[chinamug]

Well apparently a deal was virtually done, until the report (largely favourable to Tubridy) was released on Wednesday, but his statements in reaction have resulted in a “breakdown in trust”.

On the Nine O’Clock News last night, Bakhurst did certainly lay down a marker that talent costs have got to come down. One media piece I read yesterday pointed out that no major name has gone from RTE to the commercial sector in years, certainly on the radio side - Pat Kenny’s been with Newstalk a decade, while on Today FM, Ian Dempsey left RTE as long ago as the 1990s. The question was asked if RTE really do have a retention problem that requires them to pay salaries of this size and the answer seems to be no.

There's no need for the big salaries in RTE. Pat was probably the last one that could command the same money in the commercial Sector when he jumped, but all the rest of them (with the exception of possibly Joe Duffy) bring little extra to the table commercially. Tubridy might have done well if he left a few years ago, but RTE have trashed him and his reputation. Some of it might be deserved but it does feel like he's been thrown under the bus. He's got a good agent however, so I expect him to get something either in Ireland or the UK.