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

According to the Irish Times, Forbes and Jennings are to be given the option to appear before the media committee virtually or to provide written answers to a set of questions from the committee.

Regards...jmcc

KB out with a megaphone on the RTE campus..... cringeworthy

Talk about being out of touch.

There needs to be clarifcation of exactly what is wrong with her and how it prevents her appearance before the committees. Any written submission will be lawyered to Hell and back and would be unlikely to provide any insight into what she did as DG.

Regards...jmcc

It is the same old stuff from RTÉ.

We need more money etc etc

The staff don't realize that many of them are part of the problem, not just at a high level but also because the fail to say anything to anyone.

It would be lovely to know but would you allow your employer know the medical reasons for your absence outside of providing a sick note. They will send you to the doctor but they won’t tell your employer either. So that ain’t happening and she knows it.

What legal powers has that committee got to compel anyone to appear ? It’s in the interest of those currently employed by the state or semi-state to turn up but after that I can’t see them legally compelling anyone.

I’ll take your word for it but didn’t we have a failed referendum for that. The legal guys were going to loose some earnings and made sure the committees didn’t get legal powers. It was in light of tribunal costs.

I think that the failed referendum would have granted more powers to these committees. Mattie McGraths's solution is looking more sensible by the day.

Regards...jmcc

The committees have been hinting at these powers for years but have never exercised them.

When Rehab were being grilled by the PAC we heard all about attendance being mandatory from Mary Lou and Shane Ross.

Then Angela Kearns went to the courts, the State defence was that attendance was optional. And now the Politicans are moaning because some people are opting not to attend, can’t have it both ways.

If the Politicans had the power to compel Dee Forbes they would have used it by now.

More than just Coveney.

Regards...jmcc

It seems as if RTE payments weren’t really out of kilter with how the state operates……but the shock and gasps from our political classes will be more muted with this revelation.

I'm not quite following that article... they were going to have the kids make the toys?

:)

They were going to get the moppets who sing on the Late Late Toy Show to also do the musical \ performances?

Should have just out sourced it to Billie Barry like in the old days.

A good friend of mine was the founder of BLB (Bray Local Broadcasting) now known as East Coast FM. They were taken to court for not having a licence to operate. When BLB's barrister asked to see RTE's licence, it could not be produced as RTE did not have one and there was no way of getting one. The case then collapsed and BLB became the first station to get a broadcasting licence. Since then countless others licences have been issued and 2FM has found it hard to compete with other stations.

The sad thing was that Ireland had a growing local radio market and the gombeens in FF/FG/Lab nearly destroyed it.

Regards...jmcc