RTÉ admits paying Tubridy €345,000 more than declared

Brendan Griffin made a quip about his constituents thinking they would better off at this stage buying a round of drinks than paying the TV license. Shortt took exception and decided to tell him off, forgetting perhaps, that he sat on a board for 5 years that was proven to be manned with incompetents, also ignoring the fact that his boss was there with a begging bowl because of said incompetence. It was exactly the wrong time to be getting all high-and-mighty.

His haughtiness probably cost RTE another few grand in unpaid license fees.

Different feel to this hearing today.

Basically everyone knows they are giving them the money. The bad guys are sent home and the good guys are now in charge. I can't help feeling everyone in that room is happy to create that impression. Alot of praise for Kevin.

I don't know if alot has changed. 80k per year for fair city set photographer. Hardly the first role you need to fill if struggling for cash.

Is there nobody else around that can ask for it back??

from the sounds of that nothing has changed....jeez,80grand per year? for a photographer???ffs where do i sign up?its a hobby of mine...though i thought they had banned new staff?

Collette Fitzpatrick from Virgin news was absolutely delighted today when reporting on the current financial woes of RTE. It was very obvious and totally unprofessional of her. She had a massive grin on her face as she was relaying the loss of revenue and on the Committee events , then when it cut back to her and the political correspondent she was practically laughing her head off as she gleefully asked "How bad can it GET?!".

Shes normally a solid reporter but her bias poured out of her today. Fair enough, Virgin are more than happy to see their bigger, more financially robust brother slowly dissolve, particularly given the recent bitter statement that they could never afford Ryan Tubridy i.e jog on, you overpaid talentless ponce, but whether its just pure schaundenfrade or simple pettiness, she let herself down. If she was happy to stay at a station that pays her peanuts for 2 decades and wasnt ambitious enough to move on, thats on her not RTE.

Genuinely no clue what to say on this one....bar....how do I apply?!

I'd say she can, I be more worried about Bakhurst I think he just plans to go on as normal.

Unfortunately this is the most accurate summary I’ve seen

And leave and work in a real job?

The turnover rate is very low in RTE for a reason. Cushy number.

It's not clear that the return of the €150K was conditional on anything. My read is that Tubridy was shaping up to return his ill gotten gain, on his unspoken understanding that he'd get his gig back. That when things went south with Bakhurst, that he's just conveniently forgotten. And that RTE are unwilling to ask him straight up for it, they must think the language is vague in whatever original contact re Renault top ups.

So as long as Tubs goes off on his merry journey, that money is gone with him. And long may he wander like the swans of Coole - bye, bye.

The worst thing workers could do in RTE from their own perspective is go on strike and I think the unions probably know it. RTE isn't providing a service the way, say, refuse collectors provide a service. If the bin people go on strike, the rubbish piles up and up. But if RTE were to shut down for any length of time, life would go on perfectly smoothly. They would be forgotten about within a few months and they know it. People would adapt and move on.

That is why they need to keep going. Any gap is damaging to them as they lose relevancy fast.

Bit like Tubs.

(and I wish Tubs the best but he needs to get something fast).

Id like to see an outside moneyball type report on cost benefit for that money in terms of typical cost of producing that amount of primetime content - bearing in mind it has limited rerun scope and foreign sales.