Not choosing to work for our national broadcaster may have been the best decision I ever made

THERE was a time I would have sold a kidney to work in RTE. As a young journalist, fresh out of college, it was the ultimate goal for most of us – my God, the chance to walk those hallowed halls and fraternise with the legends of Irish radio and TV. Now many years later, I feel like I dodged a bullet.

Instead I ended up working in local newspapers and for a while local radio. For over 25 years I worked, covering courts and council meetings, writing colour pieces on local personalities. Occasionally my path would cross with someone from RTE, usually when a major tragedy occurred locally and they were dispatched to cover it.

It was only then I realised the value of the small town hack as the guys from The Big Smoke would depend on us for all the local knowledge. To this day, some of the finest reporters I ever met worked for provincial newspapers all their lives.

After a few years toiling away at the local paper, I decided to apply for a job as a researcher in RTE radio. The money wasn’t great but I was lured by the idea once more of working for our national broadcaster. I had a few years experience as a reporter under my belt and truthfully I was probably over qualified for the role. I was told to attend a venue in Dublin on a Saturday morning to sit an exam for the job, which I thought was a bit of a joke for such a low ranking position but I went along anyway. I walked into a room, set up like we were about to sit the Leaving Cert and another 100 eejits behind me.

The whole set up really rankled. Who did RTE think they were? Making us sit an exam for a job that really amounted to nothing more than being a lowly assistant. The exam was laid in front of me, I sat looking at it for five minutes. To my mind, it was too hard and not relevant to the position advertised. Eventually I thought – “feck this for a game of soldiers,” got up and left.

Now years later after everything that has come to light, it appears I was right with my initial evaluation of the organisation. It was like a two-tier system was in operation – one set of rules and benefits for “The Talent” and another for those lower down the ladder who did most of the grunt work, with little or no acknowledgement or reward.

RTE’s right hand did not know what the left hand was doing. The whole system was built on keeping staff on their toes by encouraging an air of uncertainty about their future. It must have been so stressful for those who were treated with lack of care and compassion and basic decency.

Mind you if Kevin Bakhurst did want to give me The Late Late Show, I’d be open to negotiations!