathise with Bahkurst. He's been left in a horrible position by Forbes. He has shown real strength of character, shoveling the **** he's been asked to shovel while maintaining his composure. He clearly has good polical instincts as well. He wisely neutralised Kelly, and out-manoeuvred Tubridy while at the same time setting a sensible € benchmark for the salary negotiations to come.
Forbes on the other hand has left everyone high and dry, this really speaks as to her character. And, as another poster said it certainly calls into question the judgement of those who appointed her in the first place.
I really hope Bahkurst gets results out of all this. I don't think he's the great reformer that many think he is, he hasn't done enough to justify that tag just yet. He is also an RTE oldboy. And this is room for suspicion in itself, given that he would have been exposed to RTE Corporate culture and was aware of how they operate on many levels. I hope I'm wrong about my cynicism for Bahkurst but it's hard not to be. He shouldn't have ignored the grassroots in RTE when attempting to reinstate Tubridy. That was a mistake that he may live to regret.
1
That’s what they are trying to do now, Drivetime is the perfect example.
They have ruined an excellent show at a prime listening period with guffawing buffoons and whoreing public messaging .
Maybe KB "going on holidays" was a deliberate plan. Let everything play out a little, let sides settle down, let everyone have a think and let any decision made be considered and thought out rather than a knee jerk populist reaction. I'd say he wasn't having much a break from all this whilst on holiday.
We also have to remember that he had no plans to be the DG at the beginning of June. Suddenly he's in the hot seat taking the blame for his predecessor who very conveniently hasn't said one word about what she knew or what special deals she made.
Talk radio for the sake of talk was never public service. I'd love if RTE could be pared down to essential discussion rather than trying to compete with ShoutTalk and all the other outrage outlets.
If they had a meeting about the optics, paid her the money etc but didn’t place her on the show it would come out later in some other report as a cover up 😁🤣
He had that rascal dummy can’t remember it’s name but it just worked- Eugene obviously was a ventriloquist and you just went along with it in your mind when you heard the puppets voice- it’s like listening to zig and zag on The Dempsey breakfast show back in the day/ - you just suspended reality and sat back to be entertained
I remember listening to Niall Boylan when Classic Hits launched as 4fm. I thought it was a breath of fresh air having a late night chat show but as time went on I found that he had the same callers on every night and if you didn't have the same opinion as him he would shut you down. I don't think he would get a look in as he was always using his chat show to critise RTE. Rightly or wrongly I just don't think Niall Boylan would abide by the rules as he is very opinionated and could cause controversy which is the last thing RTE wants while this scandal is on going.
This mainly.
“It is also clear that my actual income from RTÉ in 2020 and 2021 matches what was originally published as my earnings for those years,” he said.
It seemed to imply that he did not owe RTÉ the money and also that all of the mistakes made were theirs. He was owning nothing. Also he was not helping to end the scandal.
It is understood his position is that the payments were from Renault and the UK barter company rather than RTÉ and were related to work distinct from his RTÉ work.
However, Mr Bakhurst said he was “particularly disappointed” with this statement and that Mr Tubridy had to accept the restated figures were correct.
He sought clarification from Mr Tubridy’s lawyers, who are understood to have told him that their client was not “in any way inferring that RTÉ was incorrect in relation to its restatements”.
From here https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/tubridy-did-not-want-to-cause-difficulty-for-rte-with-statement-sources-say-1516579.html
Puppetry... on the radio. Talk me through that
Upon hearing of Bakhursts decision to bring Tubridy back, my initial reaction was, "ah here we go again. 'meet the new boss, same as the old boss' ". But to be fair to him he had a delicate balancing act to perform in his attempt to keep all invested parties happy.. the licensce fee payers, the divided RTE staff, Tubridys dedicated listnership (all 4 of them) and even Tubridy himself. It was an impossible task. There was always going to be at least one disgruntled party. It was a brave attempt and he was inevitably going to receive flak regardless of what decision he made.
Tubridys leaking of private conversations between himself and KB might have been forgivable but the release of the Wednesday evenings statement after the GT report (before running it past his employer while in the final stages of a new contract negotiation) was the the final straw. Tubridys lack of humility and awareness of knowing when you're onto a winner is breathtaking!
Despite Bakhursts rocky start.. going on his holliers in the first few weeks of a prominent position.. I have renewed faith in his abilities to clean up RTE.
Now if he can deliver on his vow to downsize the payments to the 'talent' (are you listening Mr. Duffy, Darcy et all?) .. there might just be some hope for the role of PBS in Ireland.
Indo headline today,
"Kevin Bakhurst wanted an excuse to pull out of deal, says Tubridy inner circle"
So doubling down on the doubledown.
I'd find it hard to believe that was some over-arching strategy of his Oscar. He's not at that level where of some master strategist playing Chess while everyone else plays Chequers. That would require him to play a long game he just hasn't got.
It's been all about the short game with Tubridy and Kelly. They don't seem to play the clock forward on their actions. At least not in this crisis, from what I've seen.
Perhaps Tubridy has some fantasy in his head about the Presidency, perhaps fancies himself as JFK. Sure we all thought we were ninjas after watching The Karate Kid, as kids. Maybe Tubridy has delusions after writing his JFK book.
Either way, he's more of a chance of getting shite out of a rocking horse.
Ryan has a very firm following by a certain unquestioning cohort of society who believe entirely that he is 100% motivated by #kindness. Mostly women in my own age group, some young women too, and men of course, but all minded to think their hero really can’t do any wrong. It’s a cult worship phenomenon, not one I get myself as my mind can be changed about any figure or person given new evidence, and indeed sometimes I like people even though they might be terrible in a very human or rascallish way, but it’s not because I believe they are perfect or beyond my own criticism. Some people negate all potential negative emotions about a chosen hero; they are the cohort of see nothing wrong whatsoever with Ryan’s dealings.
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://w1.vanillicon.com/v2/1dfa17521f83716a5b701f1ba1121709.svg)
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://w1.vanillicon.com/v2/1751471ae521095b085946f3afd00e1d.svg)
