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

tallaghtfornia

Kivaro wrote: »

If RTE had their way, they would have a "can't pay, we'll take it away" type of money collection system, with men dressed in all black and hobnail boots and RTE armbands removing goods and property worth €160.
Ryan Tubridy needs his half million every year .... at all costs.

I paid this 'fee' last week as I have always paid my taxes and thankfully I'm still working on full pay.

I just said to my wife last night that with the current situation in the country that I hope the level on non compliance in this payment increases and RTE are forced to reduced there operation significantly. But that's wishful thinking there will always be money as they are too well connected politically.

I honestly despise this broadcaster and what the government let them away with and all they stand for.

AndyBoBandy

tallaghtfornia wrote: »

I hope the level on non compliance in this payment increases and RTE are forced to reduced there operation significantly.

No doubt the level of non compliance will indeed increase...

tallaghtfornia wrote: »

and RTE are forced to reduced their operation significantly.

Absolutely zero chance of this happening though.... Dee will be cap in hand to the Government demanding a bail out due to extraordinary circumstances.

Sure didn't they already request furlough for a sh1t ton of their staff?

RabbleRouser2k

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

No doubt the level of non compliance will indeed increase...

If it's the choice between going to jail because they had to choose tv license over feeding their children, we all know which option many parents will take.

Maysa07

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

Dee will be cap in hand to the Government demanding a bail out due to extraordinary circumstances.

Sure didn't they already request furlough for a sh1t ton of their staff?

Dee has a year or so left, Unless she askes for an extension. Then she will hand the baton to the next DG, He\she will make a some cost reduction noise and hand the baton to the next.... The place just goes around in circles without any major changes.

the purple tin

Maysa07 wrote: »

Dee has a year or so left, Unless she askes for an extension. Then she will hand the baton to the next DG, He\she will make a some cost reduction noise and hand the baton to the next.... The place just goes around in circles without any major changes.

Like the story that they were selling the paintings off the walls to raise some cash.
Hardly worth their while, they didn't even make enough to pay Tubs' wages for a year.

Elmo

Maysa07 wrote: »

Dee has a year or so left, Unless she askes for an extension. Then she will hand the baton to the next DG, He\she will make a some cost reduction noise and hand the baton to the next.... The place just goes around in circles without any major changes.

I'd say she will be asked to stay because of the current problems, including covid. Can't see them not extending it until 2023.

AndyBoBandy

the purple tin wrote: »

Like the story that they were selling the paintings off the walls to raise some cash.
Hardly worth their while, they didn't even make enough to pay Tubs' wages for a year.

That was nothing but a failed PR stunt, to try and show us that they really are struggling...

The 'Artwork' which was commissioned by RTE...... like as if the art collecting world pricked up their ears when they heard that...

My guess is they massively overpaid some artist connected in some way to an RTÉ staff member for said pieces of art... and somehow thought they had the next Mona Lisa on their wall..

they were expecting to get about €1.5-€2m from all the pieces, and they barely got €195k if I remember correctly....

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

they got €195k in total.

2 of the paintings didn't even sell

Atlantic Dawn

Why do RTE refuse to accept ads for Newstalk yet allow ads for Sky Sports?

elperello

"My guess is they massively overpaid some artist connected in some way to an RTÉ staff member for said pieces of art... and somehow thought they had the next Mona Lisa on their wall..

etc. etc."


Very funny but completely untrue.

The paintings in question were the property of RTE for up to 50 years.

Louis le Brocquy, William Scott, Tony O'Malley and George Campbell were all accomplished artists.

The vagaries of the art market are not a reflection on the merit of the works.

Elmo

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Why do RTE refuse to accept ads for Newstalk yet allow ads for Sky Sports?

They don't refuse them. RTÉ don't allow ads asking people to change channel or station. Newstalk use this refusal to demonstrate some kind of anti-competitive behaviour. It's purely good press release.

In the same way Bill Malone (former Controller of RTÉ2) Virgin Media's Head of Content was able to lambast RTÉ and suggest that VM invest in Irish programming

mgn

elperello wrote: »

"My guess is they massively overpaid some artist connected in some way to an RTÉ staff member for said pieces of art... and somehow thought they had the next Mona Lisa on their wall..

etc. etc."


Very funny but completely untrue.

The paintings in question were the property of RTE for up to 50 years.

Louis le Brocquy, William Scott, Tony O'Malley and George Campbell were all accomplished artists.

The vagaries of the art market are not a reflection on the merit of the works.

Do you miss looking at the paintings, which one did the take out of your office.

Kivaro

mgn wrote: »

Do you miss looking at the paintings, which one did the take out of your office.

Brilliant.

elperello

mgn wrote: »

Do you miss looking at the paintings, which one did the take out of your office.

Kivaro wrote: »

Brilliant.

Truth matters

mgn

elperello wrote: »

Truth matters

Go on tell us so, which painting did the take on you or did the give you first refusal.

elperello

mgn wrote: »

Go on tell us so, which painting did the take on you or did the give you first refusal.

The speculative post regarding the art works was based on a complete misapprehension.

I put the record straight.

Live with it.

What on earth is a radio and tv station collecting “works of art” all about anyway? Could they just try to be a good broadcaster?

Please?

elperello

Deleted User wrote: »

What on earth is a radio and tv station collecting “works of art” all about anyway? Could they just try to be a good broadcaster?

Please?

Art in publicly owned buildings is hardly an unknown concept.

Many state owned buildings have art works on display in both public and non-public areas.

Whether this is a good thing or not is certainly worth a debate but it is a wider issue and not just pertaining to RTE.

Of course all state and semi state enterprises should try to be good at their core businesses.

The idea that having works of art in their buildings would inhibit them in that is a bit strange.

Elmo

elperello wrote: »

The idea that having works of art in their buildings would inhibit them in that is a bit strange.

So too is the idea of selling such art work to plug a whole in your finances, while ignoring other issues at the company. RTÉ hoped on high prices for these works in much the same way as the hope selling the RTÉ Guide would help.

elperello

Elmo wrote: »

So too is the idea of selling such art work to plug a whole in your finances, while ignoring other issues at the company. RTÉ hoped on high prices for these works in much the same way as the hope selling the RTÉ Guide would help.

I have said before on this and other threads that selling assets, cutting salaries and reducing services are not the solution.

Piecemeal initiatives will not deliver the change that is needed.

What we need to do is decide (1) what we want from a Public Broadcasting Service,(2) how much that will cost and (3) how to raise the funding.

Elmo

elperello wrote: »

What we need to do is decide (1) what we want from a Public Broadcasting Service,(2) how much that will cost and (3) how to raise the funding.

1. One that will reform
2. It’s getting plenty they must prove they require more, see 1. Above
3. Changing how it is funded will not help 1 & 2 above.

AndrewJRenko

Elmo wrote: »

Btw Franc (don't look him up) earned 25,000 for John Delaney's 50th b-day party!

How much do you think the kickback was?

elperello

Elmo wrote: »

1. One that will reform
2. It’s getting plenty they must prove they require more, see 1. Above
3. Changing how it is funded will not help 1 & 2 above.

That's the sort of thing.

Thanks for the input.

What's needed now is to find out what everyone else thinks, arrive at a consensus
and then implement it.

Elmo

elperello wrote: »

That's the sort of thing.

Thanks for the input.

What's needed now is to find out what everyone else thinks, arrive at a consensus
and then implement it.

Good luck with that seen it all before, only 3 years a go did a joint committee reach a consensus as to what was required, it’s a very nice door stop, much like all of the others before them.

How about your input. Do you agree that RTÉ needs to reform first before changing the license fee or increasing it?

Are they doing enough with what they get?

What kind of public service broadcaster do you want?

Kivaro

elperello wrote: »

I have said before on this and other threads that selling assets, cutting salaries and reducing services are not the solution.

Bullshoite. Isn't that how they talk at RTE?
There should be salary cuts across most levels at the RTE quango, but especially focused on their millionaires Tubridy et al.
There should also be job cuts, duplication removal, and a comprehensive service reduction in order for them to align with their primary purpose, which is to be the national broadcaster of this country.
This is how RTE will get their financial situation under control and become a self-sustainable entity.

Report on the news and events that affect the people of Ireland. Do not pontificate or dictate what Dee Forbes and the board of RTE want us to hear.
And it would be nice if RTE stopped talking down to us.

NIMAN

Here's a question someone may be able to answer.

At the end of each show, you hear a list of behind-the-scenes folk read out.
The person on sound, the BCO, the editor(s), etc.

Wondering is there a separate team for each show?

Maysa07

Kivaro wrote: »

Bullshoite. Isn't that how they talk at RTE?
There should be salary cuts across most levels at the RTE quango, but especially focused on their millionaires Tubridy et al.
There should also be job cuts, duplication removal, and a comprehensive service reduction in order for them to align with their primary purpose, which is to be the national broadcaster of this country.
This is how RTE will get their financial situation under control and become a self-sustainable entity.

Report on the news and events that affect the people of Ireland. Do not pontificate or dictate what Dee Forbes and the board of RTE want us to hear.
And it would be nice if RTE stopped talking down to us.

I agree, I would like to see more focus on the 300 + Managers on 6 figure salaries. The organisation is very top heavy. I think there's 1 manager for every 5 staff . I will try dig out the figures later.

Kivaro

Kivaro wrote: »

Bullshoite. Isn't that how they talk at RTE?
There should be salary cuts across most levels at the RTE quango, but especially focused on their millionaires Tubridy et al.
There should also be job cuts, duplication removal, and a comprehensive service reduction in order for them to align with their primary purpose, which is to be the national broadcaster of this country.
This is how RTE will get their financial situation under control and become a self-sustainable entity.

Report on the news and events that affect the people of Ireland. Do not pontificate or dictate what Dee Forbes and the board of RTE want us to hear.
And it would be nice if RTE stopped talking down to us.

You only have to look around you to see what most employers are having to do. Cut costs, downsize, consolidate, changing work practices and on and on, all because they have to face the reality of the situation we are all in.

Except for RTÉ. They quite clearly think they have some immunity from the economic consequences of this pandemic. Any Board worth its salt would be insisting the executive and management team take action. And I don’t mean getting the begging bowl out and heading off to Government.

Gervais08

Sorry if this has been addressed but I always wonder about this - in the UK the argument for ending the license fee is to allow the BBC to show adverts.

How can we have a license fee AND adverts ?? Is that just not greed ???

Elmo

Gervais08 wrote: »

Sorry if this has been addressed but I always wonder about this - in the UK the argument for ending the license fee is to allow the BBC to show adverts.

How can we have a license fee AND adverts ?? Is that just not greed ???

None of the commercial broadcasters want the BBC to show ads. The ad market is the ad market if the BBC start showing ads (particularly on TV) the ad revenue for ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and the rest would drop significantly.

In Ireland if RTÉ were to stop airing advertising, it would have the opposite effect but because the BAI and the Government F'ed on Digital TV and because nearly 60% of the audience watch English TV the effect would of RTÉ not selling advertising would see Sky, Channel4, UKTV, Discovery etc adding more TV stations to grab that 25%+ of advertising revenue from the Irish market, Virgin Media would see no major increase in revenue.

Radio in both contries might be different, as UK radio is dominated by the BBC, ads might put the commerical radio stations on a level footing.

While in Ireland the national and local radio stations are ready enough to grab much of RTÉ's advertising if it were to let it go.

In Canada only CBC TV airs advertising. AFAIK.

elperello

Elmo wrote: »

Good luck with that seen it all before, only 3 years a go did a joint committee reach a consensus as to what was required, it’s a very nice door stop, much like all of the others before them.

How about your input. Do you agree that RTÉ needs to reform first before changing the license fee or increasing it?

Are they doing enough with what they get?

What kind of public service broadcaster do you want?

Past failures should not inhibit us from starting a process which can deliver the type of Public Broadcasting Service I believe we need.

I would not bother with piecemeal reform of RTE until we have a clearer picture of what we want in the longer term. To use an analogy from construction, you don't start building until you get the foundation in.
In the interim I would provide whatever extra funding is required subject to agreed targets.

My preference is to remove the licence fee altogether and fund the PBS from direct taxation. This would avoid evasion and collection/enforcement costs.

I would like to see a PBS free at the point of use like radio is today.
It would provide news, current affairs and light entertainment. I think coverage of sport is important along with cultural and community matters.

These are just my ideas but obviously the final shape of the PBS will require input from all sectors of society. As long as the process is open and inclusive I will be happy to live with the result.