RTÉ's Top Ten 2011 Earners Announced

RTÉ have announced their top ten earners for 2011 and details of pay cuts for those earners for 2012 and 2013. RTÉ say they are on target to meet 30% reductions in those fees. Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy was the highest paid in the organisation in 2011 with a pay packet of €723,000, and has renegotiated his contract down to under half-a-million Euro for 2013.

On RTÉ's Six One News RTÉ's Head of External Relations, Mairéad Ní Nuadháin, casually suggested "I think you have to see it in the context of where we where, don't forget they have been brought down by 30%, which means they where 30% higher. So that is the historical context in which these figures are being announced today. And you have to remember also that RTÉ is a dual funded broadcaster, we have licence fee income and commercial income and our presenters are integral to us getting that commercial income."

RTÉ fail to mention that as a public service broadcaster that part of their remit is to foster new and emerging talent not just a number of News and Current Affairs presenters. The commercial revenues earned from such programmes should be used to supplement the payment of a wide range of staff not just 10 or more presenters on programmes that would probably get the same audience even if those presenters were not presenting such shows.

It is also difficult for RTÉ to argue that such earners may move from the company. TV3 have a massive loan, while RTÉ's next biggest commercial radio competitor, Denis O'Brien's Communicorp, (NewsTalk and TodayFM) are also under financial pressure. Would a move to the BBC by Ryan Tubrity really be much of a loss to RTÉ? Even if he did move the brand of The Late Late Show remains, and would it not be better to spend his fee on more researchers and writers for such a big Friday night chat show?

Below the full list of payments to RTÉ presenters from 2008:-

RTÉ Press Release RTÉ - Ten Highest Earners CCÉ News - RTÉ Face Cuts in 2013 - March 2012