Battle of the presenters

Sunnyisland

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/rte-presenters-are-living-in-a-cocoon-say-rival-frontmen-2927988.html

BROADCASTER Joe Duffy has compared the campaign to cut the salaries of RTE's best-paid presenters to a "witch-hunt".
His comments came as TV3 presenters Mark Cagney and Aidan Cooney said their RTE counterparts lived in a "cocoon" and could not earn similar sums at a commercial station.
Mr Duffy -- who earns in the region of €285,000 -- said it was unfair to target him or his RTE colleagues for the nation's woes.
And he stressed that top earners -- including Pat Kenny or Marian Finucane -- did not defraud or "spoof" people about the state of the world.
The 'Liveline' presenter also launched a broadside against presenter Eamon Dunphy, saying that his show attracted more listeners in a week than Mr Dunphy brought in a total year for Newstalk.
Separately, two of TV3's best-known faces joined the debate about fees paid to RTE's star presenters, claiming they could never command similar fees in the private sector.
'Ireland AM' presenters Mr Cagney and Mr Cooney both agreed that there was little chance of the top earners acting on RTE director-general Noel Curran's stark warning to take a pay cut or go elsewhere.
"No one would pay them that kind of money in the commercial world. I know damn well they (commercial broadcasters) couldn't. So where are they going to go? It's not the real world, but RTE is not the real world generally. It's a semi-state body," Mr Cagney told the Irish Independent.
Mr Cooney particularly criticised RTE weekend presenter Ms Finucane, who was paid €570,000 in 2008.
"When you see Marian getting €570,000 for going in there to do a job, which is essentially fun, and she preaches about how 'I earn my money'. Where is that comparable to? Hollywood? If RTE decides to cut her money. . . where is she going to get similar money? Nowhere. They live in a cocoon."
As a private company, TV3 does not reveal the salaries paid to its own presenters.
But Mr Duffy said commercial stations, such as Newstalk, paid more when their listenership figures were compared to those tuning into RTE.
Pay
In an interview on Limerick's Live 95FM yesterday, Mr Duffy said: "Eamon Dunphy revealed he was being paid €100,000 for 40 programmes from Newstalk that had an audience of 60,000 per programme.
"I bring in more people listening to RTE in a week than Eamon Dunphy brings in in the year for Newstalk."
Mr Duffy, who took an extra 30pc pay cut last month, said: "There was a decision to target five or six people. It turned into a witch-hunt in RTE."
He added: "I run a programme that has 400,000 listeners a day that generates income for RTE. It is a relatively cheap programme that brings in two million listeners a week."
"That is the way RTE decide -- at the minute -- the monthly fee they are paying me is good value for the income I generate for the station."
- Barry Duggan and Ken Sweeney
Irish Independent


It looks like a war of words has erupted between newstalks & rte presenters in which both are criticizing one another.I certainly think that pat kenny & marian finucane's wages are to high,especially marion finucanes who does maybe 6 hours a week on sat and sun.So with the public paying some of rte,s wages and newstalk not making there payments public, do you think they are paid to much ?

Talk here as you cant talk to joe about it

4zn76tysfajdxp

Of course they're paid too much. Joe Duffy would've been paid too much if he was on one hundred grand a year. If he doesn't like it, he can go to Newstalk or Today FM and see how he gets on there.

mikemac

Philip Boucher Hayes filled in for Joe last year and was superb

You could probably give PHB one third of Joe's salary and he'd be glad to have it and Liveline would carry on

Toby Take a Bow

God I hate Joe Duffy.

Just slash his wages to 10 grand or so more than tv3 would offer. It'll be the best offer he could get. Certainly nobody else would pay for his 'services'.

MetalDog

It's a disgrace Joe, a disgrace . . .

JerryHandbag

They should have the Apres Match version of Joe Duffy on his show instead, far more entertaining

mikemac

Thread needs more puns, Joe Duffy puts a lot of effort into working in puns for every situation

problemchimp

If Joe gets 400,000 listeners per day well then maybe he justifies his wages and that is why R.T.E.are wiping the floor with tv3 and their nobody presenters. He does his job very very well (I can't stand the priick by the way) but Finucane is an absolute disgrace, 6 hours per week and a shiit load of money. Get rid of the dead wood like her and Tubridy and make way for Philip Boucher Hayes.

Oranage2

mikemac wrote: »

Thread needs more puns, Joe Duffy puts a lot of effort into working in puns for every situation

RTE more like an RTA?

sensibleken

Hopefully this witch hunt will also end with a big fire and joe duffy strapped to a stake.

super_furry

You could replace Joe Duffy with any number of narky oul ones from the front pew of a church and no-one would notice.

The thing is that things are financially tight in RTE and while normal staff have agreed pay freezes, then pay cuts and now are looking like agreeing to unpaid leave, the likes of Duffy aren't being touched and whining that everyone's out to get them.

Dyr

Is joe nervous about some ongoing expenses he racks up or something?

RachaelVO

Good aul Bluffy, he'll have the entire blue rinse brigade behind him!

Is it still (un) funny it it happens on a Friday Joe????

starbelgrade

Ah, yeah.. yeah.. aah.

Aaah.. yeah... I hear ya.

Aaah.. yeah.. ah.

the groutch

they should tell Joe they won't cut any wages, but they'll have to sack him to make the savings instead. he'd change his tune quick enough then.

kylith

It pisses me off so much to hear broadcasters whinging about their wages. We could employ 10 nurses for the cost of one Joe Duffy, and I know which I'd prefer, or 20 nurses for the price of a Marian Finucan. Which I think is exactly what we should be doing: Cut presenter's salaries to a reasonable hourly rate, and use the difference to help pay off our national debt / employ teachers / upgrade our infrastructure.

Benedict

The salaries paid to RTE presenters is an absolute disgrace. Quite recently, the government announced that the Donegal bus service for cancer patients was to be cut. After all, it costs E90k per annum.

And Marian Finucane continues to be paid almost 11 thousand per week!

YES, PER WEEK!

And we pay Joe Duffy more than Barak Obama earns. Yes "we" pay, it is public money - let's not forget that!

Why aren't people marching on Government Building to highlight this insanity?

What sort of a bunch of spineless fools are we?

3ndahalfof6

Joe, it is not 2 million listeners a week, no Joe it is 400k listeners a week, the same 400k every day,

2 million listeners a week Joe, you big boaster you Joe.

3ndahalfof6

Benedict wrote: »

The salaries paid to RTE presenters is an absolute disgrace. Quite recently, the government announced that the Donegal bus service for cancer patients was to be cut. After all, it costs E90k per annum.

And Marian Finucane continues to be paid almost 11 thousand per week!

YES, PER WEEK!

And we pay Joe Duffy more than Barak Obama earns. Yes "we" pay, it is public money - let's not forget that!

Why aren't people marching on Government Building to highlight this insanity?

What sort of a bunch of spineless fools are we?

the spineless type.

Gongoozler

I'd go on a march/protest for that. Who's organising it?

Yamanoto

The DG / Controller of Radio should lay it down simply to the big names - Given RTE's budgetary constraints, we're cutting salaries by 50%. That leaves you with three options:

1) Go to TV3 / Other Commercial Radio - Enjoy lower production values, lower audience share, less support staff and considerably less job security.

2) Try your luck in Britain - Where the majority of RTE 'talent' will find their performance subjected to far greater levels of scrutiny from station bosses, the press and public alike.

3) Agree a new contract with RTE and just be thankful you're doing a job you love for many multiples of the average industrial wage.

Lumbo

Mark Cagney's a fine one to be talking about other peoples wages. Possibly the worst presenter on TV. TV3 is a joke of a station.

syklops

mikemac wrote: »

Philip Boucher Hayes filled in for Joe last year and was superb

You could probably give PHB one third of Joe's salary and he'd be glad to have it and Liveline would carry on

I would LOOOVE to have PBH in the Lahv-lahn spot. He was fantastic last year. He didnt put up with bullsh!t, he didnt put with people who just wanted to complain, and he didnt get excited at a tale of woe. I actually think he did too good a job, because it felt like Joe was back prematurely, and now when ever he fancies pulling a sicky, Damien O'Reilly fills in.

There is nothing wrong with Damien, but whenever he is on its like he is wearing his Dads suit. He doesn't put his own opinion in, and just follows Joes agenda of the week.

Sunnyisland

Gongoozler wrote: »

I'd go on a march/protest for that. Who's organising it?[/QUOTE]


TV3

Kurz

Lumbo wrote: »

Mark Cagney's a fine one to be talking about other peoples wages. Possibly the worst presenter on TV. TV3 is a joke of a station.

I agree with you about Cagney. Watching him present television for me is like watching a corpse being eaten by spiders. He's vile.

This doesn't give the argument about RTE presenters any less merit whatsoever though, their wages are an absolute disgrace and an insult to the people of this country.

Benedict

There will never be proper public debate on the outrageous salaries that the likes of Joe Duffy receive. He does a job and he should be paid a wage - and a good one. But does he deserve to earn more than the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance combined? For answering the phone for 50 mins five days a week? For saying "back afther dis" before each ad break?

But you won't hear presenters' salaries debated. Because they run the media. And turkeys don't vote for Christmas.

Such people being paid - in some cases - in excess of 10k per week while hospital wards are being closed is a downright scandal.

Namlub

Bold type makes my point more valid

alleystar

Mark Cagney has to be the most annoying, egotistical and opinionated presenter on TV. He'd jump at the chance to have Joe Duffy's salary no doubt. Thinks a lot of himself.

padd b1975

Cagney and Cooney (potential 80s style cop show) would both break down the doors of RTE if they thought they could get a job there.

Chuck Stone

Derek Davies would do the Joe Duffey slot for a bag of chips and a few cream buns.

super_furry

Benedict wrote: »

There will never be proper public debate on the outrageous salaries that the likes of Joe Duffy receive. He does a job and he should be paid a wage - and a good one. But does he deserve to earn more than the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance combined? For answering the phone for 50 mins five days a week? For saying "back afther dis" before each ad break?

But you won't hear presenters' salaries debated. Because they run the media. And turkeys don't vote for Christmas.

Such people being paid - in some cases - in excess of 10k per week while hospital wards are being closed is a downright scandal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pdWAcK6Eh8

oppenheimer1

I guess this depends on what way you think presenters should be paid, should it be proportional to their popularity, listenership and revenue generating ability or some form of calculation which takes difficulty of work multiplied by hours a week.

I don't think the RTE presenters are actually that popular and that people tune into their programmes to hear them. The value that these programmes have is that they are on RTE and have a wide reach and generally higher production values.

HerrScheisse

He earns more than some heads of state for being a receptor of moans over the airwaves. Once the seniors learn to vent on the internet instead of picking up a crooked horn, this type of state sponsored chatter can be abolished. Previously they used to exorcise their bile via letters pages to the dailies. It is all a matter of media, and radio, in particular "radio personalities", are not so important in the grand scheme of things.

They should play music, be grateful for their oversized gratuity, and STFU.

HerrScheisse

This man has it exactly!

starbelgrade wrote: »

Ah, yeah.. yeah.. aah.

Aaah.. yeah... I hear ya.

Aaah.. yeah.. ah.

Chuck Stone

I believe you could get a person who does a good impression of Joe Duffy and put him in the place of JD with a bit of training and his listeners wouldn't be all that bothered.

De lioveloine wit Jo Duffi.

HerrScheisse

He may even do a better job, at a fraction of the cost to the taxpayer.

"Yer Joe, shue yerrah, tis a terrible shtate o affairs win reedio prisentors earn less dan a herd o shate."

Pacing Mule

Namlub wrote: »

Bold type makes my point more valid

Especially when I'm bumping a zombie thread

seligehgit

Seriously rate Philip Boucher Hayes as a presenter,I can not tolerate Joe Duffy.

Rigol

There is no Joe Duffy.
Theres a playlist.

Connect the call.
Press 'play random'.

1. And where did it happen Mary.
2. Did they found out who took it.
3. God its awful.
4. And did nobody stop and help.
5. How long did it take you to pull it out.
6. And where were the Gardai.
7. I suppose it had sentimental value.
8. And the HSE wouldn't pay for your varicous vein operation. What sort of country are we living in.

Turpentine

Chuck Stone wrote: »

Derek Davies would do the Joe Duffey slot for a bag of chips and a few cream buns.

Heck, he'd probably bring his own.

Here's the Joe Duffy soundboard for anyone who hasn't seen it yet. It's genius:
http://clamnuts.com/joe-duffy-soundboard-2/

Benedict

People like Joe Duffy perform an important role - Irish people who have, say, been burgled, like to hear how others have coped. But nurses also perform an important role. So do the gardai. So do carers for the old! So what if a special needs assistant said "I perform an important role in the community, so I'll need 5 or 6 grand a week".

The one topic you will NEVER EVER hear openly debated on Joe Duffy or the Late Late or Prime Time etc is "why can a presenter demand a higher salary than Barak Obama and still be way below the top earners" in RTE?

It's your money folks! While carers' hours are being threatened, a presenter can toddle off to the bank with a five figure sum each week!

Maybe you can't fool all of the people all of the time. But it seems you sure can fool most of them!

Who does Joe call to complain to

Cookie_Monster

bluewolf wrote: »

Who does Joe call to complain to

he just stands in front of the mirror and whines to himself.

Benedict

Making a few entries in this thread has been a real eye-opener!

I now have a much better understanding of how can a person can spend a few hours a day in RTE (5 days a week) and get paid more per annum than the French Head of State. Or get paid more per hour that a top surgeon?

Look at the number of replies that focus on making smart comments! Like "who does Joe complain to?"

You know, this is your money! If you hired a plumber and he charged four grand for fixing a tap, would you make a comment on colour of his van? Or would you say "Hang on a second. You're not getting four grand for fixing a tap".

Judging from some of the comments on this thread, I have a hunch that the four grand would be paid no problem and the colour of the van would be criticised.

Dear oh dear! Fools and their money are easily parted.

We're right eejits to tolerate it. And remember that you - yes YOU - are paying for this rip-off.

So make a smart comment about that!

Yeah, boards.ie & rte have a contract whereby posting smart comments on a thread forbids me from actually taking any real life action on an issue I feel strongly about.
No wait, it doesn't.

Benedict

While some RTE presenters can get paid 3k per hour's work, the people who pay can only rise to a few jaded wise-cracks!

Well done folks! You're hilarious - and really really generous!

And just imagine, all that cash you're doling out could be used for something stupid like keeping hospital wards from closing.

But the Irish people know that paying vast fortunes to presenters is much better.

Very clever!

_feedback_

Benedict wrote: »

While some RTE presenters can get paid 3k per hour's work, the people who pay can only rise to a few jaded wise-cracks!

Well done folks! You're hilarious - and really really generous!

And just imagine, all that cash you're doling out could be used for something stupid like keeping hospital wards from closing.

But the Irish people know that paying vast fortunes to presenters is much better.

Very clever!

You are making some good points but the bold text is really annoying...

Why don't you try to organise a protest? I'd go to it.

fishy fishy

cut their wages - if they don't like it, fire them.

They get paid way too much anyway - there are plenty others that could be happy to do their jobs for a reasonable fee.

its time for a shake up in that place anyway - too much of the same faces and attitudes for way too long.

Capt'n Midnight

There are TV ratings and JNLR surveys so not exactly rocket science to tell how many listeners switch channels if Joe is on holidays or stay with the show when it's done with other presenters.

Also for many of these people they aren't employed by RTE they have their own production companies, in which case they cream off more money, at the expense of job security - time to trim the fat.

Aidric

Lumbo wrote: »

Mark Cagney's a fine one to be talking about other peoples wages. Possibly the worst presenter on TV.

He is a particularly slimy individual, makes me feel uneasy in fact. And why is he orange?

Benedict

People complain about the price of a pint. Marian Finucane earns the price of a pint every six seconds of broadcasting.

After 30 seconds, she has earned the price of 5 pints.

1 minute, 10 pints.

Are we mad?

She is good at what she does. But so is your local nurse or carer?

Are we totally mad?

Or stupid?