RTÉ admits paying Tubridy €345,000 more than declared

"Mr Bakhurst told the committee that Mr Tubridy had a "moral case” to pay back the funds to RTÉ, but he acknowledged the former Late Late Show host was currently without "a source of income” following a breakdown in negotiations for his return to radio.

"We have no legal tools to pursue him,” Mr Bakhurst said. "I've said what I have to say about it, which is I think it's a moral case to pay it back, but I also understand that as a result of where negotiations went Ryan doesn't have a source of income at the moment.”

Ryan doesn't have a source of income!!! Surely after coining it for all these years he can afford to pay back money that is not his. Bizarre stuff from Bakhurst, and not the first time he's talked like this - previously he mentioned that Tubs had "a mortgage to pay". FFS.

You will also find that many of those comments come from media people, with one or two not working in the industry, or related to the brand in someway.

They just don't know when to stop.

Excuse after excuse. Why not employ a full time Photographer or two for the RTÉ Guide.

The player give Fair City about 30,000 addition viewer from tradition TV.

There is also a case of not wanting to role back. I assume that Kevin Bakhurst signed of on that statement.

Basically, Fair City has always had a photographer so Fair City will continue to get a photographer. Rather than anyone at anytime saying maybe there are better ways of providing this service.

1. A photography department that would cover all programmes for publicity proposes, after all the business case is "imagery is then used across a variety of media outlets to help drive audiences to" RTÉ, and a further requirement of still photography for the news site. OR
2. Do away with this an use stills from the program to promo the programme.

But you would have to think about this.

RTÉ did at one time have a stills department. So the next question is, did they actual save any money moving to this system?

"Tánaiste Micheál Martin has expressed discomfort at the suggestion former RTÉ broadcaster Ryan Tubridy has a “moral case” to repay €150,000 he received as part of a controversial payments deal involving the Renault motor company.

The director general of RTÉ Kevin Bakhurst told an Oireachtas media committee on Wednesday that there was a “moral case” for Mr Tubridy to do so, but there was no legal mechanism for RTÉ to recoup the money.

Asked if he agreed with Mr Bakhurst’s comments, Mr Martin said he did not want to get into personality issues but added: “I’m not entirely comfortable with how all of that has been dealt with by RTÉ.

Why would Martin be uncomfortable with rich Tubs giving back money that originated from our licence fees?

Tubsidy is from the ff gene pool,Martin puttin a word in for him, anyway if it was Joe or Mary soap who trousered the money, the powers that be would find some "legal mechanism" to recoup the money mark my words

The whole marketing, branding and advertising industry is dark arts to most of us. Companies have budgets for promotion, they employ people who make up stuff like this, maybe they analyse them for effect. But maybe it's often just a pile of s** and the lads involved snigger behind their hands as they submit the invoices.

This. Bizarre stuff. I think women have taken over marketing, and it's no longer about selling product, just virtue signalling and what ButtersSuki refers to above.

I’m totally with you on that - RTÉ are obviously not willing to commit to a “make do and improvise” approach- I’d say jobs in RTÉ are highly segmented and vigoursly guarded - “a non photographer shalt never darken the door of the responsibilities associated with photography or there will be an all out general strike” sort of thing

If these guys were a new TV company they’d be on a shoestring budget, multiple roles and responsibilities allocated to each staff member and an innovation mindset - there’s a HELL of a long way to go before RTÉ is sorted out- in fact I’ll say it will never be sorted out without completely breaking it up and starting afresh

He was FF until he became unelected then crossed the river to SF

It’s actually hilarious RTE have come out today defending the Fair City photographer and saying they’ll be paid €60k per year instead of €80k (maybe the €20k diff is a non-salary car allowance??).

Oh right, it’s only €60k. In that case carry on.. they are absolutely delusional 😂

It is a contract role, basically they are looking for the best rate and the top rate that they can go to for 20hrs work per week is just 80k!

As we all see it. But they won't do that, KB won't be clearing things or changing things. To big a push back.

Yep, he is an MEP, not a TD.

That would be a hoot and would also show Tubs how much he is loved.