 Former Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy is still being paid by RTE despite not currently being on air. The veteran broadcaster left the helm of the Late Late Show earlier this year, but continued his weekday radio programme before being taken off air for 'editorial reasons' in the wake of a financial scandal involving misstated payments to the star presenter. In an investigation into the payments, other 'Barter accounts' were found to be used by RTE which were not on official payment schemes, including the public network shelling out huge money for clients. Late Late Show sponsors Renault had a barter account deal with RTE, and the network had agreed to cover the cost of sets, food, drink and guests at Renault events, with RTE guaranteeing money to the broadcaster – rather than Renault – if the events did not go ahead. Appearing before the Oireachtas media committee on Thursday, RTE boss Adrian Lynch confirmed Tubridy would not be on air next week but the network would still be paying him. He said: 'There were negotiations going on about a radio contract [for Tubridy], those negotiations – as a result of all of this – were suspended. 'So currently, as we said, we are still paying Ryan Tubridy and there are certain elements of the contract that are in dispute with the agent.' The former Late Late Show host was in the middle of a contract negotiation when he was taken off air amid the RTE finance scandal (Picture: PA) There is huge anger in Ireland over the use of finances by the national broadcaster (Picture: PA) The media committee grilled current and former members of the broadcaster's executive over the nature of pay negotiations for Tubridy, RTE's highest-paid member. Breda O'Keeffe, the former chief financial officer at RTE, was asked by Brendan Griffin whether Tubridy refused to take a pay cut. She said: 'During my negotiations up to March 2020, they (Tubridy and agent) didn't refuse){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Former Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy is still being paid by RTE despite not currently being on air.
The veteran broadcaster left the helm of the Late Late Show earlier this year, but continued his weekday radio programme before being taken off air for ‘editorial reasons’ in the wake of a financial scandal involving misstated payments to the star presenter.
In an investigation into the payments, other ‘Barter accounts’ were found to be used by RTE which were not on official payment schemes, including the public network shelling out huge money for clients.
Late Late Show sponsors Renault had a barter account deal with RTE, and the network had agreed to cover the cost of sets, food, drink and guests at Renault events, with RTE guaranteeing money to the broadcaster – rather than Renault – if the events did not go ahead.