RTE Watch !

[Spectabilis]

How is taking early retirement corrupt?

[Baron von Biffo]

Charlie Bird to leave RTE

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...reaking54.html

A disappointing contract re-negotiation?

[Dr. FIVE]

He explained that, being so close to retirement anyway, he could have gone at any time and one advantage of going now was that his package would based on his salary before cuts were implemented. “I’m not getting a huge amount of money because I’m going early,”

Thought early retirement deadline was March?

[C. Flower]

How is taking early retirement corrupt?

He could have done better.

The Big Story, began by promising us that we were about to relive "some of the major scoops that have occurred in the career of Charlie Bird". This was a pleasure most of us had been eagerly awaiting for years. After all, we had accompanied Charlie on his epic voyage down the Amazon (or was it the Dodder?) and feared for his wellbeing as he exposed himself to the Arctic (or maybe Athenry), so what more exciting way to spend a summer evening than to be reminded of his overall journalistic greatness?

Narrator Michael Murphy recalled that when Charlie set out on the road to immortality in the early 1980s: "Ireland was in recession and people turned to television for information and inspiration" -- no one apparently being more inspirational than the fledgling newsman from Goatstown, whose coverage of the Father Niall O'Brien story in the Philippines "made him a household name in Ireland".

But more of that later because first there was Charlie's momentous background to be considered -- a father in the merchant navy and a great-great-grandfather who'd fought at the Nile with Nelson, all of which contributed to the wanderlust that made Charlie hanker to become a roving reporter. Before that, though, he'd "dabbled in politics" and we saw footage of him fearlessly bucking the status quo at Young Socialist and Labour Party meetings.

So what makes a great journalist? Well, as Charlie sees it, it's "something that's inside you -- you have a passion for something". More than that, however, "I get a kick out of it", though one should never forget "the most important element" about news broadcasting, which is "getting the facts across". Searing insights, indeed, though you'd hardly expect less from someone who's spent three decades pondering his hugely important role in journalism.

Less palatable, though, is the unwelcome attention that fame can bring because, as Michael pointed out, "there's been increased media interest in Charlie and at times his life off camera can become as big a story as the stories he reports for the news". Michael didn't go into any details, but Charlie acknowledged the bother it can create. "Yeah, you do make an impact," he modestly conceded, "and with that come difficulties, and I have to take them on the chin."

Then it was back to the Fr O'Brien story, the one that made Charlie "a household name", as Michael reminded us yet again, even if no one under the age of 35 will have any memory of how an Irish priest was charged with the murder of a local mayor or of Charlie's impassioned coverage of this miscarriage of justice. But, Charlie assured us, "it was a very big story". More than that, "it had a missionary priest who was going to be hanged, an Irish priest, it had a jail, and in the end it had an amazing outcome. It was just one of those enormous stories".

So was that the big story promised in the title? Ostensibly, yes, but in reality the half-hour was all about Charlie, the Fr O'Brien case being notable mainly for marking "a major turning point" in the RTE man's career. Now he's in Washington, from where, he revealed to us that Barack Obama was a "remarkable man". Where would we be without Charlie?

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...td-354598.html

[C. Flower]

watching a man in a coat covered in seaweed.

[Spectabilis]

Thought early retirement deadline was March?

No. Early retirement on reduced benefits is usually available to those who reached a minimum number of years' contributions and a minimum age.There was a special scheme this year to incentivise those who fell short of these requirements.

Pension is calculated then at 1/80th per year of service so Charlie is now reduced to 38/80ths of his annual income. A big reduction, but he should have a cash sum as well, also calculated on 1/80th of salary over 38 years. He will have paid at least 6.5% of gross salary since 1974 into this defined benefits scheme.

[Dr. FIVE]

Thanks Spec,

papers wont be long giving us the details no doubt

[riposte]

RTE screening a piece of rubbish propaganda for the CIA about Bin Laden now.

Come back Cromwell ... all is forgiven.

[Baron von Biffo]

Look anywhere online for comment on the Clint Eastwood speech last night and the consensus is that it was barking.

Look at SixOne on the RTE player and you'll be told it 'injected stardust into the Romney campaign'.

Maybe Richard Downes was swept up in the redneck euphoria in the hall.

[Spectabilis]

Much better commentary here on Count Bobulesco's US Presidential thread.

I love the quote from the Washington Post - 'Who was good and who was Clint Eastwood'

“There are no words for what the actor did on the convention stage Thursday night. The conceit of an empty chair and an invisible Obama was bad enough. But Eastwood rambled off script repeatedly, and he bordered on downright incoherence several times. For a night on which the undercard leading up to the prime-time speakers was the best of the three nights, Eastwood was a totally unnecessary distraction that had to leave the Romney convention planners grimacing.”

The stastics on viewership also interesting. Much lower than in 2008.

http://www.politicalworld.org/showth...t=7581&page=43

[Kev Bar]

Revolution?

Sure you have The Gathering.

[PaddyJoe]

Revolution?

Sure you have The Gathering.

If the relentless pushing of the bleedin american football over the last few days is anything to go by we're going to be subjected to a massive artillery Gathering barrage over the next few months.

[PaddyJoe]

So this O2 Miriam O'Callaghan leprechaun nonsense was RTE's first simulcast on TV, radio, live web streaming and RTE Player.
Jesus wept. Copiously.
http://www.rte.ie/player/#!v=10045674

[Kev Bar]

So this O2 Miriam O'Callaghan leprechaun nonsense was RTE's first simulcast on TV, radio, live web streaming and RTE Player.
Jesus wept. Copiously.
http://www.rte.ie/player/#!v=10045674

She's so modern.

She's so...when the fook are we?

[Dr. FIVE]

RTE coming good with this back to school. Looks a lot more real then that real world only the Sindo journalist claim to inhabit