Ryan Tubridy

[HighEndGrifters]

I said something was up when he resigned so quickly...

I'm going to suggest that as the majority of these broadcasters are contractors, perhaps now is a great time to introduce new talent, fresh new talent into the broadcasting pool and to let these contractors go.

We're not the UK. We can't compete like the UK so let's stop trying to compete like the UK.

Dee Forbes will not attend Media Committee for health reasons. How very convenient.🙄

Very cowardly of her.

Reminds me so much of Angela Kerins (bet you never thought you'd hear her name again) and the Rehab Charity debacle.

I also never realised that cowardice was something that you could get your GP to sign you off assuming responsibility for the shit you leave in your wake!

When I think of the sh*t and stress I put up with at one job I did.
I was stressed out but had to face whatever. And I certainly wasn't being paid over €300,000 for it.

There should be a new law put in retrospectively that those earning huge money from the state must be held accountable for decisions made under or during their watch.
I remember the politicians rushing legislation through the Dáil during the 2008+ economic crisis.
I'm sick of this country and its lax laws and no accountability.

I worked for a public service organisation who were audited to the hilt, but they still managed to slip a huge (HUGE!) 'ex gratia' payment to the CEO. Who was already very well paid. Ireland is a bit of a joke that way imo. Fur coat no knickers when it comes to accountability.

Dee Forbes not attending any committee hearings now.

Companies are going to have to write into contracts that if something untoward is discovered during a person's tenure, that they are compelled to attend a government investigation and make themselves available for questioning or that their departure package/remuneration will be withheld until such time as they do make themselves available.

Surely she is still employed until she has worked out her notice period? Even a lowly worker has to give one pay period's worth of notice - a week or a fortnight. You can't just say 'that's it, I'm off'.

Maybe if you're rich enough not to care about making yourself unemployable it's different.

I don't know if anyone is watching the RTE News Now channel because RTE representatives are being questioned by the Oireachtas Media Committee.

The RTE executives are being challenged quite stringently by this committee

I don't think they were expecting that.

There was a humerous moment during the questioning when Deputy McGrath asked a question and it genuinely sounded like he was asking "Who are you lying to?" and he repeated the question a few times. The chair of the committee stepped in and clarified he was asking "Who are you loyal to?" meaning were they loyal to their own staff, the license paying public or some other higher being.

I saw that bit on the tv.  @LookItsMeAgain.
The man who misinterpreted him had a very SoCoDu accent himself 
At times when Matty was speaking I would have liked to have subtitles on and my parents are both rural born with strong(ish) accents !

Very convenient Dee Forbes couldn't make the questioning.

Not much information gained by this today. Absence of Dee Forbes and Ryan Tubridy not helping. Tomorrow should bring some more light. Kudos to those who attended...still a lot of clarity needed.

It's actually shocking that the Chair of RTE asked Dee Forbes for her resignation on 16th June, didn't mention anything to the Minister for Communications until 26th June and it was only when Dee Forbes actually posted up on social media that she had quit with immediate effect that the shit really hit the fan.

I mean if RTE hadn't asked for the resignation, it's very possible that the DG would be able to attend these hearings. Why was she allowed to resign? Why did they accept the resignation knowing that a shit-storm was coming their way? It's even worse now, knowing what we know.

I'm getting the popcorn ready for 1:30pm today when the PAC meets with the board of RTE. When they have to explain the money aspect then that should be interesting. I do hope that the politicians get better at asking their questions. I hope they are more pointed in their questions. The ones getting to ask the questions today have had a day longer, and all of the information from yesterday to compose their questions. I hope they are more direct and don't let them off the hook as easily. Channel their inner Dragon from Dragon's Den if you will!

😂

All this fuss over Ryan Tubridy.
I get it
There's stuff going on in Bord Pleanála too.
A court case was reported on yesterday.
What else are we being distracted from ?

If you're paid the king's shilling or the Irish taxpayers' money you should be made go before an Oireachtas committee if there are serious questions to be answered.
No more running for the hills resigning and not having to be accountable.
There's a reason you're paid big bucks, a big pension and expenses.

This though is important as it's the license fee that's driving the focus, i.e. taxpayers money.

Today's revelations about buying tickets, flights & accommodation using this "barter" account to the 2019 Rugby World Cup...which just happened to be in Japan!

It stinks to high heaven. It really does.

Stop getting all sensible!!!

Anyone else looking back at his last Late Late show in a new light? I wonder how U2 feel about that Vespa now.

They wouldn't be above a bit of tax avoidance themselves tbf!

Completely legal tax avoidance tho, and it's more tax minimising. They do pay the tax they have to.

So today's Oireachtas committee meetings will be very interesting on the back on the revelation that there was more than one barter account - even though the CFO of RTE stated last week that there was only the one.

The Toy Show the Musical only sold just over 11k tickets and made a €2.2m loss. I can't imagine the numbers of Arts groups around the countries that would be gasping for a mere fraction of that amount of money to put on a show for their locality, yet RTE was allowed to make a loss of that magnitude.

Also spending €5k on flip flops, a dinner held before going to the U2 concert for 40 people cost another €5k, €9k spending on hospitality to see Harry Styles, Westlife and the Eagles.

This is shocking coming from the national broadcaster and the waste of money is off the charts!

Biggest joke was trying to justify the wages so that " we don't lose the talent " . As if major corporations are vying for these unknowns outside Ireland . Nobody is irreplaceable, especially RTE mediocrity. The folks in Montrose have an inflated sense of importance that is unrealistic in modern day Ireland. I think we should all refuse to pay TV licences this year.

@Soonenough I agree. I think many of these stars had an inflated sense of their own importance. I'm sure there's a huge number of talented young Irish people trying to break into the industry. Why are the same few names presenting every show?

I have to say, last week I had a smidgen of sympathy for the CFO.

This week I think he is coming across as trying to be smart and sleazy. The barter account - oh yes, there were three companies but they fed into the one account, financially, so I was right when I said there was one barter account.

His testimony today is really irritating.

Another thing - why are they allowed to waffle for such a long time when each of the TD's in the hearing is only being given 10 minutes.

Moya Doherty is great at waffling and going off on tangents - take the example of the question about Toy Show the Musical and she waffles that she "supports creativity". That's lovely but that isn't what you were being asked by the TD.

Waffling and saying the sum total of nothing. Quite the deafening silence when Mattie McGrath was asking his questions, he dropped the ball on that by not directing them to a specific person, it allowed them to ignore him really. Pity.