RTE and the Licence FEE

Freddie59 · 13-11-2011 05:00PM

HugoBradyBrown wrote: »

Salaries are paid from advertising, not TV tax revenues

Therefore REMOVE THEIR ADVERTISING STREAM and make them live in the real world. It is ludicrous that they now appear to have a TRIPLE INCOME STREAM (this subsidy from the Government for the licence fee - as well as the licence fee itself and advertising:eek:). FFS.:mad:

Ash.J.Williams · 13-11-2011 06:02PM

HugoBradyBrown wrote: »

I am loath to intrude on this discussion, but I feel it needs to be pointed out that for the price of the Racing Post a couple of times a week you get two full TV services, many radio services (including RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and RTE Luric FM, value-added services on multiple platforms, Aertel, the two orchestras, a vast and rich archive and library, podcasts, RTE Player, some SW broadcasts when required, and much more. In addition,and at no cost from the TV tax, there are other fine services, such as the RTE Guide. (In addition, we sustain the infrastructure to allow other potential competitors to operate in the market.)

24 hour broadcasting, with the finest of production staff and of on-air talent, at a cost that is, in objective terms, in fact marginally too low. The cost ought to increase to 200 Euro immediately, with a gradual increase thereafter to 250 Euro, in order to continue to meet the quality and quantity demands of the audience, and the parallel demands of the professional personnel who know how to and want to deliver even more, even better.

(I trust I have not intruded on a trolling game?)

Hugo there is no doubt that if RTE's house was in order, then it would be great value..however...it is not. Everybody is overpaid and and above their station. To us the the viewer that is quite sad, because we want that life too...

Ash.J.Williams · 13-11-2011 06:04PM

jimmynokia wrote: »

then this appears in the paper today i nearly fell of the chair laughing

RTE stars struggle to pay mortgage is this a joke.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/rte-stars-are-struggling-to-pay-their-mortgage-bills-2933380.html

Sunday November 13 2011
Some of RTE's well-known faces are struggling to pay mortgages and other bills, according to Ireland's biggest talent agent.

Noel Kelly has spoken out against the backlash RTE presenters are facing over their pay -- revealing that some of the personalities are struggling to make ends meet on their current salaries.

His comments come as RTE announced this weekend that the top 10 RTE presenters earned €4m between them in 2009.

Speaking to the Sunday Independent, Mr Kelly, who is Ireland's first showbiz superagent, said the fixation on stars' salaries is in stark contrast to the reality many TV personalities are facing.

"These figures are completely blown out of proportion," he explained.

"You forget that you have to take 51pc tax off, PRSI, PAYE and then health insurance, which gets more expensive as you get older. And then, of course, there's no guarantee of job security."

Mr Kelly, who represents some of Ireland's biggest names, said everyone had now played their part.

"Some of the talent on my books have taken a number of pay cuts since 2008. There is no doubt about it, they are stepping up to the plate time and time again."

And he revealed the financial pressures that some of Ireland's household names were now facing: "Some of the talent can't afford to pay their bills or bloody mortgages with what they earn and with work not being renewed. If a show is cancelled what can you do? You can't exactly force them [the RTE bosses] to keep it on.

"We have people struggling like everyone else, trying to get an interest-only mortgage and not being able to get one, having to sell their car. This idea of them living in this ivory tower on huge wages is simply not true.

"When you look at a footballer's career, they only get a certain amount of time and there's no certainty in it, and it's the same in the media.

"People contracted to RTE who are not permanent members of staff have no pension, no sick pay and no security."

Commenting on TV3 presenter's Mark Cagney's comments this week that RTE's biggest names "are living in a cocoon", Mr Kelly said: "It's easy to throw stones but it's not true. Commercial station rates aren't exactly small either. They are willing to pay for big names and big presenters too."

Meanwhile, Sean O'Rourke, who appeared on the list earning €214,084 in 2009, has spoken out this weekend about the latest figures.

"I've already taken three pay cuts since the start of the recession and that figure includes the amount RTE put towards my pension contribution.

"It's also worth pointing out that I believe there are several broadcasters in the private sector who are earning the same, if not more, than the people on RTE's top 10 list."

The only newcomer to the top 10 is 2fm presenter Colm Hayes, who joined the station from FM104 in 2007. He earned €213,954.

Speaking this weekend, he said: "That figure is two years old and does not reflect what I'm earning now.

"That reflects a figure that I was enticed out of commercial radio for. Then the recession hit and there were cutbacks and I have had two contracts since and taken a significant pay decrease in each. Noel Curran has made it clear that when new contracts come around, there will be a 30pc cut and that's the reality of where we are now and I'm delighted to play my part."

Remarking on the top 10 salaries, a long-serving producer in RTE said: "The biggest thing that jumped out at me was, despite being probably the hardest working presenter in the country with Prime Time, Miriam Meets and Saturday Night With Miriam and taking virtually no holidays ever, and constantly doing endless additional work like the presidential debate, all the weekend coverage of the presidential election count and this coming new year's eve special, it's clear Miriam gets a lot lot less than the other big names.

They added: "The fees are high but it's remarkably unfair how some are inexplicably much higher than others. It's also worth noting that only two of the top 10 are female, so there does seem to be a large degree of gender imbalance there."

Pat Kenny remains RTE's top-paid presenter, according to the latest salary figures which were released by the state broadcaster on Friday.

In what is the first time in two years that RTE has agreed to publish the fees it pays to its top 10 presenters, it was revealed that Kenny earned €729,604 in 2009, while the next highest earner in 2009 was the late Gerry Ryan, who earned €585,944.

Ryan Tubridy is in third place with €519,667, despite taking over the Late Late Show.

Marian Finucane's fee of €570,000 is seen as the most controversial because she only broadcasts four hours a week. The presenter saw a 10 per cent reduction to €513,270.

RTE's Liveline presenter Joe Duffy's fee was €389,314 in 2009, while Miriam O'Callaghan earned €290,625.

Derek Mooney is RTE's seventh highest-paid employee earning €268,985 in 2009, while Eamon Dunphy took home €225,485.

- NIAMH HORAN, Entertainment News Reporte

the substance of that article came from noel kelly who is already bleeding RTE dry as he represents just about everyone in RTE!

STB · 13-11-2011 07:29PM

G-Money wrote: »

I was wondering recently why RTE is getting money from the licence fee when they also get money from advertising. The BBC aren't allowed to advertise so why doesn't the same apply to RTE? I know there is a difference in population numbers but I don't really see what that has to do with it, except that perhaps the BBC has to cater to a more diverse and bigger audience so you could argue they deserve funding from more avenues than RTE does.

I almost never watch RTE One or Two. I think I can count on one hand the amount of times I've watched RTE this year to date. There's just very rarely anything on it that I want to watch. Occasionally I will flick on the RTE News if there's something specific going on here that I want to know about, but other than that, I never watch either channel.

It is all about population and revenue. We dont have a 66million population like the UK. Neither do we have the luxury of 4000m in licence fee revenue that is collected in the UK.

In Ireland the collection is apx €200m and not all of that goes to RTE.

RTE simply cannot survive on that cash without commercial income and still perform their public service function that is enshrined in law. They spent €75million on the new Saorview infrastructure. AFAIK not one of the other TV stations is even paying carriage costs on it!

Regardless of what you watch, Irish people as a whole count RTE1 and 2 in their top viewing preferences by some distance. Ask the advertising agencies!

I'm no RTE protector, but lets get it straight at least. The amount of poor mouthing commercial TV vox box posts here makes this thread somewhat unbalanced.

13-11-2011 07:55PM

Hugo, please answer the question I have posed to you twice already

No wish-wash answers, no fobbing off, just a simple yes or no will do. I will rephrase the question for you

Have you ever been paid, directly or indirectly, by the RTE?

Mike 1972 · 13-11-2011 07:58PM

STB wrote: »

In Ireland the collection is apx €200m and not all of that goes to RTE..

So how do you explain the fact that TG4 gets a tiny fraction of RTE's funding and yet can produce top notch documentaries and the type of public service broadcasting which RTE miserably fails to ?

And this coming from someone who doesnt speak Gaelic and has no inclination to do so !

saa · 13-11-2011 08:06PM

Who ever benefits from the fee should really cut their cloth to measure.
No high salaries!
Get rid of Fair City, please?

HugoBradyBrown · 13-11-2011 08:20PM

saa wrote: »

Who ever benefits from the fee should really cut their cloth to measure.
No high salaries!
Get rid of Fair City, please?

If anyone thinks that serial drama should be abandoned, or that the viewers would tolerate it, think back to when Tolka Row and then The Riordans were discontinued (both before my time), or, later Glenroe. When, at the time, I defended the decision on the latter, I recall being accosted by disappointed aficionados of the drama. People everywhere love serial drama, it provides an anchor in the schedule (itself one of the minor arts, deserving of a muse of its own, in my view), and it appeals to advertisers, and, in the case of Fair City, it is our own. Even Eastenders plays an important role in bulking up and retaining the audience for PSB television in Ireland. QED, I should have thought.

Doc Ruby · 13-11-2011 08:29PM

What I don't get is people who voluntarily pay twice as much for a Sky subscription, only to get repeat channels, blocked channels, channels that are on saorview or youtube anyway, and advertisements every five minutes. I mean its complete crap.

mikom · 13-11-2011 08:32PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Hugo, please answer the question I have posed to you twice already

No wish-wash answers, no fobbing off, just a simple yes or no will do. I will rephrase the question for you

Have you ever been paid, directly or indirectly, by the RTE?

Quoted to highlight.
"Have you ever been paid, directly or indirectly, by the RTE?"

*Awaits bolloxology...."Well my dear fellow we have all been paid in one way or another through RTE's dedication to broadcasting"

Ash.J.Williams · 13-11-2011 08:33PM

"in fact i recall the great marty whelan ....bla bla"

HugoBradyBrown · 13-11-2011 08:36PM

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

"in fact i recall the great marty whelan ....bla bla"

It's less than 12 hours until the next edition of Marty in the Morning, RTE Lyric FM, 7 - 10 am, Monday to Friday! (Thursdays live from Dundrum Town Centre, Fridays with Neven Maguire as special guest.) Thank you for the reminder.

)

mikom · 13-11-2011 08:38PM

HugoBradyBrown wrote: »

It's less than 12 hours until the next edition of Marty in the Morning, RTE Lyric FM, 7 - 10 am, Monday to Friday! (Thursdays live from Dundrum Town Centre, Fridays with Neven Maguire as special guest.) Thank you for the reminder.

)

He's shite.

ifitburwilll · 13-11-2011 08:41PM

HugoBradyBrown wrote: »

If anyone thinks that serial drama should be abandoned, or that the viewers would tolerate it, think back to when Tolka Row and then The Riordans were discontinued (both before my time), or, later Glenroe. When, at the time, I defended the decision on the latter, I recall being accosted by disappointed aficionados of the drama. People everywhere love serial drama, it provides an anchor in the schedule (itself one of the minor arts, deserving of a muse of its own, in my view), and it appeals to advertisers, and, in the case of Fair City, it is our own. Even Eastenders plays an important role in bulking up and retaining the audience for PSB television in Ireland. QED, I should have thought.

What about the fact that spar paid €900,000 to brand christies shop a Spar store for the next few years THAT show is more than paying its way it seems.

HugoBradyBrown · 13-11-2011 08:44PM

mikom wrote: »

He's shite.

Marty, I find, appeals to people in the same way that coriander, foie gras and caviar do: until they try them, they believe they hate them; they try them and they find they cannot get enough. Do try; barely 11 hours away now, and the finest of PSB radio is available at no charge. The result, usually, is that the listener emerges into the exterior daylight with a smile on her or his face, and a spring in the step.

ifitburwilll · 13-11-2011 08:45PM

mikom wrote: »

Quoted to highlight.
"Have you ever been paid, directly or indirectly, by the RTE?"

*Awaits bolloxology...."Well my dear fellow we have all been paid in one way or another through RTE's dedication to broadcasting"

a politicians way of saying yes
lessons from the school of straight talking
now lets practice
repeat after me
yes yes yes yes yes
see how easy it is

patwicklow · 13-11-2011 08:48PM

Its a bit like the irish pub trade a cartel end of, nothing we the honest people can do only throw the TV sets out the window then can they still force us to pay for some thing we dont watch!

mikom · 13-11-2011 08:50PM

HugoBradyBrown wrote: »

Marty, I find, appeals to people in the same way that coriander, foie gras and caviar do: until they try them, they believe they hate them; they try them and they find they cannot get enough. Do try; barely 11 hours away now, and the finest of PSB radio is available at no charge. The result, usually, is that the listener emerges into the exterior daylight with a smile on her or his face, and a spring in the step.

Marty, I find, appeals to people in the same way that a turd does.
I don't have to taste it to know that it is vile.
The smell and look of it is enough.

He's shite.
signed,
A member of the public unconnected with RTE.

HugoBradyBrown · 13-11-2011 08:54PM

mikom wrote: »

Marty, I find, appeals to people in the same way that a turd does.
I don't have to taste it to know that it is vile.
The smell and look of it is enough.

He's shite.
signed,
A member of the public unconnected with RTE.

I would always advise a person with an open mind to suck it and see.

Ash.J.Williams · 13-11-2011 08:54PM

HugoBradyBrown wrote: »

Marty, I find, appeals to people in the same way that coriander, foie gras and caviar do: until they try them, they believe they hate them; they try them and they find they cannot get enough. Do try; barely 11 hours away now, and the finest of PSB radio is available at no charge. The result, usually, is that the listener emerges into the exterior daylight with a smile on her or his face, and a spring in the step.

you're right about fois gras...listening to marty is like getting force fed with a tube shoved down your throat and having your liver removed and eaten.

mikom · 13-11-2011 08:56PM

HugoBradyBrown wrote: »

I would always advise a person with an open mind to suck it and see.

Well you'd be an authority seeing as you are sucking at the teat of RTE.

mikom · 13-11-2011 08:59PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Hugo, please answer the question I have posed to you twice already

No wish-wash answers, no fobbing off, just a simple yes or no will do. I will rephrase the question for you

Have you ever been paid, directly or indirectly, by the RTE?

Quoted to highlight.
"Have you ever been paid, directly or indirectly, by the RTE?"

Hootanany · 13-11-2011 09:03PM

Hugo have you ever had a sexual relation with RTE

Wetai · 13-11-2011 09:06PM

Doc Ruby wrote: »

What I don't get is people who voluntarily pay twice as much for a Sky subscription, only to get repeat channels, blocked channels, channels that are on saorview or youtube anyway, and advertisements every five minutes. I mean its complete crap.

Because they choose to. They decide they want Sky - and what packages/stations of sky they want - they don't just get automatically bundled in and pretty much forced to pay for it, because Sky assume you have a TV (that's actually used for viewing television channels).

HugoBradyBrown · 13-11-2011 09:07PM

But, to cut, as Proust would say when he was relaxing, to the chase: if RTE PSB was anything like as bad as the vocal minority here claim, would we tolerate it? The public themselves would be up in arms. The contrary is the factual position; check the figures for the latest available Late Show; see what Brendan pulled in; check on how many chose to join the Liveline; how many watched the 'Streakers' on Saturday night?

These are facts; they may be unpalatable to persons with fixed views against the national broadcaster, but they are facts. To say otherwise is on all fours with trying to deny gravity, as everything tumbles towards the ground before your eyes. My views are with the people.

RichieC · 13-11-2011 09:08PM

I will not contribute to anything that pays that lothsome **** joe duffy a wage. He wouldnt be working in any other country.

Freddie59 · 13-11-2011 09:13PM

STB wrote: »

It is all about population and revenue. We dont have a 66million population like the UK. Neither do we have the luxury of 4000m in licence fee revenue that is collected in the UK.

In Ireland the collection is apx €200m and not all of that goes to RTE.

RTE simply cannot survive on that cash without commercial income and still perform their public service function that is enshrined in law. They spent €75million on the new Saorview infrastructure. AFAIK not one of the other TV stations is even paying carriage costs on it!

Regardless of what you watch, Irish people as a whole count RTE1 and 2 in their top viewing preferences by some distance. Ask the advertising agencies!

I'm no RTE protector, but lets get it straight at least. The amount of poor mouthing commercial TV vox box posts here makes this thread somewhat unbalanced.

How true. It is ALL about population and revenue. I would love a BMW (drools). I cannot afford one. So I drive a Toyota. Because i can afford IT.

RTE is just another example of the craziness that is endemic in Ireland at present. People paid a million Euro a year in salaries, unions who wouldn't agree to changes in work practices to start breakfast TV, the list in endless.

We are not the UK. We do not have a population of sixty million. You have €200m in licence fee revenue AND advertising. And are employing TWO THOUSAND STAFF. FFS it is completely ludicrous.

RTE is a dinosaur. The only thing that is protecting it at the moment is Government inertia for fear of fall-out.

I don't want to see RTE go under.

However, I do want them to come into the real economic world. If they cannot survive then tough. It's a tough world. Remember, what the Government is doing here is actually anti-competitive - supporting a long-failed business model with state funding, while every other business in the State has to fend for itself.

Here in Waterford, Waterford Crystal (a national institution and huge tourist attraction) sought a LOAN from the then Government in 2009. They were told to eff off in the same month that billions were poured into failed banking entities.

And yet people choose to defend RTE's 'position'. It is a complete and utter joke shop.

13-11-2011 09:22PM

PM sent directly to you Hugo, directing you to the question that you appear to be avoiding

Please declare your connection with RTE

Hootanany · 13-11-2011 09:32PM

We need an answer Hugo

markesmith · 13-11-2011 09:52PM

Yeah spill the beans

RTE and the Licence FEE

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