Marian Finucane

Rubik.

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

I hope they repeat that excellent documentary that followed Conor Lenihan's general election campaign before he runs in the upcoming by-election. A twat of the highest order.

Dogfight...

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/radio-documentary-conor-lenihan-charlie-oconnor-irish-general-election-2011.html

JonathanAnon

Frank Daly was on this morning... Dont find the guy impressive at all.. Saw him on the Prime Time Special they had about all of the NAMA'd developers who were still swanning around throwing money about the place, and his best response was to shrug his shoulders and say that's unfortunate...

Marion also got a rap across the knuckles from the BCC for her "one sided" interview with Pat Cox.. A complaint against her was upheld...

Harry Angstrom

She should ask Melanie Ver what's her name about Gerry Ryan, instead of feckin Zimbabwe.

JonathanAnon

I was just thinking the same Harry.. lol...

Callan57

JonathanAnon wrote: »

Frank Daly was on this morning... Dont find the guy impressive at all.. Saw him on the Prime Time Special they had about all of the NAMA'd developers who were still swanning around throwing money about the place, and his best response was to shrug his shoulders and say that's unfortunate...

Marion also got a rap across the knuckles from the BCC for her "one sided" interview with Pat Cox.. A complaint against her was upheld...

Thought her interview with Frank Daly was extremely hostile ... I mean what is she a cheerleader for the banks & developers? Bet she lost a few bob on the bank shares.

I thought he was absolutely right in taking the decision making process slowly & insisting on getting all the detail right .... I mean that is exactly what Anglo etc did not do. And I bet he's dealing with lots of people who want snap, illconsidered decisions so they can slip more dodgy stuff under the radar. He sounds to me like a straight up, by the book guy who doesn't go for image & bluster. I sincerely hope he does as well in NAMA as he did in Revenue & I would have a lot of confidence in him. We've had enough of the flash Harry's.

JonathanAnon

Callan57 wrote: »

Thought her interview with Frank Daly was extremely hostile ...

I would agree with this.. Strange considering that she was aware (like I said above) that there was already a complaint upheld against her for something similar...

but I would agree with the texter that said that adding another layer of civil service administration is rarely the solution to any problem... usually just stuffs the pockets of the chosen few friends of the Government and their associated private sector legal/accounts advisors..

Harry Angstrom

She seemed fairly pissed off with the whole thing, especially the intonation in her voice when she said what was happening was "RIDICULOUS", although I'd agree completely with her.
I remember that Primetime programme and being livid at the sight of one of the NAMA developers who was still using his company helicopter to ferry him around to racemeetings to watch his horse running. :rolleyes:

Rubik.

JonathanAnon wrote: »

Marion also got a rap across the knuckles from the BCC for her "one sided" interview with Pat Cox.. A complaint against her was upheld...

Interview of Pat Cox was 'one-sided' and 'unfair'

BAI upholds complaint made against 'Marian Finucane Show'


By JODY CORCORAN

Sunday June 26 2011

An interview conducted by the RTE broadcaster, Marian Finucane, with the aspirant Fine Gael presidential candidate Pat Cox, during which he gave a "partisan and patronising lecture to the nation", has been found to be unfair, partial and lacking in objectivity.
Yesterday the anti-EU campaigner who brought the complaint to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) said he was "rather surprised" by the ruling in his favour.
He said he had expected it to be rejected "especially as it involved such a well-known ultra-europhile as Mr Cox, who is now seeking the Fine Gael nomination for the Presidency".
Anthony Coughlan told the Sunday Independent that he happened to hear accidentally Mr Cox's "lengthy exposition of the background to our current troubles" on Saturday, April 2.
He described it as "extraordinarily unctuous, patronising, unbalanced and designed above all to deflect criticisms away from EU institutions, and particularly the European Central Bank".
The BAI ruled that the broadcast treatment of a "major issue of public concern and consequence" resulted in one view being given prominence without ensuring the alternative viewpoints were fairly represented.
The ruling will come as something of an embarrassment for Ms Finucane, who is one of RTE's best paid stars.
However, Mr Coughlan, in his letter of complaint, said he had "no wish to cause Ms Finucane personally or indeed her generally highly regarded programme embarrassment".
A director of the National Platform EU Research & Information Centre, Mr Coughlan was at pains to point out to the BAI that he did not make "complaints frivolously or for the sake of drawing attention to matters of a minor or trivial character".
In the mid-1990s, Mr Coughlan brought a complaint which ultimately led to a successful action in the High Court and Supreme Court regarding the allocation of political broadcasts in referendums.
Current members of the BAI include chairperson Bob Collins, a former director general of RTE; Larry Bass, the well-known independent producer; John Waters, a newspaper columnist; and Colum Kenny, a university lecturer and columnist with the Sunday Independent. The complaint was adjudicated upon by the BAI's eight-person compliance committee, on which Mr Waters also sits.
Mr Coughlan submitted that the interview, without anyone present or included to give counter views of "key disputed issues" in the development of Ireland's banking crisis, gave Mr Cox the opportunity to "present a significantly one-sided and unbalanced account", which was "misleading in important respects".
In particular, he said, by omitting certain facts and misstating others, Mr Cox's "unchallenged presentation sought to deny or deflect any criticism from the EU and the eurozone authorities as being significantly responsible for Ireland's banking crisis and to state or imply that it was solely or mainly Ireland's own fault".
He further submitted that the failure to include "another discussant" who was, "not, like Mr Cox, an avowed proponent of, and apologist for, even further EU integration", and the "related failure to indicate to listeners that any attempt would be made to remedy this omission", meant that listeners were presented with an account that was "significantly misleading, partisan, unbalanced, lacking in objectivity and unfair".
RTE contended that Ms Finucane conducted an "informed and thorough" interview showing no evidence of "bias or personal political views".
RTE did not accept that an alternative viewpoint was required.
It said that regular listeners were fully aware that the Saturday edition was always a single interview, a well-established current affairs format widely recognised as legitimate.
The broadcaster said Mr Cox was an appropriate person to invite on to the programme. His career gave him a "unique perspective" on Ireland and the EU.
The reason he was invited was that there was a "widespread perception" that Ireland had been "badly treated" by the EU. Mr Cox seemed like the "ideal person" to address those concerns.
During the interview, Ms Finucane asked numerous questions relating to the role of the ECB in the overheating of the property market and the "intransigent stance" on Ireland having to carry the full cost of banking debt.
She had also read out a series of listener comments, all of which were in opposition to the points raised by Mr Cox.
The BAI, in its ruling, respected the right of RTE to freedom of expression, but said it was also obliged to recognise the public interest.
It noted that the format "differed somewhat" from the regular slot of the profile interview, and also noted the importance and consequences of the subject matter and the absence of another interviewee.
In these circumstances, it took the view that there was a "greater onus" on RTE to challenge Mr Cox's views and to ensure that alternative views on Europe and the topics under discussion were adequately presented. This onus was not discharged.
It was incumbent on RTE to ensure, on a matter of enormous current public concern, that all sides of the issue were addressed fairly.
It noted that contributors to the programme over the past two years had voiced the opinions raised by Mr Coughlan.
It also noted that, in her introduction, Ms Finucane referred to Mr Cox as "really a Mr Europe for a very long time".
But no wider context was referred to by her in the course of the programme and no wider context was "sufficiently argued" in the broadcaster's response.
Therefore, the only broadcast relevant was The Marian Finucane Show on April 2.
The committee was of the view that the content of the discussion amounted to a "one-sided viewpoint" on issues concerning the economic crisis.
"In this instance, the broadcast treatment of a major issue of public concern and consequence resulted in one view being given prominence without ensuring that alternative viewpoints were fairly represented.
"The programme was not fair to all interests concerned and accordingly, the complaint was upheld with regard to the fairness, objectivity and impartiality requirements of the Broadcasting Act, 2009."


http://www.independent.ie/national-news/interview-of-pat-cox-was-onesided-and-unfair-2806191.html

JonathanAnon

To be honest, Miriam asked the questions that I wanted her to ask... His aloof, patronising tone was sickening.. If he had been given one of Tubridy's "I'll slap your back, you slap mine" interviews, I probably would have thrown the radio out the window... She DID go a little bit too far, but I dont think it warranted a complaint to the BAI..

Rubik.

I tend to agree. At the time I thought the interview reflected badly on Cox, not Finaunce. OK, he is a former President of European Parliament, but he had no role in the mess we are currently in. He wasn't in public office at the time of the interview and hadn't yet declared that he was definitley joining the Irish Presidential race. It was a general interview, not really the setting to badger a guest just because he expressed opinions that were bound to piss a lot of people off. Contrary views to his, on the ECB's role in our downfall, are expressed unchallenged on TV and Radio all the time.

Harry Angstrom

I don't know how anybody could take Pat Cox seriously anyway. Former member of Fianna Fail, then a member of the PD's and now joining Fine Gael so he can get the FG ticket for the Presidency. Oh, and he's "humbled" to be applying for the office of Presidency :rolleyes:.
Fook off back to Europe where you belong, you bureaucratic twit.

Callan57

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

I don't know how anybody could take Pat Cox seriously anyway. Former member of Fianna Fail, then a member of the PD's and now joining Fine Gael so he can get the FG ticket for the Presidency. Oh, and he's "humbled" to be applying for the office of Presidency :rolleyes:.
Fook off back to Europe where you belong, you bureaucratic twit.

Maybe because he was clever enough to see the error of his ways ... just a pity a few more didn't see it earlier.

SEPT 23 1989

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

I don't know how anybody could take Pat Cox seriously anyway. Former member of Fianna Fail, then a member of the PD's and now joining Fine Gael so he can get the FG ticket for the Presidency. Oh, and he's "humbled" to be applying for the office of Presidency :rolleyes:.
Fook off back to Europe where you belong, you bureaucratic twit.

Anyone with a strong whiff of Europe off them will get buried in this election

newcavanman

poor marian, €500,000 a year and now she shags off for the summer. That in itself would be bad enough , but now we have that Dopey Claire byrne running the show for the summer. Out iof the frying pan into the bloody fire !!!!

Harry Angstrom

Marian gone again, probably for the rest of the summer :rolleyes:

Not only does RTE have to pay the bould Ms Finucane about half a mill a year for her part-time job, they also presumably have to pay her numerous stand-ins a small fortune for keeping her seat warm. :mad:

constitutionus

oh dear gods

marrion is off AGAIN, and were getting claire byrne !

fleeee !

yosser hughes

Airhead Claire Byrne sitting in!:eek: What is it with RTE and their persistence with this charmless dim wit. Switched off straight away when I heard her voice.

Harry Angstrom

Rachel English should be given the gig full time and I bet she'd do it for one third of the money that Marian Finucane gets. I know she's had health problems but she's been doing Morning Ireland lately. She's one of the best around.

JonathanAnon

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

Rachel English should be given the gig full time

+1000% ... Thought she was much better than Mary Wilson on DriveTime.. Rachel is great, nice voice, pleasant but direct, no annoying habits (like the way Miriam brings up a furball once or twice every show)..

I also HATE the way RTE simply shuffle around their staff.. Rather than just admit that Clare Byrne is not a very good presenter (i.e. the reason she was pulled so quickly from The Late Debate), they give her another presenting job.. presumably because she's a staffer and they are "obliged" to give her something to present rather than fire her?

Derryleigh

JonathanAnon wrote: »

+1000% ... Thought she was much better than Mary Wilson on DriveTime.. Rachel is great, nice voice, pleasant but direct, no annoying habits (like the way Miriam brings up a furball once or twice every show)..

I also HATE the way RTE simply shuffle around their staff.. Rather than just admit that Clare Byrne is not a very good presenter (i.e. the reason she was pulled so quickly from The Late Debate), they give her another presenting job.. presumably because she's a staffer and they are "obliged" to give her something to present rather than fire her?

Come on, you cant just fire people because whingers on chat rooms dont like them.

mike65

Derryleigh are you perchance working for RTE radio?

FlutterinBantam

mike65 wrote: »

Derryleigh are you perchance working for RTE radio?

Who gives a fcuk whether he works in RTE or not.

The country knows that the punters there are paid way.....way....way above the going rate.


That's fact.

Check out any newspaper ,any comment on the matter, any forum....


Nobody ,but nobody, can justify the wedge paid to the top dogs in RTE.

NOBODY!

Callan57

IMO Rachel was too good when she stood in & Marion probably felt threatened. Today's show was a pathetic effort ... even Charlie Bird would do a better job.

Red Alert

It was just brutal. Would RTE care if they got complaints from listeners about Claire Byrne? She hasn't got a grasp at all of the issues that she's trying to talk about.

Dj

I started listening to Newstalk breakfast since Claire Byrne left its actually very entertaining and informative. Turned off the radio today wasn't worth listening to.
I still cant grasp how Marion gets paid so much money for doing so little.
Gerry Ryan was often criticised for his huge pay packet but he done 5 days a week and tv. Marion does a few hours at the weekend its outrageous.

JonathanAnon

I just have the habit of listening to Marian on a Sunday and then listen to Dunphy no podcast.. and maybe download Sam Smyth (though he's not great).. But after listening to Clare Byrne today, I think I might just forget about The "Marian Finucane" Show.. it is truly disgusting Marian Finucane gets away with, and how she is indulged by RTE.. She's like the Irish version of The Queen..

DublinWriter

Derryleigh wrote: »

Come on, you cant just fire people because whingers on chat rooms dont like them they are civil servants.

Fixed it for you.

mike65

JonathanAnon wrote: »

it is truly disgusting Marian Finucane gets away with, and how she is indulged by RTE.. She's like the Irish version of The Queen..

Which Queen? Anyway QE2 could show Maid Marian a thing or two about putting in a shift.

Caledonman

JonathanAnon wrote: »

I just have the habit of listening to Marian on a Sunday and then listen to Dunphy no podcast.. and maybe download Sam Smyth (though he's not great).. But after listening to Clare Byrne today, I think I might just forget about The "Marian Finucane" Show.. it is truly disgusting Marian Finucane gets away with, and how she is indulged by RTE.. She's like the Irish version of The Queen..

Well like it or not, her ratings are good, and she is getting the listeners.
That drives the advertising revenue and that is why she gets away with so much, and is paid so well. Likewise, with Gerry Ryan, when he was there, Joe Duffy and so on. I don't listen to Marian, never did. She will be in RTE till she decides to leave.

Harry Angstrom

Caledonman wrote: »

Well like it or not, her ratings are good, and she is getting the listeners.
That drives the advertising revenue and that is why she gets away with so much, and is paid so well. Likewise, with Gerry Ryan, when he was there, Joe Duffy and so on. I don't listen to Marian, never did. She will be in RTE till she decides to leave.

I think there will always be a core audience of listeners to Radio 1, irrespective of who's hosting the show. Even if Marian Finucane left, I still think that the listenership figures would hold up pretty well unless they get a complete buffoon to take over from her. I just find it laughable that people like Marian Finucane, Joe Duffy et al can take the "self-righteous indignation" approach to issues such as politicians' pay when they themselves are earning twice as much as them and doing a job which basically amounts to a part-time position.

I think RTE should play hardball with these people when their respective contracts next come up for negotiation. Slash their pay by at least 50%. If they refuse to accept, then show them the door. It's not as if rivals like Newstalk/Today FM are currently rolling in money so that they can tempt them away in any case.

FlutterinBantam

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

I think there will always be a core audience of listeners to Radio 1, irrespective of who's hosting the show. Even if Marian Finucane left, I still think that the listenership figures would hold up pretty well unless they get a complete buffoon to take over from her. I just find it laughable that people like Marian Finucane, Joe Duffy et al can take the "self-righteous indignation" approach to issues such as politicians' pay when they themselves are earning twice as much as them and doing a job which basically amounts to a part-time position.

I think RTE should play hardball with these people when their respective contracts next come up for negotiation. Slash their pay by at least 50%. If they refuse to accept, then show them the door. It's not as if rivals like Newstalk/Today FM are currently rolling in money so that they can tempt them away in any case.

They might have come fairly close here in broadcasting terms..............

Lapin

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

complete buffoon

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

They might have come fairly close here in broadcasting terms..............

Fairly close..........but not quite complete eh ?

Rebelheart

Just to put all of this in perspective: this Finucane woman's salary for a year would pay for 15 teachers for a year. It's immoral, and it won't be changed by mere cosmetic changes to RTÉ salaries. A fundamental overhaul is required.

There is no way on God's earth that she, or any of them, give Irish society as much as a single teacher, let alone 15 of them, can give our country.

bob50

Fully agree rebelheart

But what gets on my tits is when Marion has people on her prog. talking about cutbacks recession etc and she moans about the price of bread and tea going up in price

Truly shocking

constitutionus

ah FFS !

not only am i having claire byrne inflicted upon me but the first guest is paul bloody williams !

thats it im off.

this will have journo love in stamped all over this show

it was bad enough george lee didnt do the business today this is the final straw.

to the podcasts !

Callan57

You didn't miss a whole lot ... a pathetic offering today. Paul Williams I think I may actually be allergic to him. But I suppose he needs a bit of publicity now the NOTW is no more & he's doing up the CV again. Very soft interview not a hard question in sight!

Then there was a lengthy interview with some guy adopted from Romania who went to find his biological parents ... the most boring & totally pointless interview I've ever had the misfortune to listen to. I kept hanging on expecting the point of the interview to reveal itself ... it never did!

There was a slightly interesting bit on previous presidential campaigns which did a quick review of the dirty tricks used .... some of which I had kinda forgotten. Justine McCarthy is always worth a listen.

donaghs

Caledonman wrote: »

Well like it or not, her ratings are good, and she is getting the listeners.
That drives the advertising revenue and that is why she gets away with so much, and is paid so well. Likewise, with Gerry Ryan, when he was there, Joe Duffy and so on. I don't listen to Marian, never did. She will be in RTE till she decides to leave.

The argument has been discredited before. Her show may be popular, and bring in more advertising revenue than most RTE shows. However, firstly, RTE is predicted to make losses of a few million this year. Secondly, in private sector media, you don't just chuck half a million at a presenter because they are popular and bring in revenue - you pay them enough in order to keep them in the job. The question is, will someone else pay Marian Finucane the same money for 4 hours work? Of course not!

In other news, it seems Marian is the only one of RTE's radio "stars" taking an extended summer break: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0706/1224300157414.html

JonathanAnon

donaghs wrote: »

The question is, will someone else pay Marian Finucane the same money for 4 hours work? Of course not!

I've said this before but I'll say it again.. I think it's disingenuous of RTE to call it The Marian Finucane Show, as she's only there about 50% of the time.. The advertisers arent stupid, and are aware of this so I reckon that they would be sponsoring the RTE Saturday morning show anyway..

JonathanAnon

Callan57 wrote: »

You didn't miss a whole lot ... a pathetic offering today. Paul Williams I think I may actually be allergic to him.

He said that when he heard that the NOTW was closing, it was the biggest shock he got since he heard that Veronica Guerin died.. I thought that was a bit insulting to Veronica's Guerin's memory given what the NOTW was..

serfboard

donaghs wrote: »

In other news, it seems Marian is the only one of RTE's radio "stars" taking an extended summer break: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0706/1224300157414.html

JonathanAnon wrote: »

I've said this before but I'll say it again.. I think it's disingenuous of RTE to call it The Marian Finucane Show, as she's only there about 50% of the time.

From the article Marion is contracted to do a certain amount of work per year. So, there are 52 weekends in the year giving a possible 104 shows. Taking nine weeks off leaves 86 shows. Say she's taken three weekends off at other times. That leaves 80 shows. Anyone care to guess how many she actually does?

For 2008 figures, 570K / 80 = 7K per show.

JonathanAnon

serfboard wrote: »

Taking nine weeks off leaves 86 shows. Say she's taken three weekends off at other times. That leaves 80 shows.

I'm just a little reluctant to go over the top on how ridiculous this is though, as she may have been ill.. I know that she was in a wheelchair for a while last year... She did not say why, but did make reference to the fact that she was in a wheelchair..

Rubik.

I vaguely remember her saying something about two broken ankles.

Callan57

Probably tripped over the bank statement

JonathanAnon

Callan57 wrote: »

Probably tripped over the bank statement

Thanks for the late night laugh..

Dirigent

Today's show was a long promo for a private ambulance company. For the cost of a tank of diesel, they got plug after plug, fair dues to them. But what was the relevance of sending an ambulance on a journey on a fine Saturday morning, as opposed to navigating through rush hour traffic or roadworks?

JonathanAnon

Dirigent wrote: »

Today's show was a long promo for a private ambulance company.

Yeah I thought the whole segment was overkill and unnecessary.. Everybody who has the AA Route Planner can work out how long it takes to get from Roscommon to Galway.... I really would prefer Rachel to be presenting. Clare just lacks personality..

RadioRetro

Dirigent wrote: »

Today's show was a long promo for a private ambulance company. For the cost of a tank of diesel, they got plug after plug, fair dues to them.

The ambo outfit probably charged for the use of the vehicle as well... pointless in the extreme item.

Plowman

This post has been deleted.

Callan57

Agree nothing but a promo for the ambulance company ... proved nothing either way except that prime time radio is cheaply bought.

Claire Byrne could interview almighty God and making it sound boring .. that interview with the man whose son joined the Taliban could have been most interesting if Rachel English was interviewing but Claire managed no glean no insight whatsoever into the character or motivations of the son or indeed the father.

Harry Angstrom

Callan57 wrote: »

Claire Byrne could interview almighty God and making it sound boring .. that interview with the man whose son joined the Taliban could have been most interesting if Rachel English was interviewing but Claire managed no glean no insight whatsoever into the character or motivations of the son or indeed the father.

I came away from that interview thinking that the Taliban were whiter than white and that this guy's son was caught up in some sort of humanitarian crusade. Talk about giving somebody an easy ride. :rolleyes: