RTÉ admits paying Tubridy €345,000 more than declared

Expunge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121350957#Comment_121350957

Well it shows how important the commercial side of RTE will be going forward as it's the first major hire of the Backhurst "new" RTE era.

Also, it's a chance to get this closed off before he has to announce the unpleasant stuff to staff and politicians next week or whenever.

This is pretty significant, I would think.

It looks like business as usual for RTE.

jmcc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121350608#Comment_121350608

NewsCorp is very different to RTE. RTE is like the old British Satellite Broadcasting (had a similar attitude to RTE). If they even hire him, he will be on probation and if the numbers don't match the expectations, he will be gone. Is there a genuine source on that story?

Regards...jmcc

CollyFlower

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121351694#Comment_121351694

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2023/11/08/is-ryan-tubridy-about-to-sign-up-with-virgin-radio-uk/

jmcc

Big week for RTE next week.

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2023/1110/1415800-rte-strategy/

Wonder if there will be any cull of the management? Meanwhile the Indo has some "news" about Tubridy attending an event in London.

Regards...jmcc

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121351833#Comment_121351833

We need public service broadcasting I've just made the point regarding how important our media is. And a big part of that is the continued role of RTÉ

I think if you position is that RTÉ is a big part of media and PSB... then you already have decided you have no other choice open to you and that you are unwilling to look at other options.

The Cabinet will really be hoping for something significant from RTÉ when it is published next Tuesday / Wednesday.

Sunny Disposition

In fairness it's okay not to like Ryan, but he was genuinely very critical of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

head82

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121350969#Comment_121350969

Bakhurst was asked at one of the PAC hearings if RTE had received solicitors letters from Tubridy/NKM. He acknowledged that legal communications had been "exchanged". It wasn't expanded upon as to what was the content of these exchanges.

Until more clarification is revealed, one can only assume they pertained to either breach of contract or reputational damage.

hotmail.com

The public want widespread pay cuts.

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121352124#Comment_121352124

And layoffs.

Rte are burning through money like its going out of fashion. They need to reduce headcount significantly to try to make some major savings

hotmail.com

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121352136#Comment_121352136

Absolutely. For years and years it's been loss making.

Let's see what Catherine Martin is made of. It looks like she's just going to write them another cheque.

spuddy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121352136#Comment_121352136

Pat Kenny frequently makes reference to the difference in the number of staff involved with his Newstalk show, versus when he was at RTE. Presumably Blackhurst doesn't have to look far for a yardstick to measure what the right level of staffing should be for RTE. He certainly has public will on his side, so it's now or never.

hotmail.com

So they've finally handed over this bloody note.

Took them long enough.

jmcc

Yep. Rolled over and gave up the note. They don't want the PAC to discuss it publically. It was either that or the PAC compelling RTE to had it over. Apparently Arther Cox solicitors have provided a version which the PAC can discuss publically. At this stage, whatever good will there was towards RTE staff is disappearing.

Regards...jmcc

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121351908#Comment_121351908

He may well have been, it's not as if he was going out on a limb there, the whole world was against it.

But it was his disgraceful comments around the time that will stick with me, and which show the type of person he really is. Comparing Syrian refugees to Ukranians, and how the latter look more like us! Unforgivable.

SEPT 23 1989

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121352486#Comment_121352486

so the public who fund this sh1tshow are only entitled to a "version" of the truth now???

we are indeed drifting into the arena of the unwell at this stage

hotmail.com

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121352556#Comment_121352556

South side rich boy mentality. He got away with it for years.

jmcc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121352572#Comment_121352572

Yep. Someone needs to get real about questioning these people. It has gone well beyond the PAC and the Media Committee at this stage.

Regards...jmcc

fritzelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121352572#Comment_121352572

Of course because "Truth Matters" except where the inner workings of RTE are concerned - they've pulled this card so many times when there has been questions about the going ons there so it's good to see the PAC baring their teeth this time

Frank Grimes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121351908#Comment_121351908

I have it on good authority that, along with the briefings on Joe Duffy's various musings, that the Russian embassy prepared daily reports for the Kremlin on Ryan's thoughts on the war.

jmcc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121353115#Comment_121353115

Jaysis! You'd almost feel sorry for the Kremlin if they were relying on those two. Almost. :)

Regards...jmcc

jmcc

Looks like there's a potential volcanic eruption underway in Iceland. If it happens, Tubridy might have to cancel that appearance on the Alan Partridge circuit too.

Regards...jmcc

jmcc

Details emerging on that note:

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/ryan-tubridys-agent-made-repeated-demands-for-payment-guarantees-meeting-note-says/a2042657039.html

Regards...jmcc

TinyMuffin

Ryan’s finalising his deal with virgin radio.

PeadarCo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121353798#Comment_121353798

But does the note really tell us anything new? It's been very clear to everyone that NK asked RTE to guarantee the Renault payment for RT. NK was just doing his job as an employee rep. Any decent union rep/agent would do the same if they felt they could get away with it. Which in itself says a lot about how weak RTE management was.

The fact RTE caved into these demands is the problem and then worse actively covered it up. Will the note explain why RTE went down this route? Unfortunately one of the main players Dee Forbes has been silent on the matter.

And more importantly have RTE learnt there lesson going forward. It will be interesting to see what happens when the contracts/salaries for other big names like Joe Duffy come for renegotiation. The results of those negotiations will be telling.

jmcc

The minutes from the meeting that started the ball rolling on the Tubridy scandal are "missing".

https://www.independent.ie/news/missing-minutes-no-record-yet-of-rte-board-meeting-that-started-ryan-tubridy-saga/a1874230054.html

It would be hard to write such an incompetently run organisation in fiction but this is reality and these people want to be bailed out with taxpayer money again. As for Tubridy and this supposed job with Virgin Radio, it is best to be highly cynical about it given the claims made by RTE about paying its "talent" so much in order to prevent other broadcasters poaching them. Believe the claim when it is confirmed by Virgin Radio and the show airs.

Tubridy was removed from the radio show in June 2023. It is now almost four and a half months since Tubridy was removed. No broadcaster has snapped him up or even offered anything like the obscene salary that RTE was paying. Tubridy's former time slot gained 13,000 listeners since he was removed. If Virgin Radio hires him, and there are no named sources on this story, then it had better be prepared to lose listeners.

Regards...jmcc

PeadarCo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121354690#Comment_121354690

It doesn't really matter what RT does. This is the mistake RTE made. They got too obsessed with personalities. For a lot of RTEs slots they could put anyone half decent in and they would still be guaranteed a certain amount of listeners. If RT gets a new job, well for him. If some decides to pay RT, Joe Duffy etc X amount per year it shouldn't matter a dam to RTE.

The question for RTE is does paying a presenter X amount represent value for money. With RT and pretty much all the high profile presenters at RTE I'd argue it doesn't. They could attract a similar amount of listeners/viewers with a presenter on a lower salary. If people are not happy and feel they can get better they are free to leave RTE.

Ireland is a small media market and those that actually watch/listen to domestic radio and TV is even smaller. RTE are comfortably the biggest player on the domestic market and that alone guarantees a certain amount of viewers/listeners regardless of the presenter. It's something RTE doesn't appear to have ever taken into account with negotiating with presenters/staff.

Caquas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121354690#Comment_121354690

Your brilliant concept could rescue RTÉ! A comedy series based in a dysfunctional TV Station - think Arrested Development meets The Office with some characters from the Anchorman movies.

As you say, the scripts are being written already. The reality TV show is the biggest hit RTÉ ever had.🤣

And it will do what no other RTÉ production has ever managed - it will make money abroad. Get a bidding war going among the streaming giants and we will never have to pay a licence fee again!

jmcc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121354662#Comment_121354662

The whole thing looks very bad for RTE and its management. Forbes and others from RTE management should appear before the PAC and Media committee to explain their actions and not a single cent should be given to RTE until they have been questioned. The earlier reports had Forbes being directly involved in negotiations and providing a letter on Tubridy's salary to Tubridy. I think that all the salaries of the "talent" are under the microscope now. Duffy may retire. One common factor among some of the "talent" is their agent Noel Kelly. Bakhurst already said that he would not speak to Kelly and would speak to the "talent" directly. With the latest revelation (missing minutes), things may be cascading far beyond RTE's control and a minister who has been made to look like an incompetent idiot needs to regain some semblance of authority. The government is probably going to impose some really tough conditions on RTE in return for a bailout.

At this stage, it would not be suprising to see a three company solution being imposed with RTE (the public service broadcaster), a commercial RTE spin-out company handling non-employees and commercial matters and 2RN handling the network and technical operations. The 2FM fiasco would either be sold off or included in the commercial RTE company. The commercial RTE company would either sink or swim on its own merits and would not be bailed out. The current management of RTE would obviously want to avoid such a breakup but the RTE management committed the cardinal sin of politics: it made its minister look stupid.

Regards...jmcc

jmcc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121354743#Comment_121354743

This is the most terrifying lesson that has emerged for the RTE radio "talent": The time slot is the star.

People mainly listen to the radio at certain times rather than to presenters, if the methodology of audience measurement is to be believed. Pat Kenny's RTE audience didn't move with him when RTE did not renew his contract. The audience on the 09:00 slot grew by 13,000 after Tubridy was removed. Radio is different to TV in that radio programmes are often just background noise and any passers by are counted as "listeners". With TV, people have to make a decision to watch.

Regards...jmcc

Caquas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121290947#Comment_121290947

That didn't take long! Out went RTÉ's Legal Advisor, in came fresh legal advice. Now the precious documents are released. 😜

https://www.thejournal.ie/rte-u-turn-their-request-pac-6220156-Nov2023/

The gist of the notes is what we have known for a long time - Noel Kelly demanded and received a guarantee for the €75K annually. But it is humiliating for RTÉ to reveal how Dee Forbes caved in during these negotiations. Kelly was outraged at a "40% cut". Forbes couldn't bring herself to say what everyone knew and what has now been demonstrated - that his client was being outrageously overpaid and what was needed was a complete reset of his salary expectations i.e. as Bakhurst did in August.