Tag Archives: Pat Rabbitte

rabb

The internet may be content but are you?

The Content Advisory Group, established by Minister Pat Rabbitte (top) want to know YOUR views/state of mind about Internet Governance before they report in May.

Everyone happy?

Oh.

@CAGroup14

rabbitte

BUT….

Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte appeared on Tonight with Vincent Browne, presented by Sam Smyth to discuss the implementation of the Broadcasting Charge.

Sam Smyth: “Minister, you’re calling it, a ‘Broadcasting charge’, a lot of people are calling it, ‘The New RTE Tax’. Tell me, there is a perception that this broadcasting charge is a big gift to RTÉ, because, whether you like it or not, they did deliver the Presidency, didn’t they? They changed the outcome of the Presidency, and a Labour Party person won it.”

Pat Rabbitte: [laughs] “I read that Sam, when you wrote it the first time, and I think it’s important that I have a good sense of humour, otherwise I’d be down to see some of your friends in the Four Courts. The proposition that you set out was that I’m delivering this charge to RTÉ, because they delivered the Presidency to President Higgins.”

Smyth: “They (RTÉ), said they did, now, they said they did change the outcome of the election.”

Rabbitte: “I’m afraid Sam, we had committed, as the chronological record shows, to introducing a public service broacasting charge long before there was even any candidate in the field for Presidency. And that’s a matter for chronological reecord. And I think The President would be very upset to hear that charge, not to mention the inference that can be drawn, which is that it’s a corrupt transaction.

Smyth: “(I’m) not saying it’s all to do with The President, I got to say, he was an innocent person in this. But it was RTE who did say that they did change the outcome of the presidential election.”

Rabbitte: “Well, I didn’t hear them say that..”

Smyth:“It was the (RTÉ) Head of Current Affairs!”

Rabbitte: “Yeah, fine, fine. But, what’s that got to do with my decision to introduce a house-hold based public service broadcasting charge?

Smyth: “Well, I think there would be those who would say that, and there’s a few of them around the table, (in the studio) who thinks that it is the biggest gift, probably in the history of RTÉ, and perhaps, an opportunity misssed to make it more equitable to other broadcasters.”

Rabbitte: “Well, I mean, let’s hear who’s around the table, other than yourself, who believes that. Because, the fact of the matter is that, it is the progress that has been made in technology, convergence of technologies and scale of evasion that are the two principal reasons for prompting us to keeping up with the rest of the countries in the OECD, that have had to do the same thing. I mean the fact of the matter is as you know, more and more people are accessing public service content on platforms, other than the traditional TV…”

Smyth: “Actually, was there not a poll today that said that that was a load of nonsense? And that, you know, 12-17 year olds, 85% of them watch TV on the TV at home.”

Rabbitte: “I mean sure, if you just look at my own work-place, if a question comes up, for example and we’re in discussion about something, somebody will key it into their Ipad and have the information within a few minutes. In terms of…, if I want to know what’s happening in the newsroom, I plug into RTE News Now.”

Smyth: “I’ve got the figures here, I mean, 85% of 12-17 year olds, 95% of over 55s, 90% of most people, watch TV in their own house on the television set.”

Rabbitte: “But Sam, I’m not saying that the televison is going out of existence, you know certainly the whole development of what is called Connected TV is going to accelerate, and accelerate in the years ahead. But, I’m not saying that the TV is immediately going to go out of existence, that’s not going to happen…”

Smyth: “But, it hasn’t moved on, hardly, when everybody says that it has…”

Rabbitte: “Oh, but it has moved, I mean, 85% is not 100%, and that’s the way it’s going. You know, we can put our finger in the dyke, like the little Dutch boy and pretend that technology is not advancing. Technology is advancing. Secondly, why do you think that countries across Europe are doing the same thing, if the phenomenon is not there? Do you think they’re doing it just for the fun of it? Secondly…”

Smyth:” Maybe like yourself, they thought it was going to happen, and it didn’t arrive?”

Rabbitte: “Maybe they were running Michael D. Higgins for the Presidency as well?”

Smyth: “I don’t know about that now, but, now that you say it, maybe we could look at that, as well!”

Watch here

Previously: The Remote Controller

Pic: TV3

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Separately, Mr [Pat] Rabbitte (above) told Morning Ireland he didn’t have any concerns over the Government’s extension of an invitation to businessman Denis O’Brien to attend the Global Irish Economic Forum in October.
He said he didn’t know “what kind of tests you would expect the Government to cause invitees to the Global Economic Forum to jump through”.

Anyone?

Ireland free of cavemen, Rabbitte assures us (Dan Griffin, Irish Times)

Previously: “We Make No Distinction.”

(Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland)

 

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“It is outrageous that taxpayers money has been spent on a Report that Minister [Pat] Rabbitte claims ‘looks at the entire broadcasting landscape’ but which does so only through the blinkered view of RTÉ and its Government owner.

The funding model proposed is in effect a “Montrose Tax” which will prop up RTÉ and effectively destroy the diverse broadcasting sector of which Ireland can be justifiably proud and which employs over 1500 people in counties throughout Ireland.”

John Purcell, chairman of the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland

John Gallen writes:

The Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI), the organisation that represents independent radio stations in Ireland, has hit out at the BAI Review of Funding for Public Service Broadcasting by calling it a “whitewash.”

According to the IBI the review fails to recognise the value of public service content on independent radio stations and is “throwing good money after bad in suggesting additional funding should be provided to RTÉ.”

FIGHT!

IBI Lashes Out at BAI Funding Report (Adworld.ie)

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Pat Rabbitte at the Meath East by-election count centre in Ashbourne, Co Meath, this morning.

Elsewhere, Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte has conceded defeat for Labour, saying the party had taken the brunt of voters’ unhappiness with the economic situation.
He said: “I think it’s clear at this stage that Fine Gael will take the seat and that Labour has been singled out to bear the responsibility for the fact that so many people are hurting in the economy.”

 

Meath East tallies put Helen McEntee in the lead (RTE) 

(Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland)

 

Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte yesterday delivered more good news for Ireland with the announcement that some of the largest wind turbines in the world may be built  across the midlands.

Speaking about the proposed project, he said “I think there is a mutual interest here for both countries, adding: “Ireland doesn’t want a wind farm at every cross roads; we don’t want that”.

However

Richard Tol, professor of economics at University of Sussex and formerly with the ESRI, said he felt that the whole scheme was “crazy” and would not work in the long term, adding:

“From an Irish perspective this is not selling the family silver; this is giving it away. There is no money staying in Ireland that I can see. But from the British perspective it is a good deal,”

Oh..

BBC Audio.

Previously: Ireland to build ‘Giant’ wind turbines to power the UK (BBC News)

(Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland)

Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte has attacked media coverage of politics, criticising it for “all-pervasive negativity” and for refusing to “give a damn” about the consequences of its reporting.
In an interview with The Irish Times he suggested that relentless denigration of politics had adverse effects on society.

“You are dealing with a very cranky media who advocate tough decision-making and when they get tough decisions they start piddling around at the edges trying to unravel it.

“There is an all-pervasive negativity in the media that is not helping the mood of a people that is in distress and difficulty. I don’t think the media give a damn about where this is going to bring politics. It is worthy of some thought of where the constant denigration of politics is going to bring us,” he said.

Oh, be nice.

Rabbitte accuses media of damaging democracy by ‘denigrating’ politics (Harry McGee, Irish Times)

(Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland)