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RTÉ facing ‘existential moment’, Oireachtas committee hears

Moya Doherty, the chair of the RTÉ Board, warned of her deep concerns about the future of the broadcaster.

PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING in Ireland is facing a “genuinely existential moment”, an Oireachtas committee has heard.

Moya Doherty, the chair of the RTÉ board, warned that time is running out to find a solution to the dire financial fortunes of the Irish broadcaster.

Representatives from RTÉ, including director general Dee Forbes, faced questions from politicians on Irish language programming, funding and the future of the TV licence.

Doherty, who is entering her final year as chair, told the Oireachtas Media committee that the public service broadcaster was facing a “confluence” of factors including the rise of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple TV, as well as the “relentless advance of social media into the personal lives of audiences”.

Doherty warned politicians: “These profound shifts outline both the difficulties created for the national broadcaster and the increased importance of public service media at a time of unprecedented disruption.”

She called for a national debate on the future of public service broadcasting.

The broadcaster is currently awaiting the publication of the report from The Future of Media Commission, a body charged with considering the challenges facing Irish media, and RTÉ representatives today vented frustrations at the delay in publishing the report.

Doherty, who has spent eight years as chair of the RTÉ board, said that this debate cannot “shy away from uncomfortable truths” and said that “matters of funding public service broadcasting and our broken licence fee system” need to be discussed.

While she stressed the important work of the broadcaster during the Covid-19 pandemic, something praised by most TDs and senators, she warned: “The traditional licence model for funding is clearly broken.”

That model, she said, was causing a €65 million loss each year.

“Pause for a moment and imagine what the Irish creative sector, the arts, the independent sector and RTÉ could have created,” she said.

“Imagine the jobs that could have been created, the creativity and talent that could have been nurtured. This is a lost opportunity on a grand scale – and we are all the poorer for it.”

Painting a stark picture of the media industry, Doherty told the committee: “The creative industries which RTÉ is at the centre of are at the forefront of a workplace upheaval, a revolution driven by a new understanding that if the first industrial revolution was driven by brawn and physical work and the second and third industrial revolutions by brain and intellect, then the fourth revolution in which we find ourselves will be driven by an economy of the heart.

“This is not some fanciful romantic notion but a conviction that the work we do should be grounded in what we believe in and brings fulfilment and should be aimed at making a sustained contribution to the common good.”

“After eight years as chair of RTÉ and public service media, my love and commitment for RTÉ is matched only by my concern and fear for its future. Time is commodity we no longer have,” she said in her opening statement to the committee.

The licence fee recurred as an issue among committee members, as the broadcaster was warned by some TDs that any increase in the cost of the fee would be “unaffordable”.

Forbes told the committee: “There is a huge amount of money being lost in the system. We are not asking for more money.

“What we are asking for is that the licence fee system that underpins public service broadcasting is reformed.”

Fianna Fail Senator Malcolm Byrne, as well as Sinn Fein Senator Fintan Warfield, raised concerns about the quality of the RTÉ Player.

However, RTÉ representatives hit back and pointed to the funding challenges facing the organisation.

“RTÉ has in the past been accused of going with a begging bowl, always with the begging bowl,” Doherty told Byrne.

“And I was trying to think of a different analogy and I thought if you give a person fish, they would be fed for a day. If you give them a fishing rod, they will be able to fend for themselves.

“I think RTÉ has faced a decade of brutal cuts. And the only way any organisation can grow and improve is through investments, not continual cuts.”

Forbes echoed this: “While there were rooms for improvement, we are not complacent. However, we have to match the monies we have with what we can do and certainly further investment is required and, again, pending an outcome on funding it is top of our agenda.”

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    Mute Helen O' Neill
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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:56 PM

    Look at the salaries in RTE. They’re astronomical

    787
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    Mute Thomas Meaney
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:05 PM

    @Helen O’ Neill: also one of the smallest parts of the overall budget.

    48
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    Mute Da Dell
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:57 PM

    In 2020, RTE spent 149m on employee wages. have 1,879 employees employed as Full-Time, Part-Time and Casual, that works out at an average 80,000 per employee. RTE spend 45% of their revenue on wages. Their revenue was 331m, broken out with 197m licence fee and 134m ad revenue. Their expenditure was 307m with employee costs above + 22m for contractors bring bringing it to 172m. Their other related costs are 134m. They spend more on wages and contractors than programs. If Dee Forbes wanted to sort RTE out, a simple solution would be to reduce employee wages. Their wage to revenue ratio is way to high at 45%. A safe space for businesses would be between 15%-30%.If you add the 22m for contractors into the employee wages cost of 149m then their ratio jumps 51% which is absolutely unsustainable.

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    Mute Vonvonic
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    Jan 26th 2022, 8:02 PM

    @Da Dell: lol… Now so, Thomas.

    56
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    Mute Sean
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    Jan 26th 2022, 8:12 PM

    @Vonvonic: It looks like you’ve been proven wrong there Thomas but even if your figure had been correct it would still be a problem because RTE are looking for more money. Can you not see that completely undermines their request? RTE are saying we haven’t enough money to keep the lights on yet allow us to insist on paying our mediocre presenters a king’s ransom!

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    Mute WadeBoggs
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    Jan 26th 2022, 8:52 PM

    @Vonvonic: I’m gonna say Thomas was talking about presenters salaries and not overall salaries …. to give him benefit of the doubt anyway. I’m sure there are many others in RTE who are equally overpaid for what they do thanks to scales, increments etc.
    One thing I genuinely don’t get is the size of RTE’s sport department. Why do they need a separate person on every news broadcast (radio and tv) to read autocue of sports stories. Can the main presenter not do it? Is it really that difficult.

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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Jan 26th 2022, 9:02 PM

    @Helen O’ Neill: And unwarranted!

    22
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    Mute Stealth
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    Jan 26th 2022, 10:00 PM

    @WadeBoggs: typical public sector view of its not there job to do that. If its not in there contract they dont do it, unless they get payed more.
    Theres plenty of fat that could be cut from mid level managment up in all goveement departments.

    45
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    Mute Brian Burns
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    Jan 26th 2022, 10:20 PM

    @Da Dell: what an intelligent informative comment

    31
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    Mute FiannaFáilness FineGaelness
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    Jan 26th 2022, 10:52 PM

    @Da Dell: That was one of the best comments I’ve read on here in the last year. They talk about having to pay these people so much as that’s what they’d earn elsewhere but they’re really comparing RTÉ stars against UK TV stars (country of 67 million people) as opposed to the other free market nationwide broadcaster Virgin Media which pays its stars/staff a lot less.

    53
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    Mute Victor Feldman
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    Jan 27th 2022, 1:27 AM

    @WadeBoggs: their sports reports on the news program is ambarrassingly amateurish.. They use to tell you the soccer results, prior to showing the matches.. And why do they send Kate macnamara to all the major sports events.. She shows no insights into any of the sports that she auto cue.s on..

    15
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    Mute NeilH100
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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:54 PM

    I don’t have too much sympathy for RTÉ .

    531
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    Mute Edmund Ted Guiry
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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:49 PM

    Just shut it down, no loss

    623
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    Mute Mar Mar
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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:54 PM

    subscription service those that want can pay ?

    455
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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:09 PM

    The propaganda spouted by RTE in recent days concerning the crisis in Ukraine especially by Joe Duffy is beyond belief. RTE has always been a tool that was used by whichever government was in power. Certainly report what’s going on in the world, but getting a counter balance is certainly not in RTEs remit.

    366
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    Mute Alan McArdle
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    Jan 26th 2022, 10:05 PM

    @Donal Desmond: Duffy’s blatant bias on a topic at hand is astounding. He sneers at those that go against the grain. Utter disgrace as a supposedly neutral forum.

    122
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    Mute Victor Feldman
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    Jan 27th 2022, 1:28 AM

    @Alan McArdle: his bias against Israel is rediculous

    22
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    Mute Gerrard
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:35 PM

    They paid that bollks from west life 250k a year for 10 hours a week on the radio .. scandalous

    344
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    Mute Declan Moran
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    Jan 26th 2022, 9:06 PM

    @Gerrard: and not an hour of it was probably worth listening too. Haven’t listened to RTE radio in over 25 years or more. Pure tripe

    149
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    Mute The Bolt
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:41 PM

    Scrap rte 2, reduce the amount of radio stations and reduce the salaries of top stars. If the top stars aren’t happy and want to move on, let them. Let’s see how we’ll they do. I’ve no doubt there’s lots of young stars out there that would kill for the opportunity on a fraction of the wages.

    273
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    Mute Gordon Larney
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:10 PM

    They keep banging on about the “broken licence fee system”. They should stop looking for excuses!!! The real issue is how they have so badly turned the vast majority of the Irish public against what is supposed to be OUR service. Exorbitant wages, rubbish programing, useless internet player and thats only the tip of the many reasons people cant be bothered to tune in or pay the licence fee. If you want to fix the problem, start by fixing in house first…..

    456
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    Mute WadeBoggs
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    Jan 26th 2022, 9:06 PM

    @Gordon Larney: Nail on the head. If they actually did manage to collect what they believe is being avoided, they would squander even more looking after the same characters. Lottie Ryan would be on €250k a year for 10 minute entertainment (reading the newspapers) segments, Tubs would be clearing €2m a year. The canteen would be serving cavier. Only the reduced revenue keeps a lid on what otherwise could be serious nonsense.

    152
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    Mute Liam Edward Harris
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:19 PM

    Pay. People. Less. You. Geebags.

    232
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    Mute Billy O Neill
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:54 PM

    The Government and RTE are really pushing this mandatory tax on every property/tv licence, if RTE was any good people would pay for it

    145
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    Mute Des Hanrahan
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:06 PM

    Who in their right mind wants to pay for the damm place . Just shut it down .

    264
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    Mute Gerrard
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:35 PM

    They paid that bollks from west life 250k a year for 10 hours a week on the radio .. scandilous

    143
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    Mute Ned
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:44 PM

    State run tv should be banned leave it to the private sector to provide programming and nobody should be charged a license to own a tv most of the world never heard of such a thing

    130
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    Mute Thomas O' Donnell
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    Jan 26th 2022, 8:23 PM

    @Ned: So you want news services solely in the hands of the wealthy?

    29
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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Jan 27th 2022, 4:34 PM

    @Thomas O’ Donnell: Considering the propaganda coming from RTE news concerning the crisis in Ukraine is completely one sided and biased . Certainly report on the crisis, but get both points of view. Joseph Goebbls would be proud of RTE on their coverage.

    5
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    Mute Rostyballs78
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:29 PM

    I think the only thing to have caught my eye on RTÉ in recent years was Kin and that wasn’t all that good. It’s a fossil, pandering to B list tv stars and radio DJs, paying extortionate salaries to directors and talent alike, turning out a substandard product to a dwindling and ageing audience. It should be confined to the annals of broadcasting history. There’s a sadness in it really. I’d feel no remorse for the Broadcaster itself but growing up, RTÉ one and eventually RTÉ 2 (Network Two) provided hours of great programming, from Bosco and Dempsey Den as a nipper, watching the Sullivans and Corrie with my granny, Home and Away, Italian football on Monday nights, American Football too. Good luck and god bless

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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Jan 26th 2022, 9:10 PM

    @Rostyballs78: MTV on a Sunday with the late Vincent Hanley. That was a game changer. Music killed the radio star The Buggles.

    26
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    Mute Peazel
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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:55 PM

    Beh-bye *waves*

    108
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    Mute Gerrard
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:18 PM

    Shut it down nobody watches it

    200
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    Mute Tony Mcgrath
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:46 PM

    No need for public broadcasting privatise the kip

    98
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    Mute Marc Johns
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    Jan 26th 2022, 11:43 PM

    Tubridy on 600,000 euros. Enough said. There’s a thousand better Irish presenters/entertainers on YouTube.

    77
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    Mute Victor Feldman
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    Jan 27th 2022, 1:42 AM

    @Marc Johns: did you call tubridy an entertainer…!!! He and o’callaghan should be binned.

    43
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    Mute AJ
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:58 PM

    Create a news only channel paid for by the public (reducing licence fee) and then have a subscription based entertainment channel with ads.

    67
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    Mute lelookcoco
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    Jan 26th 2022, 10:10 PM

    @AJ: Something ‘independent’ like Sky News or Fox News?

    11
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    Mute Patrick Brady
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    Jan 26th 2022, 8:26 PM

    She would not reccomend cutting the ridiculous salaries the wannabees get paid close it down tomorrow

    116
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    Mute Rochelle
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    Jan 26th 2022, 10:30 PM

    RTE simply isn’t fit for purpose anymore, they’ve made very little attempt to adapt to modern technology in the past 20 years and now find themselves struggling to reach large sections of the public under 50 considering the decline of TV and Radio and the poor standard of the RTE Player.

    RTE is just a network of old people preaching to an old audience at this point. Hard to see how they can turn it around now considering entire generations are becoming adults with very little connection or knowledge of RTE.

    Outlets like TheJournal and individuals like Gavan Reilly or Richard Chambers have achieved the sort of reach and influence that RTE could only dream of and without taxpayer money.

    56
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    Mute Fergus Quinlan
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    Jan 26th 2022, 9:29 PM

    RTE is fair and impartial on social matters such as LGBT rights, divorce and abortion. However it becomes very partial on questions that threaten the national status quo or even more so on international politics. Statments of demonisation bordering on racism proporting to be news are made against countries such as Russia, China, or Syria or individuals without any right of

    Serious journalists like Pilger, embarrassing subjects such as Julian Assange, the Palestinian occupation, Edward Snowden, Irelands nuetrality and Shannon Airport are taboo and not allowed to air.

    We must ensure that transparent democratic control is established over RTE reflecting the diversity of opinions.

    49
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    Mute Sheila McNulty
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    Jan 27th 2022, 12:00 AM

    @Fergus Quinlan: impartial on social matters U have to be joking they certainly were not impartial on the abortion debate which they were called out on but they carried on regardless,

    30
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    Mute Ned
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:43 PM

    State run tv should be banned leave it to the private sector to provide programming and nobody should be charged a license to own a tv most of the world never heard of such nonsense as this

    55
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    Mute David Bourke
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    Jan 26th 2022, 11:29 PM

    Good, I’d be happy to see Dee Forbes and the “top” “talent” unemployed. The public has been complaining about RTE, the poor content, and the crazy wages for a decade or more. They dug their own grave.

    Fixing RTE isn’t hard, they could bring in new (cheaper) talent, stop buying american shows, and sell their Donneybrook property. RTE could save money while improving content

    42
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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Jan 26th 2022, 11:44 PM

    @David Bourke: Some of those American shows are the only entertainment on it.

    16
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    Mute David Bourke
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    Jan 26th 2022, 11:49 PM

    @Franny Ando:

    That’s great and all, but the taxpayer shouldn’t pay for entertainment alone. It makes sense if it’s about supporting Irish media and developing Irish talent, but they don’t do that.

    8
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    Mute Leitrim303
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:12 PM

    AND

    30
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    Mute Niall Sheridan
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    Jan 27th 2022, 2:14 AM

    RTE is one big black hole demanding more and more of taxpayers money while luvvies get feather bedded salaries. Time to sell it off asap.

    33
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    Mute Peadar Whelan
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    Jan 27th 2022, 9:42 AM

    @Niall Sheridan: it’s unbelievable to listen to Joe Duffy, Cormack O’ Hara and a number of others, they search the world for bad news, O’ Hara yesterday gave up on Covid yesterday as it’s no longer bad news and he got back to the old reliable “People on Trolleys”
    Duffy would depress the most exuberant person in the world

    17
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    Mute Anthony Guinnessy
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    Jan 27th 2022, 12:30 AM

    Fair city costs circa 11m per year to make? I mean seriously, what public interest does fair city serve? Drama overall is circa 25m which can all be cut tbf. Not sure how beneficial any of it is to the general public?

    Rte needs to get back to producing content which other more commercial organisations won’t but that Irish people need to know about. There are plenty of entertainment channels online or on TV for people to choose from and rte is not going to be able to compete with them imo.

    21
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    Mute d
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:30 PM

    It has already begun across the pond.
    https://youtu.be/AJGnPpUnYtQ

    18
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    Mute Dennis Farrelly
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    Jan 27th 2022, 7:59 AM

    Scrap RTE it’s a big waste of money

    17
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    Mute niamh mc phillips
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    Jan 27th 2022, 7:27 AM

    Don’t get me started about the RTE player (angry emoji face)

    14
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    Mute Ken Bramley
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    Jan 26th 2022, 9:51 PM

    It is automatically added to your electricity bill in Italy and deducted. I wonder why the government are giving us back a few bob on our electricity bills ? Hmmmm…

    12
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    Mute David F. Dwyer
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    Jan 26th 2022, 10:15 PM

    Burn it down.

    27
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    Mute Stephen Maher
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    Jan 27th 2022, 12:51 AM

    Every time i try to read an article about RTE, all I can see is, Salaries salaries salaries, blah, salaries blah, blah blah salaries…..

    7
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    Mute Victor Feldman
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    Jan 27th 2022, 1:20 AM

    It looks as if docherty and forbes are clutching at straws to disguise the truth.. Ie the awful quality of most of rte, s output.
    For me the only indispensables that have are Joe Duffy, ronan Collins and
    DWTS.. Other then that, all their stabs at light entertainment are amateurish in the extreme.. As are their terrible drama, s.. And their attitude to gender equality is counter productive.
    .prime time needs a more male presence and to bin the over imposing set in a skip.

    9
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    Mute Ed Morse
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    Jan 27th 2022, 11:07 AM

    No need for RTE any more.Commercial and local radio stations do it better.TV is awful,endless repeats,too much duplication and copying what others do.
    Vastly overpaid staff. Nobody in authority listening all these years.

    5
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    Mute Ciarán Byrne
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    Jan 27th 2022, 4:59 PM

    If Virgin Media can operate as private coy no licence fee time to sell off RTE and make it a private coy and see how it does then under business people not civil servant’s.

    3
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