RTÉ admits paying Tubridy €345,000 more than declared

skimpydoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121122243#Comment_121122243

For those wondering why these stars work 31 weeks every year for RTE? So that they can take a long summer break and also pump up their pay packet by doing pants.

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121122249#Comment_121122249

Next week’s show’s outfit:

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121122351#Comment_121122351

I think this 31 weeks is more of a legacy issue in RTÉ that RTÉ management have failed to tackle.

I don't think it is just for Fair City, it think it is across the board.

I think they really fought hard to have Six One and Prime Time on the air full time up to August, this only came on on the arrive of TV3. Same goes for their radio show Morning Ireland. If you remember shows like The Den only ran up to June, you might conclude this is due to summer holidays for school, but all Daytime programmes RTÉ have produced since Live at 3 have always had a summer break, unlike Ireland AM.

AFAIR Gay Byrne, Marian Finucane and Pat Kenny would take a 3 month holiday during the summer months, this is now spread across the months. While Morning Ireland used to go to an hour.

Unions in RTÉ have a lot of power IMO.

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121122243#Comment_121122243

National broadcaster and News organization whose tagline is “truth matters” once again hides behind confidentiality. Only in Ireland.

72sheep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121122174#Comment_121122174

Well obviously we are going to need to create another QUANGO to control those media funds then! FFG will staff it up in advance of the election to ensure Ireland is protected from SF. I wonder would Rossa (perhaps even joined by Matt) be willing to take on a leadership role in this vital new organisation. Remember that these NGO people are all completely normal in Modern Ireland and they only seek to represent voters. Shur they're just like you and me :-)

alzer100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121122243#Comment_121122243

"A new serial killer is beset on the townsfolk of Carrigstown. Who could it be? A former employee of Blue Dolphin, are they behind the death of Paul, or maybe Mondo's mother returned to seek revenge, or perhaps Bella's womanising final caught up with him"

It wouldn't happen to be Kevin Backhurst or a senior representative of RTE HR legal?

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121122452#Comment_121122452

End of episode 1

Paul: Oh! It's you I .... but why ....

He is stabbed, as he dies the murder puts a card down, in print it reads "If only you'd paid your taxes"

End of episode 2

Mondo: Oh! It's you I ... I just have some custard on

As he turns his back to get the custard he's stabbed, lying on the floor, a card is put into the custard pot, in print it reads "Think you some kind of stand up... "

End of episode 3

Bella: Oh! Jazuz, didn't think you'd be back, thought you were sick ...

He is stabbed

Bella: .... but why ...

Standing their dressed in black, with her uber fashion victim glasses, stands Dee Forbes ..

Dee: This is for the women of Ireland... I was the first female DG and you were some swine to Rita.

chrisd2019

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121122452#Comment_121122452

I have not watch any of that show in about 10 years, seems the same characters have been there a lifetime.

Might the whole tubridy hysteria and RTE delaying the provision of accurate information be a smoke screen and delaying tactic to keep attention of the bogus self employed issue?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121120815#Comment_121120815

Fair play George, worth every penny. Playing Mondo since 2002. 🤭

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121122496#Comment_121122496

Rita is dead 15 years. Bella has about one sitting down appearance a year. Ye may brush up on ye're Fair City. We have a host of new stars now, like Gwen, Anna, Georgie and Goo Eyes Delaney.

Oh and right wing extremist Fergal Boyle.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121122569#Comment_121122569

Nah Bella's treatment of Rita lives on 😂 I will never forgive the bastard.

RoTelly

https://about.rte.ie/2023/09/17/rte-suspends-tender-for-fair-city-photography/

So Kevo has backed down on the photographer.

He really need to ask his head of publicity why the following was release on Thursday, or someone needs to ask why the sudden U-turn.

https://about.rte.ie/2023/09/14/rte-statement-fair-city-photography/

podgeandrodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121122842#Comment_121122842

Yes! And here's the thing - RTE's first reaction to the photography tender debate was to mount a complete defence as to how necessary it was. Now, facing backlash, they have the absolute nerve to say that following recruitment bans and bans on discretionary spending, RTE wils "take time to review the volume of photography required and length of contract, among other considerations" ---------but they should have done this in the FIRST place FFFFFSSSS.

Or, to put it another way - 375 licence fee payers every year were going to pay solely for Fair City photos.

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121120815#Comment_121120815

Does anyone (bar me) remember when Mondo left Fair City to go and work in Hollywood? And then came back over 5 years later and walked straight back into his Fair City role where he's been for the last decade?

I googled it to double-check I wasn't imagining things, and here's what I found:

https://www.irishmirror.ie/whats-on/film-and-tv/soap-star-george-mcmahon-vows-2863286

7 years away from his "job", and he strolls back in. Hollywood's loss is our loss....

RTE, a great place to work indeed.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121123446#Comment_121123446

" he’d rather be a jobbing actor in Ireland"

🤣

skimpydoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121123681#Comment_121123681

He only starred in 1 Hollywood film before appearing in a few tv series.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121123704#Comment_121123704

Since he was 14. AFAIK he got Custards Last Stand Up and not long after ended up in Fair City. He then went to do Hollywood Trials, I think only 2 others are still working. Hollyoaks actor who is now an international star from an Irish perspective and does the voice over for "Great Local Drama", Charlie **** Casa **** nova ! One of the Boyzone guys and than the Guy from Love is a Drug who was a cop in Red Rock.

Skimpy, Butters won't be happy with this knowledge of mine 😂

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121123704#Comment_121123704

I know he had a blink and you’ll miss it part in “50 Dead Men Walking” as I laughed when I saw him in it. Was that his one role? It’s bad enough i googled the earlier article, I’m not going to embarrass my search history any further by looking at his IMDB.

edit: typo

skimpydoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121124279#Comment_121124279

That's the role, and yep its easily missed.

You had mentioned Victor Burke who had played Wayne and now lives in California, well he last appeared on Fair **** in 2019. Since then he has appeared a couple of times via a video call and Victor has not appeared any other shows or movies. He might have changed career.

Rubberchikken

They are come slinking back to rte..Ive said it before. It's the place to come when no-one else will take you and you can be sure to be well compensated😁

Tubs is plugging pensions now according to the indo. Maybe now he can start paying back the 150,000

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121124402#Comment_121124402

There’s a better chance of Lord Lucan finding Shergar alive than that €150,000 being returned.

Furze99

I do believe we were discussing car allowances a week or so ago on this thread @awec Interesting sidelight on the practices used this morning with reference to Bord na Móna. As I understood it, appears BnM gave their CEO a generous car allowance, on which the CEO would have paid BIK. However to avoid the poor chap having to pay his tax and therefore lose money from this car allowance, the company engaged in a practice called 'Grossing Up' - whereby the company footed the BIK bill on behalf of the CEO. This is I suggest Banana Republic territory. It was stated that this 'Grossing Up' is a common practice. Time for the government and revenue to overhaul the legislation here and put modest limits on these extra 'allowances'.

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2023/0918/1405862-bord-na-mona/

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121122883#Comment_121122883

Coming this Christmas, “The Fair City Photo Book Collection, sponsored by Renault”, relive all your favourite Fair City stories with a selection of (4) photos from each year of the show, featuring Mondo, Zumo, Carol, Jimmy, Billy, Bella, Hughie, Paul, Lana, Leo, Terry, Bob, Wayne…..and many more, incl. Joe Duffy!

Heres what people are saying about this wonderful RTÉ publication, sponsored by Renault:

Joe Duffy: Forget yer Playstations and dat, dis duz do be do be do be de most sought after Christmas gift of 2023!

Joe Duffy: it’s wan a de best tv shows I’ve ever been in.

Joe Duffy: it’s wan a de best bukes I’ve ever been in.

Brendan Bendar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121121925#Comment_121121925

sorry for quoting my own post but this morning was a perfect example of why "the periphery players " are so quiet on the RTE issues.

As posted this am Bord naMona supplying Donnellan with a serious slab AND taking care of all the 'Trimmings'.

What one might have missed is it appears the RTE guy who broke the story has spent the last week 'working on this'

Expect more of these 'revelations' cropping up ,I would opine.

edit see furze post further up

😃

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121124392#Comment_121124392

What’s most hilarious about this is 50 DMW was filmed in Belfast/NI……parts of it may even have been filmed in Dublin (as is the norm for a lot of movies about the Troubles). So Mondo’s one big Hollywood blink and you miss it role was shot on this island. You couldn’t make it up.

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121124703#Comment_121124703

Your understanding is completely incorrect, this is not a car allowance. This is a company car.

Completely different and absolutely no comparison to the RTE situation.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121125135#Comment_121125135

The RTÉ situation being that they give car allowances to allow for already good wages to be subsidiced for staff that would otherwise get jobs in other companies if they did not pay them well enough? on a staff that has very small turnover!

How much do they save on 650,000 if they didn't pay their staff that directly?

RoTelly

https://about.rte.ie/2023/09/18/the-2-johnnies-late-night-lock-in-kicks-off-this-october/

Just to declare I am not a fan of the 2 Johnnies.

This is just looking at the structure of RTÉ

Alan Tyler, Group Head of Entertainment, Comedy and Music at RTÉ

This is fine, generally these "Group heads" are involved in the commissioning of independent programming on RTÉ. I think they might be involved with some of the in house programmes (but this would be limited to chat shows and .... Daytime???)

But then there is

Justin Healy, Commissioning Editor for Comedy

Katherine Drohan, Commissioning Editor for Entertainment at RTÉ

Why 2 more commissioning editors? What other shows have they commissioned, its not like RTÉ's annual spend on independent productions is massively big. It's around 39m to 43m.

The Group Head of drama remains acting head of drama.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121125135#Comment_121125135

You're right - it was a lease arrangement. BnM leased the Beemer for the boss, on which he should have paid BIK. Except that BnM footed the BIK for him by 'grossing up'. The state afaik is the main (only?) shareholder in BnM, so is it not the case that this ultimately results in a lower dividend to the state? Therefore it is not tax neutral and the taxpayers are underwriting the arrangement here?

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121125676#Comment_121125676

Looks like the same recruitment policy as Breakfast on 2FM - why have one person being overpaid to do a job when we can have 3? It’s only taxpayers money after all.