Dee Forbes banging the RTE TV licence drum again 60m uncollected fee *poll not working - pl ignore*

masculinist

RabbleRouser2k wrote: »

Talk to your GP. You'll get more information, with less 'DOOM!!!' subtext. They'll explain to you why the virus spread so rapidly in China (Rates of smoking in China is extremely high. Like 52 percent of males smoke, and 60% of male doctor's smoke-leading to lung issues that allowed Covid-19 to thrive. Italy is much the same story, where about 25 percent of the population smoke, with the added issue of a very high elderly population).

We're getting the news of 'infected' people-we're getting news of the deaths-we're not getting news of recoveries.

A healthy person should not waste the time of a GP .
My GP doesn't give lectures for free.

RabbleRouser2k

masculinist wrote: »

A healthy person should not waste the time of a GP .
My GP doesn't give lectures for free.

Neither does mine. But for clarity, my mother had a Dr's appointment last Friday (nothing seriously wrong, but something that can't be treated with a disprin. Not going into too much detail, because it's not my medical problem-I hope you understand that reason. If it was me, I'd be an open book).

She was chatting to him while being treated, and asked about the virus. Simply put, while he, as a doctor, has to follow government advice and orders (the hand sanitizer, the face mask, the 'hazmat' suit or whatever you wanna call it-as does his staff) he's not worried about Covid-19. He's paid more attention to it than you or I have, noting the causes, those that are affected etc. He also paid attention to the rate of those who are recovering from the illness. Hence not worried.

If you paid attention to the way it's reported in the news... it's more doom and gloom there.
That and rather negligent too. We hear all this 'this will put immense pressure on the health system'. No doubt it will-but the health was already screwed. By the people who were meant to sort it out-Simon HArris and Leo Varadkar to name a few.
Prior to the Coronavirus, the health system was in trouble. It's been in terrible shape for well over a decade now.

Shefwedfan

masculinist wrote: »

The license fee is legal extortion.

I don't have a television because I refuse to give into extortion.

Straight away during the corona crisis I'm cut off from my moral right to access potentially life saving information from another source because of the RTE extortionist cartel .

Tv license is a tax, so is all tax extortion according to you?

What tv is RTÉ blocking you from? Did they shut down the internet?

Kivaro

elperello wrote: »

It doesn't worry me in the least what 5 or 6 people earn because in the greater scheme of things it doesn't matter.

It is bewildering that posters who defend RTE for vested or whatever reasons believe that a statement like above will go unchallenged.
We are talking about a good deal more than the 'superstar' talent at RTE. What about the 70+ managers there? It is layered in wasted bureaucracy.

The wages and expenses at RTE were appalling when times were good. The lucrative pensions scheme at RTE are cost prohibitive.
Ireland, as a country, cannot afford these costs during a national extended emergency.

I am sure that everyone remembers the smug face of Miriam O'Callaghan when she interviewed the criminal Margaret Cash. She, and her bosses knew that the overwhelming majority of Irish society did not support Cash's PR stunt for a free home closer to her mother. Yet, they still championed this woman who had a known history of terrorising old people down the country.

This smugness is prevalent all over RTE and it is just another indicator of the disdain that they have towards the general public.

Shefwedfan

Kivaro wrote: »

It is bewildering that posters who defend RTE for vested or whatever reasons believe that a statement like above will go unchallenged.

Quit with the hyperbole rubbish

What I see on the majority here is reasonable people having a discussion how to fix RTÉ, not going off ranting and raving....the best is the accusation of a cartel. Seriously get a life. Maybe 40 years ago when no other option.

Everyone I see says RTÉ needs to change from top down, I agree to a point changing 4 - 5 people wages in a large organisation will make f**k all difference because you have another 1000 all overpaid or not working correctly

RTÉ needs an overhaul, how you do it without wasting more millions is the question

Dee doesn’t look to be up to the job

Kivaro

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Tv license is a tax, so is all tax extortion according to you?

What tv is RTÉ blocking you from? Did they shut down the internet?

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Quit with the hyperbole rubbish ....

... Seriously get a life.

Might I suggest that you hop into bed again for a few minutes, and then extricating yourself on the opposite side from which you arose this morning.

Elmo

The cost of the top ten earners should not be dismissed as tabloid.

In 2016 RTÉ announced the closure of their in house children’s (young people’s) department, saying that while the department was closing they were committed to retaining the funding to children’s content.

However, that same year RTÉ had already cut funding to children’s programming by 25% and in had almost certainly made the decision to cut it again by 50% in 2017.

In 2017 RTÉ spent 3m on ten stars, saying that it was this was a tiny amount of 1% of their budget a tiny amount....

However RTÉ then except us to ignore the fact that they spend only 1% on children’s content and that they are committed to children’s content?!?!?

RTÉ “Stars” haven’t really seen much of a cut. The death of Jerry Ryan and Pat Kenny’s exit were the main factors of the reduction in top earners salaries.

And for some unknown reason RTÉ took a risk on Ray D’Arcy saying that his radio sponsors had paid for his first year on the air.... however his TV show plummeted in the ratings in comparison to The Saturday Night Show which would almost entirely wiped out the earnings from his radio show 3 times over.

Shefwedfan

Kivaro wrote: »

Might I suggest that you hop into bed again for a few minutes, and then extricating yourself on the opposite side from which you arose this morning.

Well sorry but both posts are rubbish. One is saying RTE has a cartel in Ireland :P a country with one of the highest percentage of Netflix accounts last time I checked.



Then your going on about I have no idea, first accusations that people are defending RTE, which I dont see, only people pointing out the good and ridiculous idea. Of course some ridiculous from myself.



Then into some rant about Miriam, no idea why you think they disdain the public either. Hyperbole is the exact phrase to describe

Shefwedfan

Elmo wrote: »

The cost of the top ten earners should not be dismissed as tabloid.

In 2016 RTÉ announced the closure of their in house children’s (young people’s) department, saying that while the department was closing they were committed to retaining the funding to children’s content.

However, that same year RTÉ had already cut funding to children’s programming by 25% and in had almost certainly made the decision to cut it again by 50% in 2017.

In 2017 RTÉ spent 3m on ten stars, saying that it was this was a tiny amount of 1% of their budget a tiny amount....

However RTÉ then except us to ignore the fact that they spend only 1% on children’s content and that they are committed to children’s content?!?!?

RTÉ “Stars” haven’t really seen much of a cut. The death of Jerry Ryan and Pat Kenny’s exit were the main factors of the reduction in top earners salaries.

And for some unknown reason RTÉ took a risk on Ray D’Arcy saying that his radio sponsors had paid for his first year on the air.... however his TV show plummeted in the ratings in comparison to The Saturday Night Show which would almost entirely wiped out the earnings from his radio show 3 times over.

I am not saying cut the top earners. As I posted already they should have a base and then tied into advertising they can puish for RTE


But if you check the whole organization probably is overpaid compared to the market, so review the whole organization, so instead of 200k off one persentor, take a couple of million from top down. Plus I am not say hit the little person at the bottom, but I would expect they have a huge middle management layer that does f**k all and gets paid a lot for it. Hit them

masculinist

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Tv license is a tax, so is all tax extortion according to you?

What tv is RTÉ blocking you from? Did they shut down the internet?

Clearly RTE do not manufacture Televisions. The annual TV charge where you have to effectively rent your TV from the state , a TV you already paid taxes and VAT on is anti competitive cartel racketeering designed to shut out competition from anyone who doesn't want to or can't pay it. "Tax" is not the primary characteristic of the TV tax. Its far more nuanced. I cant even avoid the TV annual charge by blocking RTE from a TV set in my home purchased with my hard earned money or removing its tuner. RTE effectively act as landlords renting something to me that I already own. That's gangster racketeering . And a bunch of untrustworthy people sitting in the Oireachtas doing nothing about it might satisfy a cohort of bootlickers and sychophants but it doesn't do anything for me.

Shefwedfan

masculinist wrote: »

Clearly RTE do not manufacture Televisions. The annual TV charge where you have to effectively rent your TV from the state , a TV you already paid taxes and VAT on is anti competitive cartel racketeering designed to shut out competition from anyone who doesn't want to or can't pay it. "Tax" is not the primary characteristic of the TV tax. Its far more nuanced. I cant even avoid the TV annual charge by blocking RTE from a TV set in my home purchased with my hard earned money or removing its tuner. RTE effectively act as landlords renting something to me that I already own. That's gangster racketeering . And a bunch of untrustworthy people sitting in the Oireachtas doing nothing about it might satisfy a cohort of bootlickers and sychophants but it doesn't do anything for me.

You can of course move to a country which doesn’t have a tv license, I’m sure they will welcome you with open arms :-)

Or easier, just don’t buy a tv...plenty of other options available

It’s not the 60s, serious if you don’t want to pay it then do something about it, quit crying on here

What’s the bets you actually watch RTÉ all the time, just trying to be the hard person on here :-)

Bowlardo

whisky_galore wrote: »

TG4... sometimes half decent documentaries, rest of the time Westerns, sh1t home produced 'comedy' and dramas that hardly anyone watches, cartoons etc.

The older generation ducking love the westerns

Idbatterim

masculinist wrote: »

Clearly RTE do not manufacture Televisions. The annual TV charge where you have to effectively rent your TV from the state , a TV you already paid taxes and VAT on is anti competitive cartel racketeering designed to shut out competition from anyone who doesn't want to or can't pay it. "Tax" is not the primary characteristic of the TV tax. Its far more nuanced. I cant even avoid the TV annual charge by blocking RTE from a TV set in my home purchased with my hard earned money or removing its tuner. RTE effectively act as landlords renting something to me that I already own. That's gangster racketeering . And a bunch of untrustworthy people sitting in the Oireachtas doing nothing about it might satisfy a cohort of bootlickers and sychophants but it doesn't do anything for me.

why do you pay it? Taking the piss, the only ones defending the license fee, must be getting it for free! Which is also laughable!

end of the road

masculinist wrote: »

Clearly RTE do not manufacture Televisions. The annual TV charge where you have to effectively rent your TV from the state , a TV you already paid taxes and VAT on is anti competitive cartel racketeering designed to shut out competition from anyone who doesn't want to or can't pay it. "Tax" is not the primary characteristic of the TV tax. Its far more nuanced. I cant even avoid the TV annual charge by blocking RTE from a TV set in my home purchased with my hard earned money or removing its tuner. RTE effectively act as landlords renting something to me that I already own. That's gangster racketeering . And a bunch of untrustworthy people sitting in the Oireachtas doing nothing about it might satisfy a cohort of bootlickers and sychophants but it doesn't do anything for me.

the tv tax is neither anti competitive or cartel racketeering.
the tv tax is not stopping competition in any way, as there are plenty of options available to watch tv without having a tv, and there are multiple channels available via tv in both paid for and free to air options.
it's neither cartel anything or racketeering as a country/society is entitle to charge taxes for the purpose of providing services.

Idbatterim wrote: »

why do you pay it? Taking the piss, the only ones defending the license fee, must be getting it for free! Which is also laughable!

it is not laughable that individuals who qualify for good reasons, will receive a free tv license.
nobody is "defending" the license fee, rather we recognise the real reason for it's existance.
i expect most people would rather it be funded from general taxation rather then a per household charge, i certainly would.

Brendan Bendar

end of the road wrote: »

the tv tax is neither anti competitive or cartel racketeering.
the tv tax is not stopping competition in any way, as there are plenty of options available to watch tv without having a tv, and there are multiple channels available via tv in both paid for and free to air options.
it's neither cartel anything or racketeering as a country/society is entitle to charge taxes for the purpose of providing services.



it is not laughable that individuals who qualify for good reasons, will receive a free tv license.
nobody is "defending" the license fee, rather we recognise the real reason for it's existance.
i expect most people would rather it be funded from general taxation rather then a per household charge, i certainly would.

Why?

end of the road

Brendan Bendar wrote: »

Why?

because it's a public service like any other public service, and i believe that public services should be funded from general taxation.

Shefwedfan

end of the road wrote: »

because it's a public service like any other public service, and i believe that public services should be funded from general taxation.

That would mean some people who don’t pay it at the moment will have to....hence they will all be up in arms

Personally would be easier, pay it anyway so drop feeding out of wages won’t make much difference

Now first I would want to see reform in RTÉ, not handing them more cash to waste

Brendan Bendar

end of the road wrote: »

because it's a public service like any other public service, and i believe that public services should be funded from general taxation.

So are RTE employees then Public Servants.....

Elmo

end of the road wrote: »

because it's a public service like any other public service, and i believe that public services should be funded from general taxation.

While I believe the government has to much control over RTÉ purse strings taking it from general taxation would be ten times worse the fee is supposed to give RTÉ some form of choice independence, general taxation would be at the whim of the finance minister.

The fee should be administered by the BAI with the sound & vision fund administered by Fís Éireann

elperello

Elmo wrote: »

While I believe the government has to much control over RTÉ purse strings taking it from general taxation would be ten times worse the fee is supposed to give RTÉ some form of choice independence, general taxation would be at the whim of the finance minister.

The fee should be administered by the BAI with the sound & vision fund administered by Fís Éireann

A mechanism would have to be found to make sure that the funding would be independent from political interference.

The BAI or an adjunct to it would be a possibility.

Direct funding means no more collection expenses, no more evasion and everyone in the country makes a contribution.

garrettod

elperello wrote: »

A mechanism would have to be found to make sure that the funding would be independent from political interference.

The BAI or an adjunct to it would be a possibility.

Direct funding means no more collection expenses, no more evasion and everyone in the country makes a contribution.

Hi,

While I like the principal, I struggle with the above considerations and also wonder, who ensures that we get decent value for money?

For me, the best starting point with RTE is to right size it - trim it back down to one TV station and say 2 radio stations. Obviously, that results in less staff being needed etc.

I'm okay with a genuine public service broadcaster being state funded, once the funding isn't going to feather the nest of Dee Forbes and a load of others.

Perhaps putting a professional firm of accountants in, to act as official Examiners, might be the way to deal with the rediculous expenditure at RTE?

Brendan Bendar

elperello wrote: »

A mechanism would have to be found to make sure that the funding would be independent from political interference.

The BAI or an adjunct to it would be a possibility.

Direct funding means no more collection expenses, no more evasion and everyone in the country makes a contribution.

Not the same contribution though.......

Thelonious Monk

Brendan Bendar wrote: »

So are RTE employees then Public Servants.....

Yes. So giving Lotti Ryan a job was full on nepotism and ripping off the taxpayer.

Brendan Bendar

Lookit...............

Folks.............


No matter what way we dress it up, forget the 1% of the total, forget the ‘retention’ stuff, forget about the attracting of advertising, forget the PS part of it....

No way can the eye-watering wedges trousered by some be justified.....not under any criteria.

Shefwedfan

Brendan Bendar wrote: »

Lookit...............

Folks.............


No matter what way we dress it up, forget the 1% of the total, forget the ‘retention’ stuff, forget about the attracting of advertising, forget the PS part of it....

No way can the eye-watering wedges trousered by some be justified.....not under any criteria.

Who is justifying it?

Brendan Bendar

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Who is justifying it?

Dee Forbes.

https://evoke.ie/2019/12/11/showbiz/rte-director-general-defends-presenters-pay

Shefwedfan

Brendan Bendar wrote: »

Dee Forbes.

https://evoke.ie/2019/12/11/showbiz/rte-director-general-defends-presenters-pay

Of course she is, I thought you meant on boards, Dee said signing D’Arcy would bring in huge advertisement and that shows what good business sense she has

elperello

garrettod wrote: »

Hi,

While I like the principal, I struggle with the above considerations and also wonder, who ensures that we get decent value for money?

For me, the best starting point with RTE is to right size it - trim it back down to one TV station and say 2 radio stations. Obviously, that results in less staff being needed etc.

I'm okay with a genuine public service broadcaster being state funded, once the funding isn't going to feather the nest of Dee Forbes and a load of others.

Perhaps putting a professional firm of accountants in, to act as official Examiners, might be the way to deal with the rediculous expenditure at RTE?

I would think this could be done following the Broadcasting Commission report which I assume will be delayed now because of the C 19 crisis.

As long as the funding was tied to certain set goals and deliverables any slippage should be easily monitored and corrected.

I'm not convinced that one TV station and two radio stations could deliver a comprehensive service but I'm open to persuasion.

I imagine we will be dealing with a changed landscape for RTE which should allay your fears re. expenditure etc.

Brendan Bendar wrote: »

Not the same contribution though.......

Not sure why that would be a deal breaker what do you think?.

Idbatterim

It’s being made too complicated. Tell them no license fee and they live on revenue they generate. You’d be surprised how innovative you become when you have to sink or swim with no armbands. I should know , I run a company... about as far removed from that rte financial lunatic asylums as it gets !

garrettod

Idbatterim wrote: »

It’s being made too complicated. Tell them no license fee and they live on revenue they generate. You’d be surprised how innovative you become when you have to sink or swim with no armbands. I should know , I run a company... about as far removed from that rte financial lunatic asylums as it gets !

The only problem with that theory, is that you'd be entrusting the state's national public broadcaster to the same bunch of people - people who would quickly run the entire thing into the ground, rather than cut their cloth!