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

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Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,980 ✭✭✭skimpydoo


    By the way I was not insinuating that you are a FFG, I was talking to the FFG cheerleaders on here.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,980 ✭✭✭skimpydoo


    I don't think you are. See my post above.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 88,355 ✭✭✭✭JP Liz V1


    We All Good @skimpydoo

    BTW I do not think I am a cheerleader for any of the parties currently, disgusted with them all if I am honest



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,980 ✭✭✭skimpydoo


    Oh I know you are not a cheerleader for any of the current government parties. I was talking about the usual suspects on here.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭RoTelly


    Ah if you remember RTÉ have taken full responsibility for that even offering to pay her tax bill due to the error cause, when she was CFO!

    Really RTÉ should release the text message that she sent and her email to the DG asking for him to make a representation for her to the Oireachtas Committee.


    ______

    Just one more thing .... when did they return that car

    Yesterday



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,570 ✭✭✭Tow


    Don't forget that there is also tax (Income Tax, Employee PRSI, Employer PRSI and USC) on the tax Kelvin is paying for Breda, as the payment of an employee's tax is a Benefit In Kind.

    When is the money (including lost growth) Michael Noonan took in the Pension Levy going to be paid back?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭RoTelly


    I know that but sure … this is RTÉ way of thinking that nothing is taxable. Highly experience accounting staff in RTÉ and HR staff too.


    ______

    Just one more thing .... when did they return that car

    Yesterday



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭RoTelly


    Sorry a rant on Irish Times … link at the end …

    Again there is this perception that RTÉ and TG4 do not have stability, and that they could not have forecast their strategies.

    I have been following broadcasting for years I have never once heard RTÉ or TG4 look for a multi-year guaranteed budget. I am open to correction on this.

    Again she persists with the idea its really not a great deal because TV costs money to produce, and RTÉ have remits to make. From what i can see there are 3 remits under the act 1. A TV and a Radio channel that is of Public Service in Nature (RTÉ 1 and Radio 1), 2. A set percentage of the licence fee to go to independent productions (~€40m) and 3. The Irish Language. RTÉ seem to feel forced to do these things.

    They talk about the collapse of the licence fee sales, but again never venturing into why people don't pay the license or why evasion increased over the last year, lets not dwell on the mismanagement of RTÉ… however later in the podcast they start talking about how both RTÉ and TG4 have failed to invest in their studios. A suggested €300m price tag to bring RTÉ studios up to standard, on top of any energy efficiency that they have to make for 2030. So what was RTÉ management doing with their building over the last 40 to 50 years, how much were maintenance costs over the last 14 years, why was this left so late in the day. To avoid having to up keep listed buildings? And it seems almost everything is moving to the TV centre a newer building on the site. (I am also surprised that few people are not bring up this issue, this is just as much of a scandal as the governance issues).

    Again she suggest the headline figure is huge, but RTÉ had looked for more and had looked for a 5 year multi-year budget. Again this is new to me from any reports I had heard, and for journalists to start to suggest this was a normally requested even in Dee Forbes time seems a little like re-writing history.

    As you have seen from my last rant … RTÉ over the last 10 years has had stability in funding, it is up to them as professionals with years of wonderful experience to forecast for a strategy, again anyone want to take out a strategy and point to any tangible commitments, even take a look at the current New Direction and point to any that you feel are tangible.

    So the voluntary redundancy was over prescribe last time, only 25 people were given an exit payment from that, at least one may have been an executive, to me the Vol Redundancy are set up to facilitate retiring executives.

    She underestimates the value of Fair City, she says 12m, but in fairness to her a number of articles put it at that. So lets take a look at RTÉ drama production for 2022.

    Drama for RTÉ1 was €16m (plus 767k for 2, 1.2m for online*, 572k for Radio and 360k for TG4 support). This €16m on RTÉ1 is mainly for Fair City… lets take a look at their Commissioning annual report… Kin and 3 storyland shorts in total… at a cost of 2.5m (this is entirely for Kin and not the 3 shorts which aired on RTÉ2 cost 767k in total, though perhaps that also includes any live action children's dramas???). Taking this into account Fair City is cost €13.5m to make in 2022.

    What is strange about the Commissioning report they don't mention the TG4 from the main annual report, only Kin and the 3 Storyland shorts).

    On top of this spend on Drama RTÉ also have a number of co-production that will go through their Acquisitions / Co-Productions Dept, total spend on Irish imports was 4.5m … not all of this is Drama… RTÉ therefore spend between €5m to €7m on Drama outside of Fair City… a pittance and at most 2% of their total budget.

    I will take a break from the rant :)

    *1.2m for online drama again not listed in their Commissions annual report! Is this 1.2m partly for Fair City also?

    https://www.irishtimes.com/podcasts/inside-business/despite-its-725m-funding-plan-are-there-still-storm-clouds-on-the-horizon-for-rte/

    https://www.rte.ie/annual-report-2022/pdf/RTE_Annual_Report_YE22.pdf

    https://about.rte.ie/commissioning/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/06/RTE-Independent-Productions-Annual-Report-2022-2.pdf


    ______

    Just one more thing .... when did they return that car

    Yesterday



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭RoTelly


    I pretty much cover everything but sport.

    They talk about the partnership between RTÉ and VMTV on sports, and questions why RTÉ didn't sell any sport to VMTV since the 2016 euros.

    Now TV3 at the time said they got a bad deal out of that or that seems to be what is being said now, however IMO this deal was not just about getting RTÉ out of a whole but more about giving TV3 a boost after it had lost Coro St and Emmers to UTV Ireland.

    In June of 2016 TV3 because of the splitting of the games had 9% of the audience (its average for the year was 7.6%), this compares to RTÉ2's June figure of 11.6% and and average of 6.5% for the year. (UTV Ireland had an average audience of 6% but it move over to TV3 that autumn, become 3be (now VMTV THREE).

    To me this was a good deal for TV3, it boosted their audience that year, when they needed it.

    Slight different now RTÉ2 is dyeing a death, its audience share can be as low as 4% without sport, in June it had 13%, again a much need boost. And while Bakhurst might suggest that the Olympics won't bring in much in 2021 for July and August RTÉ2 had 11% compared to average for that year of 6.6%.

    Imagine Dee wanted to move sports over to RTÉ ONE.

    Yes I sadly have records of viewing figures going back to 2015!


    ______

    Just one more thing .... when did they return that car

    Yesterday



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭RoTelly


    Ah sure while I am here and have your ear.

    VMTV - It owned by a large corporation… they have some corporate responsibilities towards the community, perhaps they invest in their broadcast service.

    VMTV from what I know … VMTV is split between … names maybe different

    1. TV3 network ltd (VMTV ONE, and I suspect VMTV MORE and FOUR)
    2. Channel 6 Broadcastings (VMTV TWO)
    3. UTV Irleand Ltd (VMTV THREE)

    Their turnover I work out at 80m (again generous) per year, both Channel 6 and UTV Ireland are profit making.

    VMTV last year had 19.5% of the TV audience, ad revenue from TV came to 281.4m, 75% of TV channels sell air time in the Irish market meaning that VMTV has a potential total of €75m from ad revenue.

    ITV programming costing 20m, 15m in staffing costs (being generous), 15m for Sporting rights (again being generous), may 5m on broadcast and player costs?

    maybe your talking a 5m loss or a 20m profit!

    Back of the envelop stuff, but you see my point.


    ______

    Just one more thing .... when did they return that car

    Yesterday



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,372 ✭✭✭jj880


    RTÉ and the government are a toxic codependency. Cant do without each other. I wouldn't give a shyite about such relationships usually except its us mugs footing the bill for this one. The benefits of a public service broadcaster aren't what they once were. It all rings a bit hollow when you see a sickening dose pilfering round them with no real sanction. And now calls to jail anyone who doesn't contribute! Deary me.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 834 ✭✭✭z80CPU
    Darth Randomer


    ^^^ or Toxic Symbiosis



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,845 ✭✭✭LambshankRedemption


    The amount of drama on RTE is ridiculous. Yes Kin was good, but thats one limited run program.

    Take a look at the originals on the RTE player: https://www.rte.ie/player/all-programmes/originals

    There is not one program I would have any interest in watching.

    On RTE 1 at the moment is Reeling in the Years - which admittedly is entertaining, but, it is a repeat. In fact at this point, its a repeat of a repeat of a repeat. Ironic, considering, it repeats stuff that happened in the past.

    As RoTelly said, their budget for drama is a tiny percentage of their operating budget. I would ask, what are they spending it on, but we know. 350k for Joe Duffy. 250k for Ray, with that kind of money for 2 sub-par presenters, I'd imagine there are producers and researchers on that or more. Flip flops, dodgy deals with Renault, Marty Morisseys expense account.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭RoTelly


    oh yeah an RTÉ News are on their annual bus man’s holiday!


    ______

    Just one more thing .... when did they return that car

    Yesterday



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,845 ✭✭✭LambshankRedemption


    Well then thats even worse. What do they spend their drama budget on? It can't all be Fair City. Unless they are paying the actors Joe Duffy type salaries.

    Best Irish drama of recent times, that is not Kin? Bad Sisters. Produced by? AppleTV.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭RoTelly


    Paul from FC brought RTÉ to the WRC and we found out he’s on between 100,000 and 120,000, for 31 week’s work


    ______

    Just one more thing .... when did they return that car

    Yesterday



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,845 ✭✭✭LambshankRedemption


    Listening to Pat Kenny this morning, it seems the top earners in RTE are now management. I recommend listening to the segment on the podcast, or catchup.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭RoTelly



    ______

    Just one more thing .... when did they return that car

    Yesterday



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,845 ✭✭✭LambshankRedemption


    Considering I agree with everything you said in previous rants, I really don't mind 😂



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭RoTelly


    I have just seen Tim Nice But Dim getting nearly 300k … I will hold in my rants.


    ______

    Just one more thing .... when did they return that car

    Yesterday



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,051 ✭✭✭Gen.Zhukov


    I'll just leave this here for your perusal as FS discusses "The Ryan Tubridy scandal" and profane fees and salaries

    https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/revealed-the-real-rte-top-10-earners-as-executives-match-star-presenters-pay/a1281585951.html

    It's a stomach churning read - Lots of standout points in there. I love this one -

    The report was presented to the ­Cabinet last week, but curiously was not published alongside the unprecedented RTÉ bailout of €725m worth of public funding. The accounts for 2023 were approved by the RTÉ board at the end of January.

    Also,

    Claire Byrne is next on €280,000, down €41,000 on the previous year as she reduced her TV work to focus on her radio show.

    However, on the 26th June 2023 (as The Ryan Tubridy scandal was beginning to peak) Claire Byrne came clean on radio and said that she was paid 280k for radio AND 25k for TV work (crappy quiz show recorded at VM studios) giving a total of 305k

    Around 7:30 mins in

    https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/today-with-claire-byrne/programmes/2023/0626/1391187-today-with-claire-byrne-monday-26-june-2023/

    The quiz first aired on the 02/04/2023 - The entire series was recorded in just one weekend and I'd guess that w/e was in 2023

    As the figures mentioned in the Indo seem to be from the 2023 a/c's - I'm confused

    _____________

    The above was saved as a draft earlier. Then I remembered the scam I had predicted would happen a couple of years ago after some big deal announcement from RTE about freezing fees or something did happen, and it seems to have played out as I suspected

    So what we have here is Claire Byrne's figs being reported at 280k but the reality is 305k

    This obviously brings all the reported figures into question - The whole place is a rotten, disgustingly corrupt organisation and they've just been given a 725m bailout by the Govt



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,452 ✭✭✭jippo nolan




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭RoTelly


    @Gen.Zhukov independent tv programme, doesn’t show up on their pay packet, as I said many years ago, there is no way when Catherine Thomas was presenting The Voice, Op Trans and Fittest Family (plus as a radio stand in) that she was not a top earn at RTÉ.


    ______

    Just one more thing .... when did they return that car

    Yesterday



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,372 ✭✭✭jj880


    Each macaron had an RTÉ logo imprinted on the shell.

    They were sent out on Wednesday, while the Coalition was signing off on an unprecedented three-year multi-annual public funding of €725m.

    The €160 TV licence for every household was also retained.

    The anecdote about the queen of France during the French revolution is cited as an example of an elite being oblivious of the daily lives of ordinary people.

    RTÉ says the timing of the gifts had “no connection to the funding announcement” and was a “thank you for your support of RTÉ’s Olympics coverage”.

    lolz



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,570 ✭✭✭Tow


    The social welfare branch of the magic money tree hard at work. Designer macarons and flipflops for the elite.

    When is the money (including lost growth) Michael Noonan took in the Pension Levy going to be paid back?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,051 ✭✭✭Gen.Zhukov


    I know. Apples and Oranges - KT doesn't have a regular gig for 40 weeks pa, CB does. KT has nothing to do with the conversation tbh

    CB declares, live on-air, that her fees are 280k + 25k for 2023. It's then reported officially as 280k. This [outsourcing] was a special move for Claire following the announcement of changes for the 'heavy hitters' made a few years ago, and why that quiz was farmed out for Claire, for the first time, as all other shows were 'in-house RTE' previously, meaning the figures had to be included in the reported fees paid

    Easy on the pedantry fella, you're not the only one that knows what a corrupt, basket case of an organisation RTE is



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭RoTelly


    @Gen.Zhukov I probably should have used better examples … Doireann Garrihy, Jenny z and the westlife singer. But regardless of my pedantry I am agreeing with you.


    ______

    Just one more thing .... when did they return that car

    Yesterday



  • Registered Users Posts: 139 ✭✭seanrambo87


    I've read this thread from start to finish and I have to say; I've received far more valuable content and entertainment on here than I have in 37 years of being subjected to rte's offerings. I really have no more to add except to thank the few people on here who are more deserving of a pulitzer than any journalist I can think of. Oh and to thank rte for providing the content gratis........if only they had of ran with this story.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,845 ✭✭✭LambshankRedemption


    I'm not in any way defending the cooking of the books, but I do think Claire Byrne is more valuable than Joe Duffy and his 350k.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,845 ✭✭✭LambshankRedemption


    Pat Kenny said on his radio programme last week that when he started at RTE he was a low level radio announcer and the DG told him, if he wanted to be a "top star", he had to leave RTE emplyment, and be a contractor. He said, he imagined there were a lot of long time RTE workers who would appreciate their salary being pensionable.

    I work as a contractor in IT, and Ive had a few companies screw me around. One place fired me in December and tried to rehire me in Feburary, because there end of year figures looked better without my invoices. With RTE having so many contractors, theres all kinds of ways to cook the books. Employment Payment can get masked as Business Expenses or Broadcasting Consulting.

    I wonder are the published figures in any way accurate.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,051 ✭✭✭Gen.Zhukov


    No worries - We're on the same team after all. BTW, that aforementioned 'circular argument guy', that just wanted to know the best way to pay for PSB - this would be a great time for him to rejoin the conversation again I'd suggest - He might explain why the fraud section of AGS shouldn't be brought in to Montrosia and why the perfectly healthy Dee Forbes is not sitting in a cell in the Dóchas Centre.

    Circular argument guy, wherefore art thou?

    Hard to argue with that in fairness. Nice of Forbesy to sign off on a contract extension for him a couple of months before the s**t hit the fan - Perhaps Dee and Noel had an inkling of what was coming down the tracks.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,345 ✭✭✭✭Potential-Monke


    I used to be a Garda. I had "fights" with my Sergeant/Chief who pushed me to investigate a few incidents without complainants "in the public interest". So I've asked the Press Office why they're not investigating RTE in the public interest. Will update with their reply, if they bother... I may have suggested Harris is in on it.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,584 ✭✭✭ForestFire


    Let us know how you get on...

    But what would need to be done to actually make a complaint? Surely some member of the public has done so, are they dismissed , without evidence?

    And if so do they not watch TV in the Garda stations🤔. Evidence is already in the public domain.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,372 ✭✭✭jj880


    Ive heard it said a general complaint to the gardai isnt worth much. However if you demand a "criminal complaint" is made the gardai are obliged to follow up. Maybe @Potential-Monke can give an insight.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,345 ✭✭✭✭Potential-Monke


    Honestly not sure how it works. You'd think I would but when I quit I stopped remembering stuff and it's gone now, if I had that knowledge in the first place! But I'll let ye know what they say, if anything. I will be the complainant if required, but I shouldn't be. Its just sickening to hear how much these wannabe celebs get paid for less than part time work...



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,051 ✭✭✭Gen.Zhukov


    “We haven’t received any complaints.” The Commissioner said the force would only examine the possibility of an investigation if a complaint was made to it by executives in RTE.

    https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/gardai-launch-criminal-probe-rte-27228019

    Govt don't want anybody looking under that particular rock - Bad, nasty things live under it



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,584 ✭✭✭ForestFire


    But why by the Executives at RTE?

    Surely they could be part of the complaint itself, or complicate in the cover up?

    Not saying they are, but why can only they make the complaint?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,845 ✭✭✭LambshankRedemption


    Why only the Execs? Because except in exceptional circumstances, this does not happen:



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,070 ✭✭✭pjmn


    You'd almost have to admire their brass neck - they don't give a flying f*** for the public or the Government, the two cohorts that continue to fund these shysters…..



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭RoTelly


    Jenny Z & Doireann would both have been contractors of RTÉ back in Feb & March surely their DWTS earns would need to be released even if anonymously. Right?


    ______

    Just one more thing .... when did they return that car

    Yesterday



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 84,123 ✭✭✭✭Atlantic Dawn
    M


    The Director Of Operations and Technology is somehow on €282k, has he ever used the RTÉ Player? 🤔



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,345 ✭✭✭✭Potential-Monke


    Jesus H Christ... are there any other organisations outside of RTE who pays well above and beyond for such incompetence? You think the Director of Operations and Technology for Virgin would earn as much if the Virgin app was just as terrible? (It may be, I dunno, but I doubt it)



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭RoTelly


    They'd be removed from their position TBH. Not sure how VM would do it, also its unlikely that VM would pay any executive at VMTV that amount of money.

    Steve Carson (who will join RTÉ as Head of Video) was earning €204k to €216k as Director of BBC Scotland (really the DG of BBC Scotland, covering Scottish content, TV and Radio).

    RTÉ payscale should be more in line with the Civil Service. Their pay seriously got out of hand, how could they ever be in a position to negotiate with presenters, when they believe themselves to be working at the BBC.


    ______

    Just one more thing .... when did they return that car

    Yesterday



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,762 ✭✭✭✭machiavellianme


    Yum

    Not a lot for €132 though



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,788 ✭✭✭Karppi


    The very logo itself would take the edge off eating one.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,788 ✭✭✭Karppi


    ….



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,788 ✭✭✭Karppi




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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,845 ✭✭✭LambshankRedemption


    He's in good company then, because I dont think Ive ever used it successfully either.

    What makes it more frustrating, aside from watching the same ad for the 6th time, is that, by playing ads, it demonstrates that it can actually stream video, just not the content you want to watch.



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