RTE High Earners - Why?

[Barry]

Im just curious to know why exactly RTE presenters such as Pat Kenny, Gerry Ryan and Joe Duffy are paid such high salaries.

I dont see the logic in it. They are not exceptionally talented, and there would be countless others to take their place. There is no shortage of people to do it no doubt. Almost anyone could do their job, in essence, there is a massive pool of labour which should mean people like Kenny are on the minimum wage

The only reason bar bureaucracy I can think of is other stations "head hunting" them. But so what like? - the money saved could go into better programming, negating any drop in viewers. Not that there would be a shortage of talent to take their place anyway. And who likes the highest paid presenter in RTE anyway? - not anyone I know, I doubt many at all. Such salaries I dont think would be confined to state broadcasters either. Private companies would pay their presenters large salaries too.

Another possibility from a marxist perspective is that they are paid such salaries as part of a cultural hegemony. A sort of 'detachment', or conscious altering wage ensuring their loyalty and views are 'in line' with the status quo. Id be rusty explaining this myself though.

But I would like your views on it, in particular the reasons as to why this is the case. I think its a right screw over that these F-ers take TV licence fee's and turn it into massive salaries for that bunch of talentless chucks.

Here is a times report from February:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ire ... 76469.html

[JCSkinner]

The argument is that those sums represent their going rate - the theory being that they'd all be off to Newstalk or the BBC if they didn't get 700 gees a year or whatever outrageous amount they receive.
Obviously this is nonsense. But since it merely tallies with the fact that our political class are also paid massively in excess of their actual market value, we shouldn't be surprised to find more publicly raised funds being squandered to enrich a small elite.

[CookieMonster]

I suspect it's simply because they can get away with it.

[merle haggard]

id asume its because because from the establishments point of view - who pay their wages - they do a verygood job reflecting the establishments vision of how Ireland is and should be from the establishments point of view .

all can be thorougly trusted to keep the Dublin Monaghan scandal firmly off their shows year in and year out and instead say things like " I was round at Bonos the other evening" ..."a big slice of americana "...." sex and the city...sex and the city..." and tut tut over the No to Lisbon vote .

[JCSkinner]

Let's not forget what high-paid Pat thinks of his listenership who pay his outrageous wages:

http://www.alan-partridge.co.uk/article ... 20Scum.mp3

[Barry]

The argument is that those sums represent their going rate - the theory being that they'd all be off to Newstalk or the BBC if they didn't get 700 gees a year or whatever outrageous amount they receive.

But as I mentioned, so what if they left RTE. Pat Kenny is hardly a loss from something like the Late Late is he, most? viewers would be happy to see him leave, and there's plenty to take his place. Joe Duffy even, I think is more talented than PK.

I also couldnt see the BBC taking them in.

I suspect it's simply because they can get away with it.

Why though. Its not because its a state company, private wages would be high also.

id asume its because because from the establishments point of view - who pay their wages - they do a verygood job reflecting the establishments vision of how Ireland is and should be from the establishments point of view .

Thats sort of what I was getting at with the Marxist approach. It would make sense alright, if a little conspiratorial if not explained properly.

[merle haggard]

Let's not forget what high-paid Pat thinks of his listenership who pay his outrageous wages:

http://www.alan-partridge.co.uk/article ... 20Scum.mp3

of course . Thats why Pat Kenny shall go down in infamy as the man who devoted an entire late late to inviting all his middle class cronies onto the show in order to tell the nations scum what they shuld spend their ISSA money on . Im still skint and unless i finally succomb to hitting the local post office on a double pension week im likely to remain so . But If i do Im thankful I have terry prones advice on what a scumbag like me should spend my new found wealth on in order to appear somewhat less of a scumbag and a bit more evolved..at last ..

[merle haggard]

id asume its because because from the establishments point of view - who pay their wages - they do a verygood job reflecting the establishments vision of how Ireland is and should be from the establishments point of view .

Thats sort of what I was getting at with the Marxist approach. It would make sense alright, if a little conspiratorial if not explained properly.

see edit above

[Rahood]

Yeaaaa, the plank is back this Friday. All hail the plank.

How are the viewing figures worked out in Ireland. Do 1,000 people have some sort of set top box that the RTE listen in on ?

[Barry]

Let's not forget what high-paid Pat thinks of his listenership who pay his outrageous wages:

http://www.alan-partridge.co.uk/article ... 20Scum.mp3

Pat Kenny Is A Scummer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYvB25-qPK4

It looks like 80% agree