RTÉ admits paying Tubridy €345,000 more than declared

Yeah in fairness to Munster, I actually don't think there's an issue with GOL bringing her husband as a +1 to these events. Focusing on that in her questioning sounds good, but lacks substance in the context of everything else that she could have asked questions on, was needlessly personal and antagonistic, and just isn't a great point to make.

It's not that GOL brought her husband as a +1 to these events that's the issue, it's why these events were attended in the first place. Advertisers weren't going to spend as much buying ads on Ireland's largest TV & Radio platform unless they were brought to a Phil Collins concert? A few drinks while watching Fleetwood Mac convinced them to increase their spending?

I understand maybe taking them out for a nice meal as part of hospitality if they're over for meetings etc, but concerts & sporting events? F*ck off. RTE has the largest TV & Radio platform for advertisers. If advertisers want to sell ads in Ireland, RTE would be the first call they'd make, and they need RTE as much as RTE needs them, both for reach and a better deal on quantity of ad buys. You don't have to bring them to concerts to sell them on it.

If ad execs are over for meetings, take them out for a nice meal and a few drinks. Fine. The concerts have to mean that once the concert is announced and tickets go on sale, you're buying tickets and then organising your meetings with ad execs to coincide with the concert. That's pure bullsh*t, and Munster should have focused on that rather than GOL bringing her husband to the events as a +1.

agreed, there was no consideration given to the cost of the jollies, which for an organisation was preaching to up the licence fee and we need more money - why wasn't their stricter cost cost controls. Commercial do need to entertain clients but the days of foreign trips , stuff like that is long going in in private company. Most companies in the state RTE said they were in, anything extra like travel, etc would be nipped in the bud - low hanging fruit and easy cost measure to implement.

They we just having the craic to be honest...

The committee were asleep - should have tag teamed there. Asked the Head of Commercial what the value of the ads were.

RTE probably pay the toy companies!

RTE radio show, presenter repeatedly talking about, the Toy Story the musical

Something doesn't add up in all this. Who were these advertisers?

Most companies have rules around the receiving of gifts and rightly so. Receiving inducememts, kickbacks, etc could lead them to spend more than authorised or more than they normally would.

Its odd that some companies wouldn't advertise with RTE unless they received huge gifts in return.

You just know those who received the gifts were friends or relatives of those working in RTE who happened to advertise with them.

There's always been a fine line between entertaining clients and bribing them. I believe the line is related to amounts. Bringing them for dinner and drinks, fine. Giving them a rolex (not rte example) or all expenses trip to the world cup, not fine.

Cue GDPR breach, a solicitors letter, and enough payout to pay for the BIK owed for the last 5 years 😀

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Ultimately what do people think will be the outcome from this. A slimmed down RTE, max salaries of €200k for on air presenters but a lot more out of them, these 1 hour a day shows have to go, minimum should be 2.5 hrs a day, no dealing with agents, if you have an agent go elsewhere...split out of 2FM as its own commercial entity, let it compete in the market, Radio 1 can cover the public broadcast element. More focus on RTE spending on what is Public service broadcasting...news, current affairs, sport, removal of GAAGO

I'm definitely not disputing the popularity of the show. That is clear. It is a bizarre Irish tradition.

But my point is that if you added a subscription to watch it, attitudes towards the show would change. Deep down we know it's amateur RTE rubbish - we only watch it because it's free.

NK and Tubs to appear before the PAC in public session next Tuesday afternoon.

Oireachtas TV goes box office!

The failure of the musical makes my point - people wouldn't pay for the Toy Show.