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

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122456177#Comment_122456177

I have just seen Tim Nice But Dim getting nearly 300k … I will hold in my rants.

Gen.Zhukov

I'll just leave this here for your perusal as FS discusses "The Ryan Tubridy scandal" and profane fees and salaries

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/revealed-the-real-rte-top-10-earners-as-executives-match-star-presenters-pay/a1281585951.html

It's a stomach churning read - Lots of standout points in there. I love this one -

The report was presented to the ­Cabinet last week, but curiously was not published alongside the unprecedented RTÉ bailout of €725m worth of public funding. The accounts for 2023 were approved by the RTÉ board at the end of January.

Also,

Claire Byrne is next on €280,000, down €41,000 on the previous year as she reduced her TV work to focus on her radio show.

However, on the 26th June 2023 (as The Ryan Tubridy scandal was beginning to peak) Claire Byrne came clean on radio and said that she was paid 280k for radio AND 25k for TV work (crappy quiz show recorded at VM studios) giving a total of 305k

Around 7:30 mins in

https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/today-with-claire-byrne/programmes/2023/0626/1391187-today-with-claire-byrne-monday-26-june-2023/

The quiz first aired on the 02/04/2023 - The entire series was recorded in just one weekend and I'd guess that w/e was in 2023

As the figures mentioned in the Indo seem to be from the 2023 a/c's - I'm confused

_____________

The above was saved as a draft earlier. Then I remembered the scam I had predicted would happen a couple of years ago after some big deal announcement from RTE about freezing fees or something did happen, and it seems to have played out as I suspected

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120769827#Comment_120769827

So what we have here is Claire Byrne's figs being reported at 280k but the reality is 305k

This obviously brings all the reported figures into question - The whole place is a rotten, disgustingly corrupt organisation and they've just been given a 725m bailout by the Govt

jippo nolan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122458626#Comment_122458626

their government payout!

RoTelly

@Gen.Zhukov independent tv programme, doesn’t show up on their pay packet, as I said many years ago, there is no way when Catherine Thomas was presenting The Voice, Op Trans and Fittest Family (plus as a radio stand in) that she was not a top earn at RTÉ.

machiavellianme

Macarons anyone?

https://m.independent.ie/opinion/comment/rte-sent-dozens-of-132-boxes-of-macarons-to-advertisers-on-same-day-as-725m-public-bailout/a1387442378.html

jj880

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122461238#Comment_122461238

Each macaron had an RTÉ logo imprinted on the shell.

They were sent out on Wednesday, while the Coalition was signing off on an unprecedented three-year multi-annual public funding of €725m.

The €160 TV licence for every household was also retained.

The anecdote about the queen of France during the French revolution is cited as an example of an elite being oblivious of the daily lives of ordinary people.

RTÉ says the timing of the gifts had “no connection to the funding announcement” and was a “thank you for your support of RTÉ’s Olympics coverage”.

lolz

Tow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122461238#Comment_122461238

The social welfare branch of the magic money tree hard at work. Designer macarons and flipflops for the elite.

Gen.Zhukov

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122460812#Comment_122460812

I know. Apples and Oranges - KT doesn't have a regular gig for 40 weeks pa, CB does. KT has nothing to do with the conversation tbh

CB declares, live on-air, that her fees are 280k + 25k for 2023. It's then reported officially as 280k. This [outsourcing] was a special move for Claire following the announcement of changes for the 'heavy hitters' made a few years ago, and why that quiz was farmed out for Claire, for the first time, as all other shows were 'in-house RTE' previously, meaning the figures had to be included in the reported fees paid

Easy on the pedantry fella, you're not the only one that knows what a corrupt, basket case of an organisation RTE is

RoTelly

@Gen.Zhukov I probably should have used better examples … Doireann Garrihy, Jenny z and the westlife singer. But regardless of my pedantry I am agreeing with you.

seanrambo87

I've read this thread from start to finish and I have to say; I've received far more valuable content and entertainment on here than I have in 37 years of being subjected to rte's offerings. I really have no more to add except to thank the few people on here who are more deserving of a pulitzer than any journalist I can think of. Oh and to thank rte for providing the content gratis........if only they had of ran with this story.

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122458626#Comment_122458626

I'm not in any way defending the cooking of the books, but I do think Claire Byrne is more valuable than Joe Duffy and his 350k.

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122460812#Comment_122460812

Pat Kenny said on his radio programme last week that when he started at RTE he was a low level radio announcer and the DG told him, if he wanted to be a "top star", he had to leave RTE emplyment, and be a contractor. He said, he imagined there were a lot of long time RTE workers who would appreciate their salary being pensionable.

I work as a contractor in IT, and Ive had a few companies screw me around. One place fired me in December and tried to rehire me in Feburary, because there end of year figures looked better without my invoices. With RTE having so many contractors, theres all kinds of ways to cook the books. Employment Payment can get masked as Business Expenses or Broadcasting Consulting.

I wonder are the published figures in any way accurate.

Gen.Zhukov

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122461988#Comment_122461988

No worries - We're on the same team after all. BTW, that aforementioned 'circular argument guy', that just wanted to know the best way to pay for PSB - this would be a great time for him to rejoin the conversation again I'd suggest - He might explain why the fraud section of AGS shouldn't be brought in to Montrosia and why the perfectly healthy Dee Forbes is not sitting in a cell in the Dóchas Centre.

Circular argument guy, wherefore art thou?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122462344#Comment_122462344

Hard to argue with that in fairness. Nice of Forbesy to sign off on a contract extension for him a couple of months before the s**t hit the fan - Perhaps Dee and Noel had an inkling of what was coming down the tracks.

Potential-Monke

I used to be a Garda. I had "fights" with my Sergeant/Chief who pushed me to investigate a few incidents without complainants "in the public interest". So I've asked the Press Office why they're not investigating RTE in the public interest. Will update with their reply, if they bother... I may have suggested Harris is in on it.

ForestFire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122463366#Comment_122463366

Let us know how you get on...

But what would need to be done to actually make a complaint? Surely some member of the public has done so, are they dismissed , without evidence?

And if so do they not watch TV in the Garda stations🤔. Evidence is already in the public domain.

jj880

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122463377#Comment_122463377

Ive heard it said a general complaint to the gardai isnt worth much. However if you demand a "criminal complaint" is made the gardai are obliged to follow up. Maybe @Potential-Monke can give an insight.

Potential-Monke

Honestly not sure how it works. You'd think I would but when I quit I stopped remembering stuff and it's gone now, if I had that knowledge in the first place! But I'll let ye know what they say, if anything. I will be the complainant if required, but I shouldn't be. Its just sickening to hear how much these wannabe celebs get paid for less than part time work...

Gen.Zhukov

“We haven’t received any complaints.” The Commissioner said the force would only examine the possibility of an investigation if a complaint was made to it by executives in RTE.

https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/gardai-launch-criminal-probe-rte-27228019

Govt don't want anybody looking under that particular rock - Bad, nasty things live under it

ForestFire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122463493#Comment_122463493

But why by the Executives at RTE?

Surely they could be part of the complaint itself, or complicate in the cover up?

Not saying they are, but why can only they make the complaint?

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122463520#Comment_122463520

Why only the Execs? Because except in exceptional circumstances, this does not happen:

turkey-christmas.jpg

pjmn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122461238#Comment_122461238

You'd almost have to admire their brass neck - they don't give a flying f*** for the public or the Government, the two cohorts that continue to fund these shysters…..

RoTelly

Jenny Z & Doireann would both have been contractors of RTÉ back in Feb & March surely their DWTS earns would need to be released even if anonymously. Right?

Atlantic Dawn

The Director Of Operations and Technology is somehow on €282k, has he ever used the RTÉ Player? 🤔

Potential-Monke

Jesus H Christ... are there any other organisations outside of RTE who pays well above and beyond for such incompetence? You think the Director of Operations and Technology for Virgin would earn as much if the Virgin app was just as terrible? (It may be, I dunno, but I doubt it)

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122466917#Comment_122466917

They'd be removed from their position TBH. Not sure how VM would do it, also its unlikely that VM would pay any executive at VMTV that amount of money.

Steve Carson (who will join RTÉ as Head of Video) was earning €204k to €216k as Director of BBC Scotland (really the DG of BBC Scotland, covering Scottish content, TV and Radio).

RTÉ payscale should be more in line with the Civil Service. Their pay seriously got out of hand, how could they ever be in a position to negotiate with presenters, when they believe themselves to be working at the BBC.

machiavellianme

Yum

Not a lot for €132 though

Karppi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122468420#Comment_122468420

The very logo itself would take the edge off eating one.

Karppi

….

Karppi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122464394#Comment_122464394

Not successfully, no

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122468447#Comment_122468447

He's in good company then, because I dont think Ive ever used it successfully either.

What makes it more frustrating, aside from watching the same ad for the 6th time, is that, by playing ads, it demonstrates that it can actually stream video, just not the content you want to watch.