yes booby, I'm afraid you are alone.... but anyone who's afraid to curse on a website deserves to be...Sorry

okay then FF let's see your best effort, lay some cursin' on me...

Curses are censored like this: shit fuck arse http://www.kaboommusic.cjb.net

quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The mistreatment of RTE by FF continues unabated and unchecked. RTE has cut its budget by up to €25m with a loss of more than 300 jobs. It is still on target to make more losses next year. It has deferred a pay rise due to its staff under the terms of the government's PPF. The Lyric FM news service, The Week in Politics, Bull Island (a satirical show poking fun at politicians), the Telethon, and the Irish Film and Television Awards, are being axed. The Nationwide regional news service is being reduced in frequency. RTE's online services are being reduced. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- femme fatale did all this.....you unfeeling cow Please, Mr. Edison, won't you invent a machine to stop these monsters?

I can assure you I don't know who you're talking about. http://www.monkeybomb.com

Femme Fatass you must be a sad obnoxious has been never was with a pole stuck up some oraface or other to go along with the view that the pathetic state that our national brodcast sevice is in is aok and just fine and nothing should really be done. RTE are nepitised money grabbing smug gits who have had it too good for too long. May ye all at Montrose suffer good. They will soon realise the public will not put up with utter piffel like Popstars for too long. New head of programming in touch with the people please and while yer at it - KIck Some Ass. Over and Out - His Dudeness......>>

Well said sir. FF news a hoot on a good bifter and a rethink dude.

Are Popstars not just 6 lucky lucky young people who have been given the chance of a lifetime to do what they have only dreamed of so far in their short lives. Actually no I'll have to backtrack, they are TOSSERS! chosen by 2 gay men and a lesbian(we can only hope) to live out a life they couldn't have cause they were too damn ugly and absolutely talentless... I'd like to see them try get a proper band together, real musicians playing real music...they'd run sobbing like the sad b***tards that they are unable to understand the magic formula that has given the world the best music! A rest ma case!

Ah, I wouldn't worry too much about them. For every Westlife Louis Walsh creates there's a Bellefire. And Hear'say seem to be very quiet since there one and only "hit". I reckon this new band don't have much a career ahead of them. You got Brains?

...glad to hear it but please, if you feel that strongly then back it up. Get on to RTE and let them know how!

We can all criticise Popstars for being superficial, bland drivel, because we think we are an audience with far better tastes, but silent audience. Check out the ratings for the show, loads upon loads watch it. RTE of course realise that the higher the ratings for a show means that more money should be plugged into developing it. They're simply developing on niche programming, after Sile failed to double the license fees. Booby you're right. If RTE receive feedback proving there exists a (high income) larger audience for better Irish music shows then they would be foolish not to respond to it. I think we should all petition outside RTE- 'Down with Popstars', 'Careful Now', y'all go first, I'll follow honest.

The high profile of that show exists because of the campaign that went with it, and of course, the British version that went before. If, for example, the Bacardi Plugged band challenge had received the same marketing, then that too would be a ratings hit. RTE had a choice to make and unfortunately, they've more than made it. We have to face it, Ireland, like the UK, is now a fully-fledged tabloid culture. We have too many simple people who will go along with whatever is shoved down their throats. RTE have shown their lack of morality and responsibility because it was easier just to jump on the bandwagon. Forget about the borders, in so many ways Ireland is British!

Irish audiences appear to be 'simple people' because they're personal taste and identity has been diluted by U.S content pouring into their TV screens progressively everyday for years. RTE buy into 'Popstars' and crap like that because if they don't, TV3 and the Satellite channels would do so and their audiences would decrease. Its difficult for RTE to take a stand and finance alternative music programmes in the competitive braodcasting culture without the support of the Govenment-increase in license fees. I think they are reluctant to market alternative Bacardi comps because of the audiences that go with it, students, low income. Pop music has groomed Irish audiences to become consumers, its where the money is. Its like Rock 104 becoming FM 104, homegrown Irish rock went underground. PSB has become a weight around RTE's neck because of the public's need for cheap entertainment, not education etc. I don't know, its a fuckin tricky dilemma. RTE may have to build 50 ft barricades along the coasts of Ireland to stop global waves from abroad and we'll all sing trad music and eat cabbages in our Irish sanctuary.