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RTE spent 167k on the pope coverage

2

Comments

  • #32
    Knasher
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,370 ✭✭✭Knasher


    If they thought it would get the ratings, they would still be there filming that chimney. That's just the way reporting works.


  • #33
    kneemos
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,611 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    The only problem I'd have with it is that it was a non event,the Pope's retired end of story.If they managed to make some revenue out of it fair play,twelve reporters seems a tad excessive though.


  • #34
    cnoc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 789 ✭✭✭cnoc


    jimmynokia wrote: »
    http://businessetc.thejournal.ie/rte-cost-election-resignation-pope-rome-vatican-884473-Apr2013/


    And are happy about it!

    IMO this is madness and they overdid it.

    For comparison sake, what was the cost of Obama's and the Queen's visit?


  • #35
    Peregrine
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 26,424 Mod ✭✭✭✭Peregrine


    This is exactly why I don't brand myself as "an atheist" anymore. Because people will think I'm another one of you moanbags who live their whole lives to bash the Catholic church even if it means looking like an absolute idiot like you just did now.

    Look, you didn't want to see coverage of the conclave, fair enough turn off the ****in telly and think about how smarter than everyone else you are. But clearly, some people wanted to know about it, myself included regardless of my lack of faith in Catholicism. The way every TV channel works is they show things that gets the most viewers and they make money from advertising during these shows. I would say RTE made a huge profit from advertising during the coverage. 167k is actually rather cheap considering they had a whole team in a foreign city for a week, like every channel does during major events.

    To put your argument into contrast, say I dislike all sports, I think it's an absolute waste of precious time. Would you support me if I tried to argue that the hundreds of thousands RTE spend on Olympics coverage is outrageous and a complete waste of taxpayer money because I clearly didn't care about it? Even though they made a huge of profit from advertising to people who watched it.


  • #36
    jill_valentine
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,090 ✭✭✭jill_valentine


    Did anybody watch any of it...?

    I know it's par for the course for RTE and all, but... lookit, if purely for-profit networks like Sky could cover it with a fraction of the personnel then I'd have to wonder why little cottage industry RTE had to go bananas on it.


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  • #37
    mikom
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,391 ✭✭✭✭mikom


    cnoc wrote: »

    For comparison sake, what was the cost of Obama's and the Queen's visit?


    Was the pope inaugurated in Ireland?


  • #38
    scottdawson
    Site Banned Posts: 4 ✭scottdawson


    I don't know what the fuss is. The election of a new pope is a significant event worldwide; it doesn't happen very often. So what's the big deal?


  • #39
    LizT
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29,089 ✭✭✭✭LizT


    Don't really get the fuss? It's an event that probably won't happen again for at least the next 10 years, more than likely longer. A lot of people had an interest in it, regardless of their religion.


  • #40
    kneemos
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,611 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    scottdawson wrote: »
    I don't know what the fuss is. The election of a new pope is a significant event worldwide; it doesn't happen very often. So what's the big deal?

    I think it's the overkill that the op's complaining about.All there was to report was that the Pope had retired how many reporters does it take in fairness and why did they all need to be in Rome.


  • #41
    godwin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 393 ✭✭godwin


    Would have been cheaper if they paid for live streaming of coverage, just like other major Broadcasters worldwide done.


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  • #42
    scottdawson
    Site Banned Posts: 4 ✭scottdawson


    Ok. But let's think about it another way. How many active Catholics are in Ireland? I don't know. Let's say modestly 300,000. That's a conservative estimate. The cost is about half a euro per active catholic, which is a tiny fraction of the license fee. Is this overkill?


  • #43
    DaithiMa
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 704 ✭✭✭DaithiMa


    Looking at some of the "stars" wages in RTE I think it is safe to say that 167k is only a drop in the ocean. Sure Tubs/Kenny etc earn that much in maybe three months. Now THAT is what you call a waste of money.


  • #44
    ToddyDoody
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,419 ✭✭✭ToddyDoody


    jill_valentine wrote: »
    Did anybody watch any of it...?

    I know it's par for the course for RTE and all, but... lookit, if purely for-profit networks like Sky could cover it with a fraction of the personnel then I'd have to wonder why little cottage industry RTE had to go bananas on it.
    If it was on sky he'd have had to be surrounded by scantily clad women in an event that eventually led up to a drunken brawl / orgy


  • #45
    StewartGriffin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,284 ✭✭✭StewartGriffin


    jimmynokia wrote: »
    They sent 13 reporters afaik which is excessive ,watching one rte reporter talking to another was also pathetic.

    The coverage was overkilled.Both on radio and tv.

    Agreed. If, in their spare time, between extremely short news bulletins, they had produced a quality two hour documentary about said events, then sold that to other networks - it might be worth the cost.


  • #46
    Defiler Of The Coffin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,117 ✭✭✭Defiler Of The Coffin


    http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/rte-spent-194000-covering-change-of-pope-in-vatican-29241425.html
    RTE clocked up a €194,000 bill for covering the resignation of Pope Benedict and the election of his successor Pope Francis.

    This included €11,400 on 32 flights for 22 journalists and producers from its news and current affairs, television and radio divisions, a group that included news anchor Bryan Dobson, Miriam O'Callaghan, Joe Little and Sean O'Rourke.

    No individual breakdown was given for accommodation, expenses and taxis. A combined figure for these expenses came €56,300.

    Waste of license fee money on a Rome junket or justifiable given the amount of public interest in the election of the new Pope?

    I'm thinking they would have got in and around the same viewership figures for even half the spend. Personally I'd rather see it spent on better home-grown programming as opposed to the election of a foreign head of state whose organisation is becoming less relevant to the people of Ireland.


  • #47
    Kinder Bueno
    Closed Accounts Posts: 252 ✭✭Kinder Bueno


    Waste of money. I can't even remember the Pope's name.


  • #48
    Fighting Irish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,062 ✭✭✭Fighting Irish


    and....


  • #49
    super_furry
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,387 ✭✭✭✭super_furry


    In fairness it's one of the biggest international stories of the year.


  • #50
    Grayson
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,448 ✭✭✭✭Grayson


    Defiler Of The Coffin wrote: »
    http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/rte-spent-194000-covering-change-of-pope-in-vatican-29241425.html



    Waste of license fee money on a Rome junket or justifiable given the amount of public interest in the election of the new Pope?

    I'm thinking they would have got in and around the same viewership figures for even half the spend. Personally I'd rather see it spent on better home-grown programming as opposed to the election of a foreign head of state whose organisation is becoming less relevant to the people of Ireland.

    Still better spending it on a news event that was happening rather than giving pat kenny a pay rise


  • #51
    Mint Sauce
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29,293 ✭✭✭✭Mint Sauce


    Kinder Bueno wrote: »
    Waste of money. I can't even remember the Pope's name.

    Dave.

    ;)


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  • #52
    Defiler Of The Coffin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,117 ✭✭✭Defiler Of The Coffin


    Grayson wrote: »
    Still better spending it on a news event that was happening rather than giving pat kenny a pay rise

    Why does it have to be one or the other?


  • #53
    Chavways
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,904 ✭✭✭Chavways


    It was worth it though.He says a great mass.Realy works the altar.


  • #54
    Bears and Vodka
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,249 ✭✭✭Bears and Vodka


    Chavways wrote: »
    It was worth it though.He says a great mass.Realy works the altar.

    The Messi of Popes. The Messi-a, almost.


  • #55
    Zaph
    Registered Users, Subscribers, Registered Users 2 Posts: 47,418 ✭✭✭✭Zaph


    Hang on a minute, according to last week's thread it was only €167k. So which is it? I demand answers!


  • #56
    Grayson
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,448 ✭✭✭✭Grayson


    Defiler Of The Coffin wrote: »
    Why does it have to be one or the other?

    I didn't say his had to be.

    It's better than the holocaust. Worse than spending on the make a wish foundation.

    happy?


  • #57
    Grayson
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,448 ✭✭✭✭Grayson


    Zaph wrote: »
    Hang on a minute, according to last week's thread it was only €167k. So which is it? I demand answers!

    Inflation. You live in Zimbabwe.


  • #58
    corktina
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,730 ✭✭✭✭corktina


    how much per viewer is that? 50c? 10c...chicken feed and I'm not even a Catholic.


  • #59
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 13,839 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    11,400 for 32 flights for 22 rte staff? Does that mean 22 of them flew over and back 32 times?

    That would work out at just over €16 a flight though, which is a great price to fly to Rome.


  • #60
    Professey Chin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 51,054 ✭✭✭✭Professey Chin


    Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »
    11,400 for 32 flights for 22 rte staff? Does that mean 22 of them flew over and back 32 times?

    That would work out at just over €16 a flight though, which is a great price to fly to Rome.

    Either that or 22 went over but only 10 came back


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  • #61
    corktina
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,730 ✭✭✭✭corktina


    we can hope...


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