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Ryan Tubridy
Brendan O'Connor
October 31, 2010
VOL 27 NO 44
Forget the glass ceiling; now you've got to work in RTÉ to even get an interview...
National broadcaster defends its record of using its own staff to fill guest slots on the 'Late Late' and 'Saturday Night' shows
Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh,
Miriam O'Callaghan
Hector Ó hEochagáin
RTÉ has defended its two weekend chat shows over criticism that it is repeatedly using its own broadcasters to fill the guest slots on Friday and Saturday nights.
A study of this season's episodes of the Late Late Show reveals the national broadcaster has used its own personalities or plugged RTÉ programmes in every show so far.
On the first episode of the season on 3 September, comedian Pat Shortt plugged his Sunday night RTÉ show Mattie. The week after, on 10 September, Nob Nation's Oliver Callan featured on the show.
The 17 September show saw an interview with GAA?commentator Micheál Ó?Muircheartaigh and the lanch of the Ireland's Greatest TV series, while a week later Derek Davis was brought on the show to talk about the station's series Coming of Age.
Dragon's Den contestants Jennifer Shaw and Claire Finan appeared on 1 October, while the week after saw Naked Camera comedian PJ Gallagher was on.
Both Hector Ó hEochagáin and Katherine Lynch were guests on 15 October, and last week the Late Late was used to announce the winner of Ireland's Greatest, which had run for five weeks on the station. Miriam O'Callaghan, Dave Fanning and Liveline host Joe Duffy were all brought on to talk about the competition.
Meanwhile, an analysis of the last five episodes of the Saturday Night Show with Brendan O'Connor shows that RTÉ stars have already been used six times to talk about their new shows or projects.
The second show of the series on 2 October saw Dáithí Ó Sé, Claire Byrne and Dave Fanning all featured together. Ó Sé and Byrne have just begun presenting the new Daily Show in the afternoon slot.
Paddy O'Gorman was brought on the week after, while the actors of RTÉ comedy series Hardy Bucks were interviewed in the next episode on 16 October.
Last week, Brendan O'Connor interviewed Jennifer Maguire about her new RTÉ dating show, One Night Stand.
The practice has led to criticism, both among industry insiders and on online forums and discussion boards.
However, a spokeswoman for RTÉ said the guest were famous in their own right: "Many of the guests you may consider to be RTÉ personalities are actually famous in their own right as actors, performers, writers and comedians and even as broadcasters on other stations.
"It is inevitable that many of these celebrities will appear on RTÉ and star in RTÉ shows from time-to-time. "
The station also said it has had 75 guests on the Late Late Show, including music acts.
Former Late Late Show host Gay Byrne has also defended the practice of continually using station names on the chat shows.
"I don't think that there is anything wrong with bringing people from inside RTÉ on the show, as people are interested in known names and it's as simple as that. Whether they are from the BBC, UTV or RTÉ, if they have done something in their own right that is interesting then people will want to hear about it."
October 31, 2010
Comments
#2 Brian commented, on October 31, 2010 at 10:23 p.m.:
Never mind the guests what about the hosts? As soon as Tubridy got his dream job of hosting the Late Late they give the saturday night show gig to Brendan O'Connor who's a few years older than Tubs! Is this a plot to get rid of him!?
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It is a joke it is a form of nepotism and is indicative of the fact that RTE is a swamp. It's like "Hotel California" .."You can book in any time you like, but you can never leave". They retire them come back to haunt our screens and radio's again and again!
There are hundreds of competent unemployed journalists and media presenters who could light up our lives given half a chance. It is a state monopoly and when they could not get enough they started contracting themselves out to the RTE. I think that they actually believe that they are responsible for advertising revenue and that it has nothing to do with the fact that they are filling prime spots on the national airwaves.
Why anyone would want to listen to RTE interviewing themselves? It is beyond me and when it comes to the serious questions they always bottle it because they do not want to draw too much attention to their own salaries. Bring in some students and give them a chance.
Not one of them should be earning over 100,000 Euro Well o.k. let's give Pat Kenny 200,000 and Miriam the same. As for the rest 100,000 is more than generous in fact it is too much!