RTE Cutbacks The Plan

MrMusician18 · 16-11-2019 3:07pm

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

NUJ launches 'Save RTE' campaign
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2019/1115/1091204-rte-union-campaign/

Séamus Dooley, Irish Secretary of the NUJ, said: "There is a financial crisis in RTÉ and both An Taoiseach and the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment must give leadership on this issue."

I suspect the campaign is aimed more at Fianna Fail though, looking to extract a firm commitment that they will 'ride to the rescue' of RTE if elected to government and fast-track the introduction of a "device independent broadcasting charge".

It will be very interesting to see how this goes. RTE it appears, doesn't have much public support and changes to the license fee will go down like a turd sandwich.

That said, NUJ pretty much controls the media, so how much they turn public opinion in the face of such opposition will be a case study in the strength of traditional media to change and form opinion in Ireland.

Loafing Oaf · 16-11-2019 5:04pm

MrMusician18 wrote: »

It will be very interesting to see how this goes. RTE it appears, doesn't have much public support and changes to the license fee will go down like a turd sandwich.

Public doesn't have a direct say over these matters though. FF may well decide there is enough support for RTE among leftish floating voters that it is in the party's interest to position itself as the champion of RTE. Plus it would be a handy way of signalling to public sector and semi-state workers, even those who don't care much about RTE, that FF has got their back...

Harry Palmr · 16-11-2019 6:29pm

RTE just managed to play out a feature film of over two hours in the wrong format, the actual print was also in the "wrong" format - ie it was 4:3 suitable for the pre 16:9 era - RTE had it in stretchyvision.

Elmo · 16-11-2019 7:34pm

Harry Palmr wrote: »

RTE just managed to play out a feature film of over two hours in the wrong format, the actual print was also in the "wrong" format - ie it was 4:3 suitable for the pre 16:9 era - RTE had it in stretchyvision.

What was it lost horizon?

nkl12xtw5goz70 · 16-11-2019 10:00pm

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

NUJ launches 'Save RTE' campaign

More like a "Save Our Cushy Jobs and Lavish Salaries" campaign.

Séamus Dooley, Irish Secretary of the NUJ, said: "There is a financial crisis in RTÉ and both An Taoiseach and the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment must give leadership on this issue."

I hope the minister and taoiseach hold firm. No more taxpayers' money should go toward the RTE gravy train. If the director general, after receiving over a million euros in her three and a half years in the job to date, cannot align the culture of RTE with the realities of 2019, she should be replaced.

ednwireland · 16-11-2019 10:10pm

Noemi Shapely Weakling wrote: »

More like a "Save Our Cushy Jobs and Lavish Salaries" campaign.

lets be honest thats what the whole "cutbacks" campaign is about theres no real expectation of following through with this so called "plan"

Noemi Shapely Weakling wrote: »

I hope the minister and taoiseach hold firm. No more taxpayers' money should go toward the RTE gravy train. If the director general, after receiving over a million euros in her three and a half years in the job to date, cannot align the culture of RTE with the realities of 2019, she should be replaced.

very true

Foxy wolf · 16-11-2019 10:29pm

FF were the party in 2002 who gave a disgustingly high €50 increase in the licence fee to RTE

Loafing Oaf · 16-11-2019 11:26pm

Foxy wolf wrote: »

FF were the party in 2002 who gave a disgustingly high €50 increase in the licence fee to RTE

This is why I think RTE and the NUJ are hoping for and looking to an FF-led government after the election, and this campaign is largely about getting FF to commit to a 'rescue package' for RTE before the election.

Harry Palmr · 17-11-2019 1:09am

Elmo wrote: »

What was it lost horizon?

Yep. An embedded signal is supposed to switch the format automatically but it being the weekend it was probably switched off

Atlantic Dawn · 17-11-2019 1:12am

Noemi Shapely Weakling wrote: »

If the director general, after receiving over a million euros in her three and a half years in the job to date, cannot align the culture of RTE with the realities of 2019, she should be replaced.

Exactly, things have got progressively worse under her watch, why is she still there?

Foxy wolf · 17-11-2019 1:19am

In 2014 both will leahy and Rick O'Shea were axed from 2fms afternoon and drive slot due to poor ratings but 5 years on they are still in RTE sucking on the sugar tit of the licence fee

SPDUB · 17-11-2019 3:39pm

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Yep. An embedded signal is supposed to switch the format automatically but it being the weekend it was probably switched off

No it's permanently switched off because they were getting too many complaints from morons of " I have a widescreen tv and I don't want black bars "

Harry Palmr · 17-11-2019 4:39pm

That's also entirely possible!

Elmo · 17-11-2019 8:03pm

Harry Palmr wrote: »

That's also entirely possible!

Only they don’t listen to their audiences, I think it’s pure stupidity TBH, I’d like to see the complaints.

Eric Cartman · 17-11-2019 8:10pm

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

This is why I think RTE and the NUJ are hoping for and looking to an FF-led government after the election, and this campaign is largely about getting FF to commit to a 'rescue package' for RTE before the election.

I actually cringed reading this, because I know its true, they would do exactly that kind of thing. Youll have everyone singing MM's praises now for the new election with RTE, an post and probably some other body that refuses to reform rubbing their grubby hands together knowing payday is coming.

Elmo · 18-11-2019 1:07am

In terms of politics this isn’t a vote getter.

While, I hear either a lot of critics of RTÉ and also a lot people bemoan the situation at RTÉ, I don’t believe voters really care that much, either from the left or the right.

This isn’t a major issue for people.

If FF want the voters they’ll work to get the Health service on track.

FF have never been fans of RTÉ.

Loafing Oaf · 18-11-2019 1:28am

Eric Cartman wrote: »

I actually cringed reading this, because I know its true, they would do exactly that kind of thing. Youll have everyone singing MM's praises now for the new election with RTE, an post and probably some other body that refuses to reform rubbing their grubby hands together knowing payday is coming.

I suspect the reason haven't come out strongly already on this is their communications spokesman Timmy Dooley is on the naughty step.

Going by his previous statements it seems he would be favourably disposed to some form of direct exchequer top-up for the licence fee.
https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2019/1016/1083798-rtes-finances-in-perilous-state-ff/
Mr Dooley criticised the Government's failure to provide additional funding in Budget 2020 for public service journalism.
Mr Dooley said it would be an appalling vista if some of RTÉ's arts and cultural services were dismantled.

suicide_circus · 22-11-2019 4:50pm

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/news/rt-journalists-say-top-pay-packets-of-up-to-500k-are-now-indefensible-and-call-on-bosses-to-slash-salaries-38716723.html

well the journos at RTE at sticking the boot into the "stars"

Shefwedfan · 22-11-2019 4:59pm

God my wife stuck on 2fm, Jenny Greene which was oK

Then that Lottie gob*** came up telling wveryone to ring their mother, father, parents etc because ...........that plonker from West Life was going to be on for one show.....seriously this was like they got one of the Kardashians or one of them on

West life was relevant maybe 10years ago???? What’s happening next week, boyZone?

So that was the end of that....how they keep paying these clowns is beyond me

Topgear on Dave · 22-11-2019 5:06pm

suicide_circus wrote: »

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/news/rt-journalists-say-top-pay-packets-of-up-to-500k-are-now-indefensible-and-call-on-bosses-to-slash-salaries-38716723.html

well the journos at RTE at sticking the boot into the "stars"

LOL :pac:

Elmo · 22-11-2019 5:54pm

Topgear on Dave wrote: »

LOL :pac:

Exactly what I thought, did they ever mention this before? 10/20 years ago might have been the time.

megatron989 · 22-11-2019 5:56pm

suicide_circus wrote: »

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/news/rt-journalists-say-top-pay-packets-of-up-to-500k-are-now-indefensible-and-call-on-bosses-to-slash-salaries-38716723.html

well the journos at RTE at sticking the boot into the "stars"

Iirc the salaries of the top paid presenters are only a drop in the bucket. This union meeting was just the lads deflecting imo. By 'the lads' I mean the long service staff who got slated in those tweets a while back from an insider.
Massive waste in rte, not limited to the top but through every level. Should be shut and restarted with actual talent both in front and behind the camera.
Joke of a company ran by and staffed by clowns.

Topgear on Dave · 22-11-2019 6:05pm

Things must be getting tight if they are starting to snipe at each other like this. I assume the NUJ suggested max pay level is above the level of their top members. :cool:

I read an article in the SBP about two years ago saying that a cash crunch was coming in RTE and something needed to be done. No rush lads.

And oh boy those tweets were Quality

end of the road · 22-11-2019 6:30pm

megatron989 wrote: »

Iirc the salaries of the top paid presenters are only a drop in the bucket. This union meeting was just the lads deflecting imo. By 'the lads' I mean the long service staff who got slated in those tweets a while back from an insider.

people have been ranting here and elsewhere over salaries, yet when the NUJ discuss it it's deflection?
you do realise that any job losses will quite likely be the people who actually need to be kept rather then those "stars" who genuinely don't contribute anything to the service? and no i'm not saying that all of the "stars" don't contribute something, a few of them probably do even if i don't rate them myself.
so, yeah, it's probably not surprising the NUJ would bring this up, given some of their members will no doubt be effected. if they didn't bother people would be whinging and ranting on here over it.
and with respect while i have no doubt there is some waste within the organisation, tweats from an "insider" don't really mean anything. anyone of us could set up a twitter account, claim to be an insider, and start telling people with already preconseived ideas what they want to hear.

megatron989 wrote: »

Massive waste in rte, not limited to the top but through every level. Should be shut and restarted with actual talent both in front and behind the camera.

and how would you know? how much is it going to cost to shut it down and start it back up again?
where are all of these talented people with the experience going to come from to replace all of the staff who you have decided are all non-talented without basis?
yes there are some who have no talent, certainly in front of the camera, but to suggest every single person working in the company isn't talented is hyperbole.

megatron989 wrote: »

Joke of a company ran by and staffed by clowns.

nope, not joke of a company, not ran and staffed by clowns as a whole.
company with some easily solved issues, with probably a few people who shouldn't be there, but no doubt people who are actually good at their jobs, working behind the sceens, just getting on.

Ready4Boarding · 22-11-2019 6:44pm

Elmo wrote: »

In terms of politics this isn’t a vote getter.

Certainly not. For Fine Gael, though, it's a lose-lose situation, because already I see people portraying it as FG's "neoliberal" strategy to defund the national broadcaster. Any increase in the license fee would be met with water-charge levels of indignation, but anything done to undermine the organisation will result in opposition parties suddenly becoming passionate defenders of public service broadcasting to attack FG, aided by a hostile RTE newsroom.

suicide_circus wrote: »

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/news/rt-journalists-say-top-pay-packets-of-up-to-500k-are-now-indefensible-and-call-on-bosses-to-slash-salaries-38716723.html

well the journos at RTE at sticking the boot into the "stars"

Surely they don't expect that Tubridy would take a >50% paycut and work the same hours?!

I think we can all accept that Tubridy, as an individual, does not deserve to have been enriched to the extent that he has. But, loath as many are to admit it, he draws viewers - the elderly seem to love him, for instance. Replacing him with someone else will just cause a reduction in viewership and ad revenue. It's also often ignored that the reason "stars" like Tubridy and Darcy are so important to RTE (and remunerated accordingly) is that chat shows are incredibly cheap to make yet draw in viewers. Tubridy's salary should be viewed as the cost of two hour's of prime time broadcasting, not as the inflated salary of an expendable employee.

Sonny noggs · 22-11-2019 6:46pm

end of the road wrote: »

people have been ranting here and elsewhere over salaries, yet when the NUJ discuss it it's deflection?
you do realise that any job losses will quite likely be the people who actually need to be kept rather then those "stars" who genuinely don't contribute anything to the service? and no i'm not saying that all of the "stars" don't contribute something, a few of them probably do even if i don't rate them myself.
so, yeah, it's probably not surprising the NUJ would bring this up, given some of their members will no doubt be effected. if they didn't bother people would be whinging and ranting on here over it.
and with respect while i have no doubt there is some waste within the organisation, tweats from an "insider" don't really mean anything. anyone of us could set up a twitter account, claim to be an insider, and start telling people with already preconseived ideas what they want to hear.

and how would you know? how much is it going to cost to shut it down and start it back up again?
where are all of these talented people with the experience going to come from to replace all of the suppposed staff who you have decided are all non-talented without basis?

nope, not joke of a company, not ran and staffed by clowns as a whole.
company with some easily solved issues, with probably a few people who shouldn't be there, but no doubt people who are actually good at their jobs, working behind the sceens, just getting on.
but of course random boards.ie poster would know otherwise based on a few tweats i suppose.

Says the lad with no facts or supporting material to back up his own opinion that RTE problems are ‘easily solved’.

James Brown · 22-11-2019 7:22pm

Topgear on Dave wrote: »

Things must be getting tight if they are starting to snipe at each other like this. I assume the NUJ suggested max pay level is above the level of their top members. :cool:

I read an article in the SBP about two years ago saying that a cash crunch was coming in RTE and something needed to be done. No rush lads.

And oh boy those tweets were Quality

I was wondering were this was headed, 'unions bad' got it.
I don't think Tubbs could be considered a journalist TBF. The bosses son maybe.

We get RTE is a mouthpiece for Fine Gael. We get RTE don't report negativity on Sinn Fein, (no seriously one lad thinks that). I don't think that plays into it.

It's a publicly owned company ran like a private family club. That's what needs addressing. Kick Lottie Ryan out on her arse for a start.

NIMAN · 22-11-2019 8:05pm

suicide_circus wrote: »

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/news/rt-journalists-say-top-pay-packets-of-up-to-500k-are-now-indefensible-and-call-on-bosses-to-slash-salaries-38716723.html

well the journos at RTE at sticking the boot into the "stars"

That's great to see, can't wait to see Darcy and tubs leave now to take up all those offers that come flooding in for them.

Truth is, if it was capped at 208,000 as per the article, they would accept it. Cos they have nothing else.

James Brown · 22-11-2019 8:44pm

NIMAN wrote: »

That's great to see, can't wait to see Darcy and tubs leave now to take up all those offers that come flooding in for them.

Truth is, if it was capped at 208,000 as per the article, they would accept it. Cos they have nothing else.

To paraphrase Mr. Rabbit, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel must be sh*tting themselves

Blanco100 · 22-11-2019 9:11pm

Topgear on Dave wrote: »

Things must be getting tight if they are starting to snipe at each other like this. I assume the NUJ suggested max pay level is above the level of their top members. :cool:

I read an article in the SBP about two years ago saying that a cash crunch was coming in RTE and something needed to be done. No rush lads.

And oh boy those tweets were Quality

What tweets?

RTE Cutbacks The Plan

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