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

Here is a fun fact: Dee has been in hiding longer than Saddam Hussein, he made it 9 months before being caught.

Can she match or beat Mengele I wonder? 🤔

Dee probably got 1/2 million put into an escrow account on agreement that she keep stum. She definitely received a lottery winning substancial exit package because the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sought details about her contract and any exit arrangements. RTÉ declined to provide this information, citing legal and contractual obligations.

I cannot imagine many if any backroom staff who'd be willing to work with him, knowing all the s**t that went on. Brian Ormond did far less, and was blacklisted from RTE for life. That was over a decade ago.

Considering the recent staff exodus from RTE, there would be far more if even a hint of Tubridy returning was to be whispered in the RTE halls.

The weasel turned up at Joe Duffy's going away party. Considering it cost €2000 bucks, I wonder how much he charged to make an appearance? Tubridy used to charge about €3000 to make an appearance at an event. If he had to give a speech, it was double that.

They have no idea.

They've gone with the idea of More Of as their catchline for their new season.

More of the same… do you see what I did there.

https://presspack.rte.ie/2025/08/20/coming-soon-notes-to-editor/

They are trying hard to put some good light on things.

Storyland
RTÉ’s upcoming Storyland series increases from three to four dramas this season, with one drama as Gaeilge for the very first time. Storyland establishes a pipeline for new talent, helping to springboard actors, writers, and directors into international careers, as well as RTÉ dramas. Tall Tales & Murder lead Ella Lyly Hyland starred in Storyland’s Wrapped in 2022, Robert Sheehan returned to RTÉ to play the lead in Blindboy Boatclub’s Did You Read About Erskine Fogarty? and, behind the camera, Mia Mullarkey, who directed Wrapped for Storyland has directed two upcoming episodes of Hidden Assets. Further details on Storyland will be announced shortly.  

Wow increasing to 4 dramas, and one in Irish wow, that isn't just more that's níos mó…

Seriously Robert Sheehan and Blindboy need no springboards, and the series is largely forget able.

And sure when you have one of one thing why not have a second

Home Rescue: The Big Fix and DIY:SOS (now there's something more original)

Keys to my Life returns and sure why not a new series called Museum of Me,

Museum of MeDermot Whelan guides public figures through the creation of a deeply personal exhibition, curated from the items that matter most to them. As the process unfolds, heartfelt memories and surprising revelations emerge, culminating in an intimate opening night where family, friends and the public experience the true story behind the objects—and the person.

More of the same.

https://www.independent.ie/news/i-want-to-bring-fun-passion-and-mischief-to-rte-says-tv-boss-steve-carson-as-door-remains-open-to-ryan-tubridy/a181570534.html

Real nonsense from the Director of Video.

The Traitors is an average reality TV series, its not original as its a copy of a Dutch series, it good entertainment but its isn't in anyway "reithian" and not every show needs to have all the 3 pillars of the Reith view of public service broadcasting.

Meanwhile, the new season is much of the same as before. I see nothing new or mischievous about it, far from it, its more safe than anything.

Larry Bass the saviour of RTÉ. Sure he's probably paid more than the DG himself.

He did get The Apprentice on TV3. But really he doesn't have very many options, you'd think he was also negotiating with Virgin Media Television to take DWTS the way he is going on.

does that mean hopefully Virgin Media may give “Sammy Sausages” the heave too?

I don't think VMTV have much of a budget outside their in-house programming.

No word of their annual season.

One more gone

https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/rte-hr-executive-at-centre-of-sweetheart-deal-scandal-to-leave-donnybrook-station/a937109494.html

While not due to the scandal, it still is largely due to that.

What did Brian Ormonde do?

So Claire Byrne leaving RTE… was it a pay cut, was she fired, or did she quit because she didn't get Liveline?

I'm kind of curious about it, tbh.

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio/2025/08/29/claire-byrne-to-leave-rte-for-newstalk-radio-slot/

The Media have such Cognitive dissonance.

The co-ordinated announcements are the biggest shake-up in talk radio since Kenny left RTÉ in 2013, after 41 years, to take up the Newstalk slot that he has held since then.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/claire-byrne-to-leave-rte-and-take-over-from-pat-kenny-on-newstalks-mid-morning-show/a1863442034.html

The move marks a major change for the country’s most popular commercial radio programme at Newstalk, which Kenny has presented since he himself made the move from RTÉ to Newstalk in 2013.

Clearly saying that it not the biggest shake up on Radio 1 Schedule but still ignoring the elephant in the room.

https://www.thejournal.ie/claire-byrne-leaves-rte-6802740-Aug2025/

The journal goes with

News of Byrne’s departure comes just a few weeks after Joe Duffy retired from his long-held role at the helm of Radio 1′s Liveline programme. A replacement presenter for the show, a staple of the Radio 1 schedule, has not yet been announced.

The examine avoids and talk of major shake up with either channel

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41696030.html

Business plus is a little more honest

https://businessplus.ie/business-insights/claire-byrne-pat-kenny/

She added that she received €25,000 separate to her salary in 2023 to present 10 episodes of quiz show Ireland's Smartest. The programme was not recommissioned after its first series.

First time anyone mentioned this after she announced she doesn't do any "extra work" but she does really at least with that show… It was so good it got 1 series.

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mccullagh-moves-to-today-programme-as-byrne-to-leave-rte-1796968.html

https://www.thesun.ie/tvandshowbiz/15761155/rte-claire-byrne-quit-radio-leaving-newstalk-pat-kenny/

Overall I feel that Claire will possibly retain Pat's auidence and that is what Newstalk will want, while they will hope Pat Will bring in a bigger audience to weekends.

I suspect that Claire will retain, but Pat's move to weekends may not be as easy.