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ON SUNDAYS THEJOURNAL.IE sits down with a Minister or a prominent TD to discuss some of the biggest issues of the day.
Earlier this month we spent a day with Health Minister Simon Harris, while last month we discussed the eighth amendment and water charges.
This week we spoke to Bosco.
On Wednesday RTÉ said that it will no longer produce any programming for young people. Instead, the national broadcaster plans to commission all of its content for young people from the independent sector.
However, In a statement on Friday evening the broadcaster said it “accepted that there has been a breach of the ‘Guiding Principles Agreement’ which commit to prior consultation on significant issues.”
It added that TUG and RTÉ management agreed to enter into comprehensive discussions on this matter and that discussions will conclude no later than 31 January 2017.
Before this development Bosco visited TheJournal.ie and was clearly not impressed with RTÉ and didn’t pull any punches giving opinions on the broadcaster:
I think it’s because they (RTÉ) don’t care about children … because if they did care about children then they wouldn’t take away the programmes.
“It made me very sad because I didn’t want that to happen. I don’t think anybody wanted it to happen.
“Now they say that they’re going to get lots of other people to make the programmes and I’m sure they’re going to do a very good job, but it’s not going to be the same when there’s no RTÉ junior … I think it means the end of children’s programmes properly.”
When asked if Bosco trusted the adults in RTÉ, the puppet said:
No, I don’t. I think I’d give them the sack. I think that they should ask everybody what they think because doesn’t everybody pay to have children’s television when they pay their tv licence.
‘Boss men’
Bosco said, “I actually tweeted Enda Kenny in the Dáil, mister boss, and he never tweeted me back. I wanted to talk to him about what he was going to do about it and making bad decisions but he never tweeted me back.
“But I tweeted the Rubberbandits and they tweeted me back and they said they’d help save children’s telly.”
Speaking about other people in power, or soon to be, Bosco gave some interesting opinions on President-elect Donald Trump:
I hope that he gets to like all people in the world, because I think he only likes people who wear a lot of make-up at the moment, but maybe when he gets to know everybody else he might like them.
I think that it will be very good for people who build walls because he wants to build walls all over the place.
Bosco added, “I hope he does a good job though for the whole world, that’s all we can do, hope he does a good job.”
‘RTÉ inspired by witch’
Speaking about upcoming shows, Bosco said, “I’m gonna go talk to all the boys and girls and mammies and daddies and then they’re going to see the story of Hansel and Gretel.
There’s a witch in it and she’s scary, she tries to put the children in the oven. Imagine, imagine trying to put the children in the oven It’s a bit like RTÉ trying to put all the children’s programmes in the oven. Maybe that’s where they got the idea from.
“They were reading the story of Hansel and Gretel and they said ‘let’s get rid of all children’s programmes, I know, we’ll put them in the oven’.”
Bosco ended by saying that boys and girls in Ireland needed to have Irish TV so they can use words like ‘unreal’ and ‘deadly’ and not words like ‘that’s so awesome you guys’. Bosco said:
“I just think that it’s really important that they make Irish children’s television so that children still know what it’s like to be Irish because a lot of children watch American children’s programmes and then they say stuff like ‘Hey guys’ or ‘Aw man’ and they forget to stay stuff like ‘uafásach’ for instance or ‘dia dhuit’ or ‘how’s it going’.”
Bosco is performing a number of shows around the country from December to February, full details can be read here.
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I’m surprised bosco isn’t a director in rte at this stage!
I wish an investigation into rte stars taxes was conducted. Clearly a reason why so many get paid into a company and not directly.
Ah stop, could you imagine if they were paid what they were worth? We’d see them serving coffee on Saturday mornings in their second job!
I disagree, surely a muppets place is in the Dail…
More like a double for Enda
You are really pushing this non story for some reason. Every time I refresh The Journal this morning it’s the article at the top of the page and even at that not a huge amount of people are interested enough to read it. What’s the agenda? RTE’s children’s programs have been dire for years. Even those who grew up being exposed to Bosco always realised it’s merit was in the “it’s so bad it’s good” philosophy. It’s the children’s version of Sharknado. As to why you quote comments directly from”Bosco” as opposed to the person who created it, I have no idea.
@Adrian: I thought he rose up the rte ladder alright or am i confusing him with ryle nugent
Agree…I mean people know he’s a 6″ piece of wood and paint right?
You’re a spoilsport !
What an uneducated post.l trying to make a story out of nothing
It’s in rtes benefit to have contractors rather than employees.
- no pension payments
- no holiday pay
- no work no pay
- RTÉ can drop them anytime
- no employer PRSI
- no pension payments
Above post in reply to Shawns odd comment re employees being paid via their own companies
Because it just won’t stay in it’s bleedn box!!!
Knock knock on the magic door lets see who doesn’t work at rte anymore.
Úfásach
The sad reality is that I am interested in what Bosco has to say but not what Simon Harris says
Another muppet coming out in fear of their job. Welcome to the real world. The new bosses have upset the so called invincibles. Sooner this organisation is restructured the better.
Bosco hasn’t been on telly regularly for years but I agree with the rest of what you say.
who knows what independent kids tv production companies might come up with? give them a chance to come up with some fresh faces & new ideas. Left to montrose kids tv will eventually just morph into chat shows & quizzes
Bosco still trying to be relevent when his or her’s last few viewers are now in their twenties, is exacly why RTE needs to ousource it’s creativity
Bosco, Pat Ingoldsby, Zig n Zag, Dustin etc hold great memories from our childhood. I thinks its a shame now that Irish children are going to lose out on such characters.
This pc sh!t has gone to far when a puppet has an opinion.
That’s puppetist
And thats muppetist
Sinead, have nice memories of those characters too, but modern children’s TV has to appeal to modern children, not forty-somethings with fond memories.
He should get his/her finger out, vanish allow some quality programmes in. RTE should be sold, shut down or privatised.
@Stephen murphy: He tweeted that muppet in the DAIL, you’d think they’d have a lot in common and just as much brain cells.
Close down RTE if you want, but there’d be no Symphony Orchestra , no Concert Orchestra, no Cor na nÓg, and no RTE Supporting the Arts.
There are small arts organisations across this country that will not survive without support from RTE.
Also, Sky Sports will charge you a lot more than €160 a year for coverage of the Football and Hurling.
@Stephen murphy: Being sold and privatised would amount to the same thing surely. Let’s look at the nations that get most of their news from privatised media shall we. Australia, UK and America. All now have a press that has been spreading misinformation for near on 2 decades, the results are a confused and angry populous.Instead of highlighting the very real issues in their societies they scapegoat and present certain political parties in a better light.
RTE should be run better and to be honest I wouldn’t miss RTE1 or RTE2, but TG4 is a gem and the radio is an important part of my life. I know it’s now popular to criticise the RTE for being an arm of the state or whatever, but it stands up pretty well internationally and for the most part informs it’s listeners well. It would be a huge mistake to privatise it.
So have an Arts fee every year and use the vast amount of money that RTE currently get to fund the arts. I’d happily pay for that. Sure you’d have a chunk of change left over too when you’re not having to pay bloated salaries
@Ed Magnier: Did you see the accurate news RTE gave out, during the Water protests and you bring up false news by private media companies. LOL LOL LOL!
Ive that annoying vice stuck in my head now
Well said Bosco, the big nobs in R T E are only interested in money. We really shouldn’t give them any licence fee.
Bosco is a legend. He’s right people pay into rte .it’s disgraceful we have a great tradition of children TV.from the den with zig and zag .Dustin socky.bosco .I could go on and on. Just shows what rte is like .no imagination and no vision. Look at the BBC there chanel for kids c b b s .
Thought childrens TV was still happening every Friday between 9:30 and 11:30pm..
Boscos mammy his voice was given the sack by RTE many years ago abruptly Should have kept him
Is this supposed to be journalism???
Puppet with hand up its arse defends union riddled workplace from being run properly.
Says it all really.
Bosco would want to get his finger outta his hole.
@Sean Buckley: his?
We all know who the real puppet masters are at Montrose.
Independent audit needed immediately into RTE,its a public service,mr naughten.
We need to get RTE out of our lives and pockets as soon as possible
back in yer box
I became a man watching Bosco as there was a girl literally bustin out of her tee shirt on it. Signs on, I’m nearly 50 with severe arthritis in one wrist. :-)
They should leave Bosco run it would have to make a better job of RTE then the other muppets
have your say