The Wide Angle - Karen Coleman

simplyc73

This morning was the last straw with The Wide Angle. Karen Coleman finally gave up her creaking watery attempt to be unbiased, particualrly where the public service is discussed. Now before I go on I will declare that I am a public servant, not amongst the highest or the lowest paid, in the middle the easiest group to aim at. I don't mind declaring that, just like I wish current affairs staff of Newstalk/today fm and independent news and media would declare that the only reason that they (now) have such an interest in what happens in the public serivice is because they have had pay cuts themselves. Listening to Karen and Alan Ruddock this morning was the aural equivelant of watching a mutual mas%^$£"!ion marathon. I know the obvious question is why did you bother listening? Actually i did turn off during her review of the papers. Sad thing is,i was a fan especially as it's the only current affairs show on at that time though I know that others come later.
What's particularly true of Karen is also true of Matt Cooper, Sam Smyth and all Independent News and Media commentary. Very clear that they are all at least partially controlled by the one person. Though I'd be curious to know what he makes of their lazy journalism motto i.e. "cut their pay becasue our's was cut"
A few weeks ago when discussing the pay of RTE "stars" Karen was making much of the pay recieved by "my equivealant" (Karen's words) She meant Marian Finnucane. Now I'm no great fan of Marian and even if I multply my salary by 10 I wouldn't be on what she's on but, Karen the only way that you are her equivelant is that you are on for some of the same time on Sunday. Mind you, neither of you are on the air much so by "my equivelant" maybe she meant they are both paid for doing very little, only one gets paid more than the other (i presume)

Hootanany

You took the Money in good times it is time to give it back in the Bad times we are broke it cannot go on and yes i do feel sorry for the Public Sector but reforms must be made there is an awful lot of waste going on

simplyc73

hootanany, I couldn't agree with you more about reforms and the amount of waste in the pubic service. And nobody has asked those of us on the ground where waste could be cut out and reforms made even though we could think of plenty. As for taking money in the good times. well we weren't the only ones that's for sure and that was really my point about Karen's show(s)- to listen to her, you'd think the only people who ever saw the good times in this country were public servants

mike65

I thought Karen Coleman was bang on the money (and I'm not a huge fan of hers).

Koloman

simplyc73 wrote: »

This morning was the last straw with The Wide Angle. Karen Coleman finally gave up her creaking watery attempt to be unbiased, particualrly where the public service is discussed. Now before I go on I will declare that I am a public servant, not amongst the highest or the lowest paid, in the middle the easiest group to aim at. I don't mind declaring that, just like I wish current affairs staff of Newstalk/today fm and independent news and media would declare that the only reason that they (now) have such an interest in what happens in the public serivice is because they have had pay cuts themselves. Listening to Karen and Alan Ruddock this morning was the aural equivelant of watching a mutual mas%^$£"!ion marathon. I know the obvious question is why did you bother listening? Actually i did turn off during her review of the papers. Sad thing is,i was a fan especially as it's the only current affairs show on at that time though I know that others come later.
What's particularly true of Karen is also true of Matt Cooper, Sam Smyth and all Independent News and Media commentary. Very clear that they are all at least partially controlled by the one person. Though I'd be curious to know what he makes of their lazy journalism motto i.e. "cut their pay becasue our's was cut"
A few weeks ago when discussing the pay of RTE "stars" Karen was making much of the pay recieved by "my equivealant" (Karen's words) She meant Marian Finnucane. Now I'm no great fan of Marian and even if I multply my salary by 10 I wouldn't be on what she's on but, Karen the only way that you are her equivelant is that you are on for some of the same time on Sunday. Mind you, neither of you are on the air much so by "my equivelant" maybe she meant they are both paid for doing very little, only one gets paid more than the other (i presume)

I'm sorry if the truth hurts but then most of us in the private sector are hurting.

Kensington

While you can't expect a commercial entity to be 100% unbiased - how exactly was the programme unbiased? She compares her private sector salary with her public sector counterpath who is earning an obscene amount of money which, frankly, is completely unjustified and totally unnecessary. And why shouldn't the public sector take a pay cut when the private sector have taken one? The reality is the private sector ultimately pay the public sector salaries - the public sector should in no way be immune from the economic situation.

moe_sizlak

simplyc73 wrote: »

This morning was the last straw with The Wide Angle. Karen Coleman finally gave up her creaking watery attempt to be unbiased, particualrly where the public service is discussed. Now before I go on I will declare that I am a public servant, not amongst the highest or the lowest paid, in the middle the easiest group to aim at. I don't mind declaring that, just like I wish current affairs staff of Newstalk/today fm and independent news and media would declare that the only reason that they (now) have such an interest in what happens in the public serivice is because they have had pay cuts themselves. Listening to Karen and Alan Ruddock this morning was the aural equivelant of watching a mutual mas%^$£"!ion marathon. I know the obvious question is why did you bother listening? Actually i did turn off during her review of the papers. Sad thing is,i was a fan especially as it's the only current affairs show on at that time though I know that others come later.
What's particularly true of Karen is also true of Matt Cooper, Sam Smyth and all Independent News and Media commentary. Very clear that they are all at least partially controlled by the one person. Though I'd be curious to know what he makes of their lazy journalism motto i.e. "cut their pay becasue our's was cut"
A few weeks ago when discussing the pay of RTE "stars" Karen was making much of the pay recieved by "my equivealant" (Karen's words) She meant Marian Finnucane. Now I'm no great fan of Marian and even if I multply my salary by 10 I wouldn't be on what she's on but, Karen the only way that you are her equivelant is that you are on for some of the same time on Sunday. Mind you, neither of you are on the air much so by "my equivelant" maybe she meant they are both paid for doing very little, only one gets paid more than the other (i presume)

the public sector have RTE and the irish times + vincent browne on tv 3 , surely the private sector are entitled to newstalk or matt cooper besides that union guy was waffling , the unions ten point plan is toilet paper , it would be an insult to the tax payers of ireland not to highlight how much it stinks


ps , karen coleman is well known as being politically left wing

ntlbell

mike65 wrote: »

I thought Karen Coleman was bang on the money (and I'm not a huge fan of hers).

Maybe you stated before, any particular reason why mike?

simplyc73

moe_sizlak wrote: »

the public sector have RTE and the irish times + vincent browne on tv 3 , surely the private sector are entitled to newstalk or matt cooper besides that union guy was waffling , the unions ten point plan is toilet paper , it would be an insult to the tax payers of ireland not to highlight how much it stinks


ps , karen coleman is well known as being politically left wing

What on earth does Karen Coleman or anybody else in the media being left wing have to do with this? Is the implication that she being left wing means she might in fact be a secret friend of the public servants and, that by extension all public servants are left wing? I know I'm not or many others. In fact how do you become "well known as being left wing?" what do you do or not do?
As for having rte, the irish times and vincent browne, well I'll bow to your better knowledge on that as I don't have a television and don't read daily newapapers either which is probably why I spend a disproportinate amount of time listening to the radio.

Koloman

simplyc73 wrote: »

Is the implication that she being left wing means she might in fact be a secret friend of the public servants and, that by extension all public servants are left wing?

YES! I thought that was rather obvious!

irish_bob

those on the left tend to be more in favour of the state and those who work for the state

as for karen coleman , didnt hear the show last sunday morning

Arthur Daley

Anybody who challenges the establishment like Coleman has gets brandished as a troublemaker. Maybe left wing, maybe loony, maybe both.

deadhead13

When Newstalk started out it positioned itself left of centre. When Frank Cronin took over his stated aim was to change this. He wanted the station to deliver "a private sector, pro-business viewpoint that respects dynamic people", as opposed to what he called "RTE's public service perspective". So Karen Coleman was just doing what she and the other presenters have been encouraged to do by the management.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2009/0430/1224245682787.html

irish_bob

deadhead13 wrote: »

When Newstalk started out it positioned itself left of centre. When Frank Cronin took over his stated aim was to change this. He wanted the station to deliver "a private sector, pro-business viewpoint that respects dynamic people", as opposed to what he called "RTE's public service perspective". So Karen Coleman was just doing what she and the other presenters have been encouraged to do by the management.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2009/0430/1224245682787.html

sounds reasonable to me , RTE is overwhelmingly left wing and is overtly pro public sector , every union head who appears on the national broadcaster gets a tongue bath

Koloman

irish_bob wrote: »

every union head who appears on the national broadcaster gets a tongue bath

They certainly do! On every current affairs programme the first interviewee is usually a union talking head.

simplyc73

Arthur Daley wrote: »

Anybody who challenges the establishment like Coleman has gets brandished as a troublemaker. Maybe left wing, maybe loony, maybe both.

Much as my opinion of the wide angle has gone down recently, I would never consider Karen a loony

So Karen Coleman was just doing what she and the other presenters have been encouraged to do by the management.

There's something sad, but not surprising about this, not the comment, just the concept therein,though I imagine it's quite common even for people who like to see themselves as strong independently minded journalists. It wouldn't matter if so may print and broadcast journalists didn't give the impression that they have an appointed role to dispense the truth to all the rest of us who are (in their eyes anyway,) privillaged to be hearing/seeing/reading it.

RTE is overwhelmingly left wing and is overtly pro public sector

Don't know enough to know whether this is true but let's say it is, isn't it ironic that the people making the massive money in rte are not public servants, but people who have contracts with rte?!

irish_bob

fergus ( no child should have to make do with hand me down school uniforms ) finlay was on rte radio the other night , blathering about how if the xmas bonus is not reinstated , people will go hungary this christmas

the same idiot some weeks back talked of how some people on wellfare are facing starvation , YES , FACING STARVATION , did the RTE presenter , try and press him on this ludicrious statement , hardly , she sat back admiring the mans humanity

Koloman

irish_bob wrote: »

fergus ( no child should have to make do with hand me down school uniforms ) finlay was on rte radio the other night , blathering about how if the xmas bonus is not reinstated , people will go hungary this christmas

the same idiot some weeks back talked of how some people on wellfare are facing starvation , YES , FACING STARVATION , did the RTE presenter , try and press him on this ludicrious statement , hardly , she sat back admiring the mans humanity

I suppose they will have to watch their Sky TV and play their X box's on a empty stomach!

But seriously if he did say that then he should be ashamed! To say that people will go HUNGRY in Ireland if they do not get the Christmas bonus is ridiculous. It is after all a Christmas BONUS not a guaranteed payment.

irish_bob

Koloman wrote: »

I suppose they will have to watch their Sky TV and play their X box's on a empty stomach!

But seriously if he did say that then he should be ashamed! To say that people will go HUNGRY in Ireland if they do not get the Christmas bonus is ridiculous. It is after all a Christmas BONUS not a guaranteed payment.

his comments say more about the irish media and its left wing bias than anything else , while finlay is at least a gentleman , the national broadcaster regulary wheels out the odious university lecturer ciaran allen , this is a man who despite having never been elected to more than to sing at an xmas party , has the neck to call on the state to confiscate private wealth on a mass scale and to slap an 80% income tax rate on those who earn over 70 k per year , this bozo represents but a tiny fraction of irish opinion yet ive heard him on several radio stations this past few weeks and he is also a regular panelist on vincent brownes tv show , far left radical minority views are given a hugely disproportionate level of airtime in the irish media

dRNk SAnTA

I had Ciaran Allen in UCD and he is an intelligent guy and a good lecturer but he's about as socialist as they come. As you said, I don't think many people in Ireland would share his ideals but I think with the public sector unions being under the kosh recently he has found an audience for his extreme views.

I don't know if it's because of dissatisfaction with the current union leaders but his star seems to be rising anyway.

LordSutch

Just caught ten mins of The Wide Angle this morning, with Karen going on & on about how she thinks 'Jedward' are just Grrrrrrrgreat > I kid you not! She thinks that Jedward are better then anything else on the X-Factor, and that its all a set-up & a farce anyway, but that Jedward are streets ahead of any other act on the show, but that last night was the first time she had ever watched it

Ah, bless .........................

irish_bob

dRNk SAnTA wrote: »

I had Ciaran Allen in UCD and he is an intelligent guy and a good lecturer but he's about as socialist as they come. As you said, I don't think many people in Ireland would share his ideals but I think with the public sector unions being under the kosh recently he has found an audience for his extreme views.

I don't know if it's because of dissatisfaction with the current union leaders but his star seems to be rising anyway.

i dont doubt for a second that he is intelligent , i have even less doubt that he was a good lecturer , anyone would that size of an ego and that self righteous would be right at home speaking from the pulpit

the majoity of public sector workers have no more in common with ciaran allen than the private sector do , guards , teachers , nurses all know that under allens style of governance , they would all take a massive pay cut , the only reason allen is defending high paid public servants ( nurses , guards , teachers ) is that those on the left see working for the state as being morally superior to those filthy capatilist pigs who toil in the market driven private sector

as for his star rising , again , i belive this is more to do with the left wing irish media pushing him