How do they get away with it? Off for the Week! [MERGE]

monkeyfudge · 17-12-2006 01:46PM

Threads merged.

Jaysus... is Balfe still going? I had him as a lecturer in college.... brrr... bad memories.

At my station there is always a large list of people looking to get a slot on xmas morning. I'm hoping to get something myself even though I'm not really into the whole presenting thing... just so I'll have something to do as I'm usually sitting in the office there on xmas morning anyway.

yamo · 18-12-2006 03:34PM

broken record...

what is the bee in your bonnet in relation to rte?

J.R.HARTLEY · 18-12-2006 03:57PM

i read last week that between mooney, kenny, tubridy etc they'd have to cover a day each all day for the week of christmas as the new station head doesn't like pre recorded programs, so tubridy has to do 1 by 9 hour shift instead of 5 x 1 hour shows for the week, same for the others mooney and kenny only doing 1 hour less in their all day shift than they'd normally do all week, as i understand it they won't be doing their own programs but a magazine type program, i'll have a look for a linky, but it was in the paper.

yamo · 18-12-2006 07:44PM

not the case. there isn't a talk radio station in the world that would ask a presenter to cover an 8 hour shift on their own, even if it was a magazine style show with music allowed.

rte's xmas schedule is available in the sunday times culture section/rte guide etc. will be some live programming, with a lot of documentaries, music shows and other bits and bobs thrown in. plus quite a bit of sport the week after xmas as they cover the leopardstown festival.

FlutterinBantam · 18-12-2006 08:56PM

I have no bee in my bonnet with regard to RTE.

However, I do expect some kind of value for money for the fee I pay each year.In my honest opinion,that does not include being forced to listen to recordings and repeats for the two busiest holiday weeks of the year,especially potentially the biggest audience is available

Just to put the station on auto pilot for two weeks in my opinion is not good enough and bearing in mind the vastly inflated salaries these people earn ,again in my opinion,this is not a good use of taxpayers money.

I will always hold this opinion unless things change,but I won't hold my breath as the gurus out there havn't the balls to confront the vested interests and the unions.

DMC · 18-12-2006 09:31PM

You love chasing your own tail.:rolleyes:

There is nothing to discuss here since the last time I entered into correspondence in this thread. Complain to RTÉ, don't come back here and regurgitate the same old tired posts.

mike65 · 18-12-2006 10:52PM

DMC - the anti internet!

Boards.ie closed due to lack of posts, etc

Mike.

FlutterinBantam · 18-12-2006 11:13PM

DMC wrote:

You love chasing your own tail.:rolleyes:

There is nothing to discuss here since the last time I entered into correspondence in this thread. Complain to RTÉ, don't come back here and regurgitate the same old tired posts.

Well, its somewhat theraputic to rant a bit here I will admit.

No use whatsoever complaning to RTE ,all you get is the stock answer and nothing else.

Have I not made even O N E valid point???:rolleyes:

DMC · 19-12-2006 07:52AM

FlutterinBantam wrote:

Well, its somewhat theraputic to rant a bit here I will admit.

No use whatsoever complaning to RTE ,all you get is the stock answer and nothing else.

Have I not made even O N E valid point???:rolleyes:

One in your eyes maybe, but there is no point banging on here and whingeing about it all the time. I betcha any money, you'll be here at mid-term break, St Patrick's Day, Easter etc. banging on at the same point.

Can I ask what stock answer you got when you did complain? Some people come here to complain, but don't complain directly to the source of the problem. They just want to go on an Anti-whoever whinge. Thats why a lot of people don't bother complaining, because they think know the answer they might get, or either the matter seems trivial. Who is to know that they know you (or others) feel this way?

Whingeing is bad if you don't follow it up. Don't bother replying to the thread until you get some sort of a reply from RTÉ.

tbh · 19-12-2006 08:06AM

DMC, I've lost a little bit of respect for ya (I'm sure you're worried). Please don't dictate what people can talk about - The thread title is clear, the username is displayed, so if you don't want to read it, don't open the thread. Ranting is what boards is all about. (or of course you could always report the thread)

DMC · 19-12-2006 08:36AM

tbh, tbh, I think you may find that I'm playing the ball (the post) not the man.

If there is nothing to add since the last time the thread was created, or if the OP has complained to the proper channels, rather than just come on here and repeat the same issues he has again, there is a touch of "whats new about it?"

They won't know its an issue to him until he complains.

tbh · 19-12-2006 08:58AM

No question you played the ball, DMC, I'd have been highly surprised if it had been any other way - I always find your posts very well-informed, you're one of the few posters I would acknowledge as an authority on any subject. (enough of the arse licking now)

The fact is tho, that if Bantam wants to whinge, he should be allowed to do so - you're not forced to read it. But that's all I wanted to say and I've said it now

DMC · 19-12-2006 09:26AM

Of course he's entitled to post, if he so wishes. I won't deny him the right to do so. I don't mod anymore

I just feel the thread is going around in circles without anything new actually occuring. Spleen vented, as it were.

Thanks for the nice comments. Likewise, with the LTI forum, a very important addition to boards, which will come in more useful to me in the coming months. You mod a good ship there.

FlutterinBantam · 19-12-2006 09:32AM

'Your concerns have been passed to the Controller of Programmes"
End of story ,end of interaction.

As this is a radio forum I feel I am entitled to post on what I consider is a very important radio issue.I will listen with interest on how the national commercial station reacts to its first Xmas of nationwide broadcasting.
I can't help drawing the analogy of Ryanair and Aer Lingus in this scenario.
Aer Lingus, when it had a monopoly, rode roughshod over the punters and only when the harsh winds of economic reality whistled past their nose cones did they sit up and take notice of what the PUNTERS wanted.

I live in hope that maybe RTE might have noticed that trend,and instead of suiting the so called A listers, might remember who pays their wages at the end of the day.

yamo · 19-12-2006 10:27AM

I suspect Newstalk's schedule will be based largely around pre-recorded 'best of', with various standins doing the shows around xmas week. at least, that was the way things worked when I was there. Media organisations are the same as any other company - people want to have time off at christmas - not just the presenters, but the researchers, sound operators, producers etc.

as for christmas being one of the busiest times of the year from the point of view of an available audience - my experience would suggest that the number of punters listening decreases at this time of year - particularly to news/talk radio programming. People are happier listening to the fairytale of new york for the umpteenth time on music radio stations, or they're listening to the new cd/ipod/mobile phone they've gotten from our fat bearded friend in the red suit.

In fairness, RTE over xmas is far from being on autopilot. There will still be live programming of one form or another on throughout the holiday season, as there will be on all stations, be they local or national. However, I would hazard a guess that a lot of the hours on all stations will be filled by pre-recorded material.

as for your question about whether or not you made one valid point - well, you did. It's just that you keep making the same point over and over again without developing it, offering a solution or making it slightly different from the posts (as DMC rightly pointed out) which we will doubtless see over Easter, the summer and any other holiday season when RTE presenters take holidays....

FlutterinBantam · 19-12-2006 02:21PM

Very fair response there Yamo.Of course everybody wants to be off at Xmas,bus drivers/theatre staff/airport people/retail workers etc. but because of the business they are in they cant pull down the shutters.I would include RTE in that category but.... well.

Anyway...I am going to listen to RTE 1 quite a bit over Xmas and the New Year, I will note the repeat content . the 'Joe Jackson content' the truncation of current affairs programmes and other stuff that bugs me.

I will evaluate, and depending on my reaction will send an e-mail to the controller of programmes and...wait for it...and the good readers of the radio forum on Boards.ie will be the first to see whatever reply I get.

Hows about that then:D

DMC · 19-12-2006 05:02PM

That's cool with me. I would like to see the replies there.

yamo is perfectly right in thinking that audiences for radio drop off severely over the Christmas period. TV walks all over radio at this time of year. But you also get the chance to produce specials and innovative programmes into the schedules. I for one don't want the same programmes all the time. Its right to try something new, Christmas would be a good time to do it.

WRT comparing to Bus drivers etc, there are opportunities for overtime in workplaces like that, where in RTÉ, that might not be the case.

The truncation of news and current affairs programmes I can understand, as the Govt is on holidays, press offices aren't open, and a lot 9-5 places (Judiciary, state quangos) are closed for the period. There's a whole lot of discussion gone.

I note that in the RTÉ Guide, the Newstalk schedule is the same as normal for the 25th, but that might be laziness either on the part of Newstalk or the RTÉ Guide itself.

FlutterinBantam · 19-12-2006 06:24PM

Fair enough DMC.. being picky.. why does the radio listnership drop off during the Xmas period?,too many frikken repeats and general drivel.Which came first? Chicken or egg?...anyway will do as planned and will report back if sufficiently riled up to compose e-mail

Byeeeeeeee:D

mike65 · 19-12-2006 09:25PM

Everyone is gathered round the cathode ray fire!

Mike.

J.R.HARTLEY · 20-12-2006 05:26PM

yamo wrote:

not the case. there isn't a talk radio station in the world that would ask a presenter to cover an 8 hour shift on their own, even if it was a magazine style show with music allowed.
.

no no yamo an eight hour shift does not equal an eight hour show, they'd be doing three hours or so with music and sports bullettins, ms Leddy apparently doesn't want to many prerecords on the air, but they have to be around for the time period in case there is any breaking news, 8 hour work is what they normally do anway by the time their research and program planning is sorted.Kenny was quoted in the article, if i could get my hands on it, saying it's not a bad idea, that when the tsunami happened they covered it quite well as there was a live presence there,rather than just techies and prerecords.

DMC · 20-12-2006 08:19PM

FlutterinBantam wrote:

Fair enough DMC.. being picky.. why does the radio listnership drop off during the Xmas period?,too many frikken repeats and general drivel

Well, people's everyday routine is broken up.
You are not necessarily in a traffic jam going to work over Christmas, all the kids are off school etc.

The routine of a radio schedule tends to mirror what people do in everyday lives, people do something else while listening to the radio, its wallpaper for the most part; in the car, doing house work etc. They don't sit at home, smoke a pipe and listen to ceili music a la 50 years ago

FlutterinBantam · 19-02-2007 01:22PM

I see Davis in for Duffy today... Has Duffy's voice finally given out or has he joined the INTO as his absences seem to mirror those of teachers holidays.

With four times the frikken pay:cool:

DMC · 19-02-2007 03:33PM

'tis mid-term in a lot of schools, alright. Going back to your Christmas report, when some names hung around, is Duffy the only one off this week? Mind you, he does have school going triplets!

Give me Davis over Duffy any day, or is Joe lying low after the John Waters Eurovision spat?

FlutterinBantam · 19-02-2007 03:52PM

Collins is off today...but only for the Monday it appears.

Don't know if there are any other teachers out there;) early days yet.

Regarding Waters... jaysus.. shows what a hard neck and knowing the other

open toed sandal dudes in RTE can amount to.:)

mike65 · 19-02-2007 04:22PM

You'll find Tubridy gone and Moncreif on Newstalk (Twink is sitting in!). I'm sure a few more will be shown to be absent.

Mike.

FlutterinBantam · 20-02-2007 08:51PM

Thats right.... as the Dublin man would say "Tubberys gone for the week.

Pity that absolute GOON at 3 o'clock wouldnt permanently.. I heard the f****r shrieking while I was on the pot and I damn well nearly put a seven iron thru the tranny... Gimme Twinkle any time!!!!

UrbanFox · 23-02-2007 09:55PM

DMC wrote:

'tis mid-term in a lot of schools, alright. Going back to your Christmas report, when some names hung around, is Duffy the only one off this week? Mind you, he does have school going triplets!

Give me Davis over Duffy any day, or is Joe lying low after the John Waters Eurovision spat?

Do the "first team" players feel secure about letting their locums present their programmes ? Derek Davis is sound IMHO and always does a good job with Liveline. When was the last time that you heard Joe Duffy thank Derek Davis for presenting in his absence ??

Ray777 · 25-02-2007 11:15PM

FlutterinBantam wrote:

Pity that absolute GOON at 3 o'clock wouldnt permanently.. I heard the f****r shrieking while I was on the pot and I damn well nearly put a seven iron thru the tranny... Gimme Twinkle any time!!!!

"Ya wanna hear more?!"

Does anybody else shout "no I don't, you cunt" at their radio, when he says that?

FlutterinBantam · 26-02-2007 08:58AM

Ray777 wrote:

"Ya wanna hear more?!"

Does anybody else shout "no I don't, you cunt" at their radio, when he says that?

Post of the year.....

And I thought I was the only one!!!!

mike65 · 26-02-2007 07:10PM

If by chance I should have made it to the end of Liveline that desperate appeal sends me straight to somewhere (anywhere) else. Who thought it would be anything other than an outrageous presumption anyway?!

Mike.

How do they get away with it? Off for the Week! [MERGE]

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