RTÉ admits paying Tubridy €345,000 more than declared

Iecrawfc

I couldn't see any government, heading into a election, slapping a new tax(regardless of them calling it a broadcasting charge, RTE solitary payment etc.) on workers in a cost of living crisis, it would be like shooting yourself in the foot. OK the pigs at the trough in Montrose will be forever in your debt but what government would risk a water charges 2 style civil campaign...

Karppi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120928115#Comment_120928115

Don’t forget, the payment for the chauffeur car was routed through the barter account, aka Slush Fund, which incurs a surcharge of 35% (IIRC)

creedp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120928383#Comment_120928383

As I said it makes no difference to those who already pay the licence as required by law. If people think it should be optional to pay the licence fee, then a change in legislation is required. Obviously that's not an option, so here we are...

Slutmonkey57b

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120928562#Comment_120928562

It absolutely is an option, because as with all laws they only work with the consent of the governed. They can't imprison the entire country.

creedp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120928577#Comment_120928577

Not really though, no legislation is going to be passed that allows people to opt in or out depending on their personal perspectives. If there is a mass breaking of the law, either enforce or repeal. And then people can identify the next piece of legislation they don't like and on we go...

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120928445#Comment_120928445

Not surprised at all and will be with holding payment here as well.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120928589#Comment_120928589

It's a valid form of protest at the wanton waste of our money. The advantage of with holding TV licence payments is that the public can directly target the message where it needs to go.

I've been paying the licence for well over 30 years and will happily do so in the future, when we see real reform in management. And real consequences for those who have both fed off the teats of the taxpayer and misled us about taking cuts. Tubridy is the most prominent with regard to the latter and he must go.

NIMAN

I think if Tubs was being shown the door, it would have been done by now, when the nation was up in arms about it all.

The fact its gone out of the news now, and Tubs is still around, suggests to me he won't get the heave ho.

But the number of people still refusing to pay the licence gives me a tiny bit of hope.

creedp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120928754#Comment_120928754

Absolutely fine but in reality once you sow the seed that it's OK not to pay the TV license because of [insert your desired personal grievance] there will always be a reason not to pay it.

Hands up who would pay any tax if is was considered optional? If the Govt wants to continue to fund RTE publicly, then post this fiasco the TV license in its current format will need to be replaces

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120928842#Comment_120928842

That's fine too.. but it will force the issue and make government consider the funding requirements of RTE and value for money etc. It will also need to address funding for the likes of local radio stations who as has been pointed out, deliver a lot 'public service' type broadcasting. Change is needed and an end to the days of junkets and abuse of tax payers money at RTE by those in the upper echelons.

tayto lover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120928128#Comment_120928128

Is it any wonder the July licence fee is down almost 3 million. People are copping on to what their money was funding. Disgraceful behaviour from the National Broadcaster. Heads should roll but will they?? Bakkers is just there to smooth everything over but he won't succeed as people will be examining everything he does and doesn't do.

ButtersSuki

There was a line in the piece referenced last night that Tubridy seemed to think the RTE Commercial Department worked for him. That really sums up the absolute free for all it seems to have been in there, with Tubs and NK like pigs in the trough of public money.

Loafing Oaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120928446#Comment_120928446

What if they took the money from general tax receipts?

TinyMuffin

I see reeling in the years is back on at 6.30pm.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120928877#Comment_120928877

Local radio stations have been providing good local public service broadcasting? I'd love to show me where you think they are providing it. Local Radio Stations have a slight monopoly on advertising on Radio in their region, along with more advertising minutes than RTÉ,many are part of larger organizations, they provide 2 hours of talk radio usually around 9 to 11 or 10 to 12, rest is largely "local" news bulletins during the morning and daytime, most revert to Newstalk national heads after 6pm.

As far as not paying the licences as a form of protest.

1. If you want to you decide when you want to pay for your licence fee, you can hold off the renewal of the licence fee until you feel pressured into paying it
2. RTÉ's governance and continued moaning for better funding shows that RTÉ had lots of reform they could carry out themselves.
3. The government have given into RTÉ's demands on several occasions

This idea that people are scroungers needs to be put to bed, they are not the TV license spongers RTÉ are.

hawley

RYAN Tubridy looks set to return to RTE airwaves as bosses fear his loss could lead to Radio One haemorrhaging listeners.

Station insiders say internal meetings in Montrose about Tubs' future were told of the “crucial role” his one hour radio show plays in hanging onto the massive audience of Morning Ireland and passing it onto Today With Claire Byrne.

https://www.thesun.ie/tv/11120396/ryan-tubridy-rte-return-update-montrose-rival-fears/amp/

If RTE try to pull this off, they're finished. I don't know if this is a puff piece or their actual thinking. As Niman said, the longer this drags on, the less likely it seems that they'll show him the door. Wouldn't be surprised if they announced his return at the end of August, he'd back on the radio in days. People need to contact RTE to let them know that we won't accept him back and that we would boycott their channels if they try it.

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120929143#Comment_120929143

I actually hope they do bring him back. I don't believe RTE are capable of fixing their waste, governance and corruption problems with their current management structure. Bringing back Tubs will sink them in terms of license fee revenue and the government will be forced to act swiftly and not wait for the 7 month report which we all know will be delayed. I also think FFGG will be severely damaged by this scandal no matter what happens.

Bringing him back after Forbes and O'Leary and the other sicknotes have given the TDs the 2 fingers is a very bad move.

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120929143#Comment_120929143

What about the thousands of people who are prepared to acceyhim back?

Should they also contact RTE to show their support?

hawley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120929186#Comment_120929186

They can, if they wish. I don’t see the point in bringing back such a divisive figure. There are a lot of people who like him and would welcome him back but there are an equal number who despise him. RTE can't afford to lose more audience share, which they would if he were to return.

They can’t leave Callan on anyway. Be interesting to see the next listenership figures, but you’d imagine 10’s of thousands have already “moved the dial”.

fplfan12345

Would someone start a thread, with a poll, that asks the question -

Do people want him back ?

It’s infuriating to think nothing will change on the back of this. The money wasted is almost incomprehensible.

He was always going to try and come back though. People in that organisation don’t want to get off that gravy train.

Unfortunately this is turkeys voting for Christmas. RTE will not allow themselves to cease to exist.

Any politician with half a brain would speak for the people in this situation and gain a lot more respect and support from the people.

It’s so hard to accept how corrupt Ireland is. **** really does flow down from the top

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120929186#Comment_120929186

Does anyone really think that Callan or any stand in had dented The Ryan Tubridy Show's audience? I seem to remember The John Murray Show have little to no effect on listenership numbers as Tubs was off in 2FM hemorrhaging listeners.

The John Murray Show in 2015 - 290,000 - 6 months of which were hosted by Miriam O'Callaghan

The Ryan Tubridy Show in 2023 - 331,000

John was never in the top ten earners list.

Slutmonkey57b

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120928842#Comment_120928842

Paying tax is a contract between the populace and the beaurocracy. A government's job is to clearly show the populace "in return for us all agreeing to pay tax, you get X in return". If they fail, then the populace tends to revolt.

When tvs were invented very few people could afford one, but there was still percieved to be a need for an independent "national" broadcaster, so there was no way to reasonably impose a tax on the entire nation when only a tiny number of people would see a benefit. Therefore, a "licence fee" was paid instead.

Since then, practically everyone has a TV. But RTE isn't a road, or a hospital, or a police service, so it's still not a necessity, and many people don't use any of their services. So there's still a "licence fee". Changing that to a payroll tax, a government has to then prove "in return for this payroll tax, some smarmy stick insect **** is going to lie to you, waffle on in a self congratulatory manner and get grossly overpaid by a bunch of incompetents who aren't going to be held to account for anything, by the way there no money for mental health services" which seems like a... challenging proposition.

Loafing Oaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120929235#Comment_120929235

Unfortunately this is turkeys voting for Christmas. RTE will not allow themselves to cease to exist.

Any politician with half a brain would speak for the people in this situation and gain a lot more respect and support from the people.

IMO your fundamental problem with our politicians relates to ideology rather than intelligence. All our political parties are abosultely committed to 'public service broadcasting'. Even if a politician were to come out and call for RTE to be shut down they would inevitably want it replaced with a similar entity. It's a perfectly respectable position to adopt that the state should not be subsidising broadcasting and RTE should fund itself through advertising/voluntary subscription/whatever but Irish people don'y vote for the kind of libertarian parties that would take such a position...

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120929339#Comment_120929339

You could considered a system that would allow people choose which services get a portion of their license fee.

The problem is that Irish media isn't strong.

The Local Radio stations have really suggested that they provide a strong public service, but TBH I don't see it. RTÉ's commissioned programmes have a lot to be desired, while VMTV have never really competed.

I have some niggling issues about TG4, but generally they do a good job largely speaking.

skimpydoo

To those of us wondering about the limo disguised as a taxi cost, I got a quote earlier today for a limo from Dublin to Drogheda for 5 hours and no matter what dates I picked this year, the price is the same. The quote can be seen below and it makes you question what limo service were they using and why were the costs so high?

Frank Grimes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120929626#Comment_120929626

Like everything else, including flip flops, they probably requested the 'we couldn't care less how much it costs, we're not paying for it' rate from the company.

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120929143#Comment_120929143

The problem with this now is that given the controversy, the Tubridy "brand" is irrecoverably damaged. "The most trusted man in Ireland" is no longer the most trusted man in Ireland. Indeed the only person I've ever hear d use that description of him was his agent. And certainly no-one will ever use it in the future.

The show will find it very difficult - I personally would say impossible - to find a sponsor. It struggled to do so when he wasn't surrounded by controversy, often being sponsor-less. Advertising revenue will also suffer as companies and brands will not want to be associated with the Tubridy brand.

The listenership will I suspect suffer enormously too. People will not want to listen to a hypocrite. There may be an initial bump if he were to return, but it would purely be for the curiosity factor of what he is going to say on the first show to "explain" his behaviour - o more accurately his version of it. But they won't stick around long-term.

It seems the bubble the RTE management live in think all will be forgiven and return to the good old days if they put him back in the slot. It won't.

And again they're ignoring the fact that when Pat Kenny left, a relative (at the time) unknown in Sean O'Rourke not only held the audience, he grew it. They seem to once again be drinking the NKM Kool Aid.

skimpydoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120929643#Comment_120929643

Jim Jones is alive and well amongst the RT and NKM acolytes.

Furze99

Question: does RTE have a business interest in the upcoming All Together Now festival??

Listening to Louise Duffy on RTE radio this morning and she must have mentioned it and her gig there at least three times in less than 30 minutes. Would All Together Now be paying for this free advertising. Is she abusing her position with product placement on the air.

Four times now.

If Lottie or whoever can't do promos of cars in the RTE car park, why would Louise be allowed this promotional work on air?