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

The problem with RTÉ is that it will believe its own PR.

https://about.rte.ie/2025/01/10/record-breaking-2024-for-rte/

RTÉ Player has record breaking 142 million streams, up 42% year-on-year

This is true but 142m stream is nothing to write home about. 390K stream a day, or per hour 16K, this is RTÉ ONE +1 audience levels at best.

RTÉ delivers 42 of the Top 50 of 2024’s most-watched shows on TV, with Sport, RTÉ News, and Eurovision among Top 20 programmes

Sport is makes up 24 of the top shows, all of which were on RTÉ2, remember Dee Frobes and Co want to drop sport from RTÉ2 and move it over to RTÉ ONE. And what of that sport Euros and Olypmic Games a big year for RTÉ2, a channel devoid of anything other than sport for people to watch, which audience levels without sport get between 4 and 6 %.

Also these sports are what RTÉ in their annual report will say are "special events" and if we didn't have to produce them we would have made a profit.

Steve Carson, Director of Video, RTÉ, said: “RTÉ constantly strives to provide audiences with a unique and compelling mix of content that they deserve from their public service media organisation. We are delighted to see audiences engaging with RTÉ content in such high numbers on television and on RTÉ Player across a wide range of genres, from trusted News & Current Affairs, Irish Drama, Entertainment and Documentaries, as well as national events and major sporting moments.

We invested in both the functionality and availability of RTÉ Player and it has paid off with an enhanced user experience and expanded catalogue clearly delivering for audiences. RTÉ is committed to continuing to deliver relevant, engaging content for Irish audiences that sets us apart from global media companies and streamers. We will continue to provide that for Irish audiences in collaboration with the independent sector in 2025 and beyond.”

First Director of Video sounds like Direct to Video and is a title of a by gone age, Director of Visual / Director of Visual Content might be a better title.

Well done I suppose it will help to get you out of the mess you created from 2013 to 2023.

Just to note that I forgot RTÉ had added the latest series of the Young Offenders to the player just before Christmas so this would bring the average down to 60,870, putting it in 8th position.

There is one viewer out there that watches 6,163 ads in rotation before they get to watch Shortland Street.

At this point RTÉ should be split up and public service broadcasting saved.

The broadcaster has not be run well across the board, this is just not what we all see and hear everyday via their output, but also in relation to general governance of the company, maintenance of the Montrose and other sites run by RTÉ, along with their employment practices.

The current DG has also said to upgrade RTÉ's buildings would cost 300m, and pointed to leaking roofs and so on.

Also for those contractors in RTÉ how did you get to be contractors for 20+ years even 5+ years is a strange situation, there had to be some incentive not to be a member of staff.

When asked if Mr Bakhurst’s statements suggest that RTÉ considers that the need to remain solvent outweighs the legal rights of employees seeking restitution, the spokesperson said “we do not accept the premise contained” in the query.

Explain why you don't accept the premise of the query.

Thanks. First we need to stop complement people, the questioner starts by saying that you have performed well at the Oireachtas committees. This is similar to when people say oh RTÉ is good for News and Current Affairs … but.

Second. I'd argue that Beforbes is general angry when he is at those committee meetings, he is dismissive of everything IMO.

Beforbes is shocked at this mistreatment of contractors ! its as if he wasn't Deputy Director General of RTÉ in the past.

The audio from the Town Hall Meeting is well worth a listen if just to hear how patronising Emer Cusack (Head of HR) is.

Being questioned by one of the minions is not to her liking.

Also, apparently Kevin Backhurst's body language is very defensive in the video.

This could get murkier and murkier for this crowd.

In my experience, heads of HR that dont sound patronising at just good at hiding their condescension of the ordinary worker. You need to remember, the Job of HR is to protect the organisation form its employees, as much as they want to tell you otherwise

If Bakhurst really does think that compliance with the law is optional, he needs to resign or be fired pronto.

Getting info from the Dept and from CnaM is like pulling teeth. They do not want to be contacted by the public.

The Media division of the department are refusing to take phone calls and have issue a request to that effect to the porters at reception.

Meanwhile the CnaM have ditched their info@ email in preference for the new users support email address.

Emailed info@ on 10/12 with

RTÉ has proposed to close a number of digital radio stations in 2024. 

I believe the RTÉ have issued this proposal under the broadcasting act 2009, section 103. 

I believe that the Department has sent the CnaM the proposal. Do you know when you will be able to make a decision on this proposal? 

No reply, I left it until after Christmas to which I replied on 14/1

Did you receive my email dated 10/12/2024. 

I think that is plenty of time for them to reply, to which they forwarded it on to their user support team with

We received the below complaint via reception. 
Would you please be able to respond? We can assist with wording as required. 

So firstly its not a complaint, secondly you sending it on to someone you clearly don't believe will be able to answer the question. Meaning you are going to have to write the answer.

User Supports answer

Thank you for contacting Coimisiún na Meán.  

The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media is required to consult with Coimisiún na Meán regarding the sectoral impact and the public value of the proposal submitted by RTÉ to close four of its Digital Radio Services. Our role is to act in an advisory capacity to the Department for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. However, the final decision as to whether to permit the closure will rest with the Minister. 

We are currently in the process of carrying out our assessment and will provide a summary report to the Department in March 2025.

I suppose saying "when will will make a decision" was my fault as I did mean "when would they advise the Minister".

So the digital radio stations that were due to be closed in 2024 the CnaM will advise the minister in March of their view which will be to close the stations!

Civil servants are further entrenching themselves, with a view never to answer a phone call and never to answer an email, rather get a call centre to do it for you. Sadly the call centre added CnaM's forwarded email back to me in their reply.

I think they have a common understanding….

RTE:- You don't put us in any of your programs (GOV) and we won't put you (TDs) in any of our programs!!!

Well that's a load of old bollocks as all of the big names on 2FM (back when it still had big names) got started on the pirates, they hardly brought on anyone new for 20+ years and those they have brought in since are nothing to write home about

Why are you paying the TV Licence? I stopped. Not advocating that you stop, wouldn't do that here, but many have stopped haven't seen a TV Licence inspector in my life.

Free to Air means unencrypted.

Bakhurst made that utterance regarding NK in a World where

1 democracy was actually functioning

2 there was no enormous effort by RTE along with the lines of Easons to rehab NK "Talent"