RTÉ admits paying Tubridy €345,000 more than declared

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829269#Comment_120829269

He has already acknowledged he should have asked questions when his salary was published though, so he'll need to weasel out of that one.

skimpydoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120828179#Comment_120828179

Hang the DG hang the DG

ZookeeperDub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829279#Comment_120829279

Wait till you see....as I said based on how he acts on TV/radio that will be his plan. His head is also so far up his own backside he won't expect anyone to actual question the "toy man"

Long Sean Silver

there's way too much hype about all this. every organisation needs a good kick up the backside (aka Root 'n Branch inspection) now & then, and that's what RTE is getting. i have no doubt the organisation will be healthier and come back stronger than ever after all this mass hysteria has died down.

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829238#Comment_120829238

#TruthMattersUnlessItPutsUsInAnUncomfortablePosition

ZookeeperDub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829306#Comment_120829306

THe "mass hysteria" as you call it is the only way it will make any change. Otherwise it will be swept under the carpet

2smiggy

I see Dr Ciara Kelly has jumped from the sinking Noel Kelly ship

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829005#Comment_120829005

Yeah that's true.

I don't have any issue with contractors like Tubs, Duffy etc working for rte.

The issue is, they are simply being paid way too much, AND they are basically like rte employees.

For example when the next Joe Duffy contract comes up, it should be, "we are willing to offer Joe 200k per year, take it or leave it. And he has to work proper hours like all other, none of thise 10 or 12 works off".

tobefrank321

Once some of the contracted presenters are moved off the books (retired) which should happen soon, there has to be a salary cap at RTE of no more than 200k. The days of obscene pay for miniscule broadcasting time has to end. After that, agents need to be shown the door. These are two quick ways to save costs and low hanging fruit.

After that you'd expect presenters to work harder for their pay. Fewer presenters doing more shows. You'd wonder for example about the Spin The Wheel presenters, are they still paid, on contract, etc given the program hasn't aired in years?

Then there are the dozens of staff and presenters involved in GAA coverage. What do they do for 6 months of the year when GAA almost goes into hibernation?

And why a single correspondent for each industry on the news? Some barely record a minute or two segment a week for the news and most of the research is done by lowly paid researchers.

There's plenty more areas where cost savings could be achieved, and on camera or radio presenters made to work harder for less pay.

If anyone remembers Val Joyce, he was his own producer, etc and yet was able to produce a pretty good show for a couple of hours a night. I think Gaybo had only a producer on Lyric FM. Both these were natural broadcasters though.

Yet Tubridy needs a large team of producers, researchers, etc for a measly 1 hour show.

Hungry Bear

That Adrian Lynch, I find him an unpalatable, smug so and so. Something sneery about him.

ButtersSuki

Kathryn Thomas has now had brand ambassadorial relationships with Audi, Jaguar, Volvo, Peugeot, Range River, and I think RTÉ car supplier du jour, Renault….and I think I’m missing at least one from that list. The list of car brands she hasn’t had a relationship with is almost shorter than the ones she has……

Aside from my belief that these ambassadorial deals are not good value for money and come with substantial risk if the driver does something stupid like drink driving or is involved in a crash etc. (nevermind off road activities that can damage the reputation)…..what I don’t get from a brand perspective is why any brand would want her AFTER she’s had a relationship with so many other brands? It completely undermines anything she says about the brand and model when she’s previously spoken at length about how totes amazeballs brands X, Y, and Z are.

Spanish Eyes

The drama of all this is concerning. The focus is fully on the performance of Podge and Rodge tomorrow before the PAC, what the PAC will ask, what the terrible two will say (or not) and so on. Silly season entertainment really.

The absolute focus should be on Kevin Backhurst, his new team, his plan for the future running of RTE and its contractors/employees, open books, accountability and well you know, all the things that the manager of a State Body should supply to its funders, i.e. us.

I am not sure that much will change TBH. OK, a register of interests is one thing, but if RTE continues to pay a mint for what I generally see as mediocre "talent" well that is quite another. But I'll keep an open mind and hope for the best.

I never forget though, that the Government of the day is dependent on Pravda. There is an election next year so who will want to rock any boats? Yes I am a cynic.

Hungry Bear

I'm hopefully the ctte will be much improved.

Back benchers etc have been annoyed with Fitz and Mattie. They should be a wee bit better.

Though I don't think Warfield will ever improve, he seems very nervous.

bucketybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829279#Comment_120829279

I suspect we can guess how he will answer it.

"When I saw the incorrect figures I spoke to Dee Forbes directly and raised my concerns, said that I was uncomfortable with things, but she asked me to stay quiet about it for now. In hindsight I should have spoken up anyway, but how RTE handled their finances was a matter for RTE and I didn't want to lose my biggest customer, so I trusted her to put things right."

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829354#Comment_120829354

Correct!

Hungry Bear

Kathryn 'screeching' Thomas has done so well out of RTE for over 25 years. Back to The Grip sports magazine programme in the late 1990s. And of modest talent. The image of her in nice dresses as people parade I'm the flesh on Operation Transformation. screeching 'wu huuuh, that's a loss of 5ib'.

Hungry Bear

Edit: When screeching 'wuu huuu, that's a loss to the tax payer of another 1000 pounds' would be more appropriate.

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829327#Comment_120829327

Duffy would be overpaid on €100k. His show has very little by way of non-RTÉ / Govt. Advertising. I’ve long said the show doesn’t wash its face with the amount of producers and researchers it has, and the absolutely scandalous waste of money and junket for Joe’s buddies and RTE staff that is Funny Friday.

cmac2009

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829371#Comment_120829371

Makes perfect sense. But what you're forgetting is 90% of her followers on Instagram, or wherever she is promoting these brands, have the memory of a goldfish. No chance they will recall her post from a year ago promoting a competitor.

skimpydoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829371#Comment_120829371

Audi dropped Kathryn because she was accumulating penalty points.

batman75

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120828573#Comment_120828573

What an insult to the late Terry Wogan to mention Tubridy in the same sentence. Wogan was a genuine broadcasting heavyweight in the UK for decades. Tubridy is a talentless financial parasite who legally took millions out of RTE all the while we have Forbes begging for an increase in the TV License. Sickening.

Northernlily

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829238#Comment_120829238

I severely dislike Katherine Thomas.

There is just a massive insincere vibe coming off her, reckon she could be as bad as Tubs in demands.

Field east

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829215#Comment_120829215

Re this “—— stuck with them for life”. IMO that is not the case. If taken u dear an ‘ Contract for Employment’ arrangement and , say , to present the LLS And , for example , the station wanted the LL to no longer run and no other similar presentation opportunity existed , then the station could let go the individual. Also, even if another programme was being launched to replace the LLS and the station felt that it needed a presenter with different skills and, dare I say, talents for the new programme and the Expired LLS presenter was deemed to have not got them, the station could also let go the old presenter. I know that there would be a redundancy payment involved - but you are not stuck with the same- dare I say boring individual - year in, year out and getting a higher salary annually.

tobefrank321

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829371#Comment_120829371

Dermot Bannon is an ambassador for Volvo who feature prominently in his programs. You'd wonder is the brand ambassador role a cheap way to advertise their cars via product placement with no gain for RTE? I can't remember if Volvo sponsored Room to Improve and hopefully not just by giving Bannon a loan of a car.

steddyeddy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829002#Comment_120829002

I'm not saying don't hire them because they're married. I'm saying often those with relations in a department aren't the best person for the job. They affect the dynamics of those working with them. Right now we have a husband wife team working with us. They're a nightmare. He's grand but his wife is extremely argumentative and people are walking on egg shells. It has created an awkward environment with him too as he takes her side.

ZookeeperDub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829371#Comment_120829371

Car companies are not stupid. They are using household names to advertise the car. They do the same with sport stars etc

It has to work or why would they bother?

Not sure why anyone cares if they are a brand ambassador or not as long as it is declared, plus they don't use it incorrect like our wee Lottie did, using the RTE name to push the car without RTE getting any of the revenue. If they want to be a brand ambassador but also use RTE to push the car then RTE should be getting paid. That is the main issue I have with it.

So Lottie should be paying RTE now for using their site etc to push the advertisement.

amber69

They should be hired on zero hours contracts like the camera operators

Richard Hillman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829180#Comment_120829180

The agent will take the hit it for him. That's his job. Tubridy will say he had minimum knowledge of it, isnt an expert on these matters, that's why he hired his agent. The agent will say he let Ryan down.

Tubridy will also give his poor man's Stephen Fry impression and have a thesaurus under the table to use to express about how sorry he is.

techman1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120828098#Comment_120828098

Maybe he will get a soft focus interview with Oprah like Harry and meghan.

"World Exclusive, Ryan Tubridy reveals all about his time in RTE and the RTEgate scandal "

Hungry Bear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829573#Comment_120829573

The Lance Armstrong type interview with Oprah 2013. 7 Yes or No questions.

Did you know you were receiving extra payment? Yes or No.

Did you push for the extra pay? Yes or No.

Did NK push for extra money? Yes or No.

Etc etc.

Actually Kathryn Thomas should be called 'Shouting Thomas'!