Ray Colgan & Cameraman, RTE, Jordan (the country)

vicwatson

Like why?

Why are we paying for 2 RTE staff (at least) to be reporting on Syrian refugees from a refugee camp in Jordan.

Reports all this week on RTE news.

This is NOT the first time we sent reporters to far flung places to report on things that surely can be taken from Reuters, PA or BBC even, Ray Kennedy was in Africa last year and some other dude whos name escapes me now was in South America. There are others.

It's a crazy waste of money in recessionary times. They'll be looking for another increase in the Licence fee shortly I'd say, they haven't had one for almost 2 years. :mad::mad:

expectationlost

well considering we're paying millions to fund these camps...

athtrasna

vicwatson wrote: »

This is NOT the first time we sent reporters to far flung places to report on things that surely can be taken from Reuters, PA or BBC even, Ray Kennedy was in Africa last year and some other dude whos name escapes me now was in South America. There are others.

It's a crazy waste of money in recessionary times. They'll be looking for another increase in the Licence fee shortly I'd say, they haven't had one for almost 2 years. :mad::mad:

The stuff that comes in from outside is not free either! Quite often it's cheaper to send staff yourself rather than pay fees and transmission costs from other outlets. Everything is not as simple as you seem to think it is

vicwatson

Robert Short, Paul Cunningham, George Lee (Frankfurt) and Eileen Dunne all in Brussels today/tonight

WTF like? It's a joke

athtrasna

Did you by any chance notice the flurry of satellite vans and foreign broadcasters in Dublin? This is some of the biggest news in Europe today and of interest around the world too.

You might also bear in mind that RTE sell on their footage to other broadcasters which generates income.

It is all too easy to jump to conclusions if that's what you want to see. I bothered to do my research when a similar thing jarred with me some years ago.

I would much rather see a handful of journalists covering a major news story, a pretty historical one, than pay massive salaries to overinflated egos with radio/tv shows.

AnonoBoy

Once again people who don't understand how television work complain about how it's a waste of money! You'd be better off complaining about the wages of the top presenters because the cost of sending a reporter out somewhere to report on the news is tiny compared to what the big wigs get paid.

vicwatson

It's an absolute ridiculous waste of taxpayers money having all these broadcasters out there. Why is Eileen Dunne flown out there for a 3 minute slot with the Taoiseach. Ridiculous waste of my money.

Syferus

Oh stop.

68Murph68

My favourite was Tommie Gorman in Mauritius for the Michaela McAreavey trial.

Fair enough there was a story there but it seemed like Tommie was out there for about 3 months.

There was a couple of news reports where it was blatantly obvious there was SFA to report yet RTE felt compelled to get something from Tommie because he was out there.

You could see Tommie was embarrassed in a couple of them as he knew that he had nothing new to say but it was like RTE insisted that he file a report.

The Irish farmer's tan he picked up didn't exactly help with the impression that Tommie was simply reading the headlines from the local daily paper on a couple of occasions.

_Whimsical_

68Murph68 wrote: »

My favourite was Tommie Gorman in Mauritius for the Michaela McAreavey trial.

Fair enough there was a story there but it seemed like Tommie was out there for about 3 months.

There was a couple of news reports where it was blatantly obvious there was SFA to report yet RTE felt compelled to get something from Tommie because he was out there.

You could see Tommie was embarrassed in a couple of them as he knew that he had nothing new to say but it was like RTE insisted that he file a report.

The Irish farmer's tan he picked up didn't exactly help with the impression that Tommie was simply reading the headlines from the local daily paper on a couple of occasions.

I don't really agree with this. I think the death of Michaela McAreavey garnered a lot of interest and sympathy from a majority of the Irish public. There was enough interest for a twitter campaign to boycott Mauritis due to the state of their justice system and the way the trial was conducted so people must have been watching the coverage and reading about it. I guess it could've been phoned in but overall I thought the coverage was interesting and worthy.

AnonoBoy

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

I guess it could've been phoned in but overall I thought the coverage was interesting and worthy.

It doesn't cost a huge amount more to film a report than to phone it in from the same location. What would the point being of paying for someone to go out there and then not pay for them to at least film a report?

vicwatson

At least €400.00 to have Jackie Michael Healy Rae sent back to Kerry in a taxi on Saturday night after an interview on The Saturday Show. Like Hello.

Do RTE realise who's money it is they are spending?:mad:

No recession in RTE anyway

athtrasna

vicwatson wrote: »

At least €400.00 to have Jackie Healy Rae sent back to Kerry in a taxi on Saturday night after an interview on The Saturday Show. Like Hello.

Do RTE realise who's money it is they are spending?:mad:

No recession in RTE anyway

Who said they spent that?

And we'll anticipate that the next few weeks will involve a lot of journalists in Rome for the whole Pope thing so you might as well start to moan about that now, why waste the time

What's your beef with RTE? In the scheme of our money being "wasted" there are far bigger fish to fry. I know of another semi-state that spent almost 5k recently hiring a screening room to show a series of films to journalists about how great they are. Look at the waste in the civil service, the massive administration costs in the health service (at the detriment of front line services), money wasted on projects that never went ahead (decentralisation, e voting, national stadium, Metro west etc). None of these did anything for me. RTE brings me entertainment and news.

Lapin

Eileen Dunne co presenting the 9 O Clock News from Rome tonight.

I don't see any harm in it at all. In the scheme of things its not a huge additional cost and I think it adds to the quality of the news.

I'd rather see Irish journalists cover major news stories than see them syndicated out to foreign media.

vicwatson

Lapin wrote: »

Eileen Dunne co presenting the 9 O Clock News from Rome tonight.

I don't see any harm in it at all. In the scheme of things its not a huge additional cost and I think it adds to the quality of the news.

I'd rather see Irish journalists cover major news stories than see them syndicated out to foreign media.

She's a newsreader not a reporter, and had a cameraperson and, I assume, soundperson there too

Scandalous waste of money. RTE also had two reporters making reports from Rome, she then interviews the Rome Correspondant from The Los Angeles Times !! WTF like?, meanwhile Dobbo back in the studio.

Trying to justify their salaries me thinks

vicwatson

Who said they spent that?

RTE did (say that they spent €400.00 on a taxi home to Kerry for Michael Healy Rae - Sunday Times article 10th Feb 2013)

athtrasna

vicwatson wrote: »

She's a newsreader not a reporter, and had a cameraperson and, I assume, soundperson there too

Scandalous waste of money. RTE also had two reporters making reports from Rome, she then interviews the Rome Correspondant from The Los Angeles Times !! WTF like?, meanwhile Dobbo back in the studio.

Trying to justify their salaries me thinks

There is an RTE crew based in Europe full time. Little or no extra cost.

Did RTE turn you down for a job or something

vicwatson

Did we learn NOTHING in this country about wasting taxpayers money in the years gone by?

I CANNOT believe Miriam O'Callaghan is out in Rome also:eek:

A complete abuse of taxpayers money. It's a joke really :mad:

grimbergen

Between news and Prime Time tonight, I count 3 RTE reporters in Rome tonight. I cant think of a news story less relevant. I've no problem with reporting from Syria compared to this

vicwatson

grimbergen wrote: »

Between news and Prime Time tonight, I count 3 RTE reporters in Rome tonight. I cant think of a news story less relevant. I've no problem with reporting from Syria compared to this

Colgan wasn't even in Syria, he was in Jordan and was reporting on Syrian refugees in Jordanian refugee camps

Filled up some empty space on RTE news for the whole week.

grimbergen

vicwatson wrote: »

Colgan wasn't even in Syria, he was in Jordan and was reporting on Syrian refugees in Jordanian refugee camps

Filled up some empty space on RTE news for the whole week.

so what, thats perfectly newsworthy. Its one of the biggest humanitarian crises in the world right now. There are little or no foreign reporters inside Syria right now

athtrasna

vicwatson wrote: »

Colgan wasn't even in Syria, he was in Jordan and was reporting on Syrian refugees in Jordanian refugee camps

Filled up some empty space on RTE news for the whole week.

Did you not see the Friday night stuff where the Syrian army was shooting at them across the border?

As the previous poster said, there are no Western journalists inside Syria - media organisations tend to prefer their reporters to stay alive.

I really think you need a reality check on the definition of "wasting taxpayers money"

vicwatson

An outrageous waste of taxpayers money.

RTE are carrying on like they are CNN or NBC or some other large American news station.

They still fail to realise they are a national broadcaster for a small outcrop on the western periphery with a mere 4.5 million population.

Stop wasting my taxes RTE

Syferus

Talk about grandstanding.

You're not in debate class, Vic.

vicwatson

Syferus wrote: »

Talk about grandstanding.

You're not in debate class, Vic.

Well spotted. I'm on boards.ie

vicwatson

Brian Dobbos turn out to fly out to Rome today

1st report from Tony Connolly in St.Peters Square in Rome

2nd report from Samantha Libreri in Vatican City in Rome

EDIT - AND Joe Little, hilarious really


RTE GET A DAMN GRIP AND STOP WASTING OUR TAXPAYERS MONEY WILL YOU. A JOKE.:mad::mad:

lertsnim

How boring.

vicwatson

lertsnim wrote: »

How boring.

Completely agree and another awful waste of Taxpayers money

Go Harvey Go

*sigh*

Can this thread be locked now?

Mr E

lertsnim wrote: »

How boring.

vicwatson wrote: »

Completely agree and another awful waste of Taxpayers money

I think he was talking about the thread, Vic.

Locked.