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

Simon Harris says hello, and that clown managed to get 3 different portfolios

Why are the 2 government reports on RTE taking so long? Martin said it would take 6 months. It's been 8 months already. This stuff isn't that complex.

Ah yes the socially distanced concert where Eamon Ryan's brother's company, Medmark, was awarded the contract to do Covid testing for all the attendees.

she stated that it was early Thursday, “it was made known” by whom? Yet no one asked her who told her. Something very fishy in her “detail”.

she wants transparency, yet certain aspects of what she conveys is as clear as mud.

she can remember every detail of conversations and even the words used, with regards to the ex-chair but not in relation to who told her what after these so-called lies were told to her? I personally, do not believe a word this woman says.

she absolutely threw Bakhurst under the bus. If it were me in his position, I would resign! Money is one thing, but to be roasted in public…thanks.. no money is worth that.

What's his package like? Was it already negotiated or is it to be decided?

Will Martin answer any of these questions? The Aontu TD had some very good ones.

She is getting a mauling.and it's clear she has little support.

I’ve missed some of this, can someone explain the significance of the letter and the threat of resignation?

Was this just a bit of a Henry Sellers type hissy fit, it’s not as if there would be drastic repercussions to anyone resigning from the gravy train.

Imagine if in the early 1990s you had an Aer Lingus support levy on your Ryanair ticket.

That's what paying the TV licence feels like today.

I (still) pay it at the moment but I very very rarely watch anything on RTE, don't listen to their radio and don't consider them independent and objective or worth the money. They are selective in what they report and how, and their editorial slant does very little public service most of the time.

I've no interest in their entertainment output - either stuff that can be seen elsewhere, or homegrown things like property porn (tone-deaf in a housing/rental crisis) or reality TV nonsense. Very rarely do they have anything actually worth watching.

The fact that people are legally required to pay for it is an extra insult - especially in light of revelations over the last year. Intuitively no-one can REALLY be that surprised/knew it was probably a mess like this, but to have the depth and breadth of the problems exposed like this (right up to Ministerial level) make it even harder to stomach .. no wonder many have simply stopped paying.

A complete clear-out of the C-suite and board level is needed combined with a new competent Minister (if such a thing exists in this Government!), then scale it back and make it a subscription service. They'll either survive on that revenue and advertising or they won't but if they fall will anything of value have been lost?

Yes same guff. Aontu guy said she was restricting herself hugely by only being prepared to talk to a small set number of people with regards RTE. She did not reply to that.

Her management style is very poor.

Is there even a dog?

Its about the only thing left that hasn't been blamed and/or thrown under the bus, the fact we haven't heard about it means its probably covered under a confidentiality agreement for its exit package.

You must be a

Well there’s been a few thrown under a bus

Not sure that it would be commercially viable as a subscription service and that would also defeat the whole public service broadcaster rationale. If part of RTE wants to play in the commercial world and go to Pay TV, the quote from Sergeant Steiner springs to mind: "And I will show you where the Iron Crosses grow". The pampered prima donnas of RTE management might be able to convince a useless media minister that they are worth their exorbitant salaries but in Pay TV, if they don't get subscribers then the service doesn't survive. Without a licence fee and continual bailouts, RTE, as it exists now, would not survive.

There is no easy fix and the minister is simply not up to the job. The first step in setting RTE on the road to survival would be to fire Martin and replace her with someone competent. But that's another problem with this government.

Regards...jmcc

According to the Irish Times, Forbes and Jennings are to be given the option to appear before the media committee virtually or to provide written answers to a set of questions from the committee.

Regards...jmcc

Did the former commercial director Geraldine O'Leary get a golden handshake? She was definitely up to no good with the taxpayer's money and the barter accounts. She seemed to get away quietly from the committees.

KB out with a megaphone on the RTE campus..... cringeworthy

Talk about being out of touch.

There needs to be clarifcation of exactly what is wrong with her and how it prevents her appearance before the committees. Any written submission will be lawyered to Hell and back and would be unlikely to provide any insight into what she did as DG.

Regards...jmcc

It is the same old stuff from RTÉ.

We need more money etc etc

The staff don't realize that many of them are part of the problem, not just at a high level but also because the fail to say anything to anyone.

It would be lovely to know but would you allow your employer know the medical reasons for your absence outside of providing a sick note. They will send you to the doctor but they won’t tell your employer either. So that ain’t happening and she knows it.

What legal powers has that committee got to compel anyone to appear ? It’s in the interest of those currently employed by the state or semi-state to turn up but after that I can’t see them legally compelling anyone.

I’ll take your word for it but didn’t we have a failed referendum for that. The legal guys were going to loose some earnings and made sure the committees didn’t get legal powers. It was in light of tribunal costs.

I think that the failed referendum would have granted more powers to these committees. Mattie McGraths's solution is looking more sensible by the day.

Regards...jmcc