European capital markets union rarely makes headlines, yet BNP Paribas’s Derek Kehoe and European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness both insisted on its importance in interviews this week.
Successive Oireachtas hearings have left politicians none the wiser about who to believe, but the bling they have revealed shows the need for a plan to refocus resources on public-service broadcasting.
Thursday’s proceedings featured an attempt to appear by text, Rory Gallagher and a tit-for-tat response to Ryan Tubridy and Noel Kelly’s evidence.
We cannot continue to avoid dealing with the funding issue which is at the root of the current difficulties at RTÉ, writes Oireachtas Media Committee member, Fianna Fáil Senator Malcolm Byrne.
Ryan Tubridy and his agent Noel Kelly gave a diametrically opposing account to RTÉ's on how the Renault deal unfolded, who knew about it and why the deal was underwritten by the station. Both sides are now digging in.
Documents and statements before the Oireachtas show agreement on how much money changed hands – but not on where it came from.
Late Late live event profit-share plans, car allowances worth €438,000, an RTÉ producer at a Renault event, and more on the top 100 earners.
For the first time in three long weeks, RTÉ has a leader and transparency is his watchword. After a decisive initial move on the executive team, the chinks in Kevin Bakhurst's knowledge revealed an organisation with a long way to go yet.
While many aspects of the way RTÉ handles star pay remain unexplained, one fact is clear: €150,000 of the top-ups paid to Ryan Tubridy, while legal, are questionable.
RTÉ has known about the commercial and editorial challenges of managing commercial arrangements for decades. It has yet to ensure transparency in the terms of this engagement.
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