As Mick has noted, the news coming from the latest in a long line of EU economic crisis summits appears to be good for the Irish government. The rather terse statement issued at 4 am this morning is being pored over by economists as if it were some Joycean text, but it is pretty light on detail. Despite the limited information available, RTE are taking the throaty enthusiasm of An Taoiseach at face value and are fairly happy that the state …
So opined the then Irish Minister for Communications, Eamon Ryan, in February 2010 when the Irish and UK governments signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) “for continuing co-operation on broadcasting issues on the island of Ireland.” Specifically, on what will happen after the digital switchover in 2012 – now scheduled for Oct 24 in Ireland as well as in Northern Ireland. Reports at the time that the agreement committed “the two governments to facilitating RTÉ services in Northern Ireland and BBC services …
Mark Lawson on the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Azerbaijan – “the most politicised contest yet.” [Apart from the one in 1974? – Ed] Indeed. Back to Mark Lawson. Tensions between several of the core participants had been raised by the possible exit of Greece from the stricken eurozone and, increasing the volume of disharmony to Jedward levels, BBC news and current affairs programmes have run several reports questioning the suitability of the host nation because of Azerbaijan’s record of …
So Anna Carragher (ex BBC NI) has completed her report for BAI on RTE’s Prime Time Investigates libel of Father Reynolds, and although not yet published, the Irish Times has a list of some the reports conclusions: * Interviews with significant sources were not documented and there was an almost complete absence of documentary evidence. * At all stages of the production of the programme, note taking was either nonexistent or grossly inadequate. * There was a lack of scrutiny …
And there’s some movement on the situation at RTE, which has two major concurrent headaches going on at the moment: A report to be published shortly by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) is expected to find that the Prime Time Investigates: Mission to Prey programme, which libelled Fr Reynolds last year, was unfair and breached his privacy. The authority can impose a penalty of up to €250,000. RTÉ, which didn’t defend the programme on either of these grounds, yesterday …
Having decided to to send a relative newcomer to the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku this year – the 75 year old Arnold George Dorsey, better known as Engelbert Humperdinck – the BBC have now unveiled the song he will be singing. Apparently, Engelbert is “very proud of the song”. Well, it’s not a turkey… From the Eurovision channel Okaaay… I’m not seeing much ‘choreography’. But as the Guardian’s Stuart Heritage says While Love Will Set You Free might not be a song that imprints …
The RTÉ selected panel, and those members of the Irish public who voted, have, once again, decided that Jedward will represent Ireland RTÉ in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest – to be held in Baku in May. And Louis didn’t even need to fix the voting this year. [Allegedly! – Ed] Indeed. Whether RTÉ are any more willing to host next year’s final than they were this one is another matter. [At least it’s not another turkey! – Ed] You might …
That’s according to the Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, in an interview to be published in the Irish Examiner tomorrow. He’s referring to RTÉ presenter Miriam O’Callaghan and her questioning of his version of his past during a televised debate with candidates in the Irish Presidential election last year. From the Irish Examiner report In an interview to be published in full in Monday’s Irish Examiner, Mr McGuinness says Ms O’Callaghan apologised on count night.”Miriam came …
Prime Time had two main items last night. One of the plight of the survivors of the Magdalene Laundries in the wake of UN Committee against Torture recommendation that the Irish state’s failure to protect the women should be properly investigated. Then there is a piece looking at the recovery process of those bodies of those Disappeared by the IRA in which it documents the fact that most of the investigations are being done through intermediaries rather by direct contact …
Despite the BBC report headline, RTE’s chosen representative, Jedward, are not the “favourites” for Eurovision 2011. That position still clearly belongs to France. Although, to be fair, Jedward’s odds have shortened since I bookmarked that earlier today… RTÉ, on the other hand, would probably be quite content with a French result – judging by the comments from Julian Vignoles, head of RTÉ’s Eurovision delegation, in the Irish Times report. Julian Vignoles, head of RTÉ’s Eurovision delegation, enthused that this is “the best chance we’ve had …
You were warned… RTÉ reports the people’s verdict on their chosen shortlist of candidates for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011. The Irish Times explains how it came to pass… Although the voting was originally supposed to have been an equal split between regional juries and a public vote, this was changed after a 30-second clip of the song was inadvertently leaked on the internet due to an administrative error by Universal Records, the twin’s record company. As a result the voting …
Sam McBride of the News Letter, has been listening to Gerry Adams on RTE’s This Week programme (interview starts 6.44 in): Quizzed about Sinn Fein implementing cuts in Belfast while opposing them in Dublin, Mr Adams told RTE Radio 1’s This Week programme yesterday afternoon: “Now, what did we establish in the last (Stormont) budget? “For example, we made sure that those who are most vulnerable are protected. We brought in warm weather payments, we brought in a social fund …
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And it didn’t end well… On the night it became clear that Ireland was like a child, engaging in all sorts of annoying tricks just to get some attention. But the voters, I would guess, could see right through it. Post-Lordi, you have to be a little more subtle if you’re going to go overboard. Ultimately, it was more humiliating than any of the other recent disasters, because in previous years we sank quietly. This one plummeted with a very …
Last night, during one of the most significant press conferences in the history of the Irish State, while Brian Cowen and Brian Lenihan officially announced the detail of the bailout, predictably enough the Irish twitter stream erupted like nothing I’ve seen before. The near homogeneous fury was of course channelled in the direction of Brian Cowen et al. However, between the hours of approx 7.45pm and 9.30pm RTE appeared to do its best to somehow join Fianna Fail on the stage of pantomime …
John Hume wins the RTE competition, followed by Michael Collins, Mary Robinson, James Connolly and Bono ( at least according to the Irish Times report. Ryan Tubridy announced the losers ” in no particular order”). Pity no voting figures were given for the phone-in poll. But there we are. No Taoiseach made it to the final five, not even Dev, while Collins did – although I suppose we can count him briefly as the formal head of the provisional government. Interesting if …
Northern chauvinists like me who may hold differing opinions may still want to vote North in the great RTE competition that ends tonight. So go to! Details in the website and in this letter to the Irish Times from my very old (I mean long time) friend. It’s short notice I know but longer than for Strictly or X Factor. Vote now for John Hume. The Editor, The Irish Times Dear Madam, As a friend of John & Pat …
Former Fine Gael hotshot Ivan Yates had a bit of a car crash on Brendan O’Connor’s show on Saturday night. In brief – most people know him now as a bookie and a well-paid broadcaster on Newstalk where he is a vocal opponent of the current government (aren’t we all). He was a TD for 21 years and also Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries for a few years in the 1990s. In the course of the interview Yates repeated most of the general criticisms of …
