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BROADCASTER DIL WICKREMASINGHE has announced that her Newstalk career has come to an abrupt end.
In a statement, which she posted to her followers on Twitter, the presenter said, “Earlier today I met with Newstalk management who told me that despite positive ratings and performance, my Saturday night radio show ‘Global Village’ has been cancelled.
I am shocked and deeply disappointed at this sudden news.
Wickremasinghe described presenting Global Village on Newstalk as “one of the greatest privileges of my life” and thanked the production team and voluntary and community groups who collaborated on the show.
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@Ruth McCann: if I went onto social media and blasted a colleague for doing something in work, I’d probably be sacked or reprimanded too, rightly so.
Regardless of what was said by whom, she gave an ultimatum so you could say she made her bed and now she has to lie in it. Lots of people work with people they dislike or disagree with but they don’t expect management to make decisions based on who “gets along and shares the same opinions”
@Ruth McCann:
She was given a privileged platform to air her extremely niche programme and refused to turn up for work because she disagreed with the views of a fellow presenter.
‘Don’t bite the hand that feeds you” springs to mind.
@Mary Elizabeth Whittle: “is there no blame now to the person who puts themselves in danger?”. This is what she was protesting against. and it wasn’t just her
@Randal McNally: ah here, I was looking forward to moving back to Ireland in a few weeks time, until I saw your comment. How much of the population has become a mouthpiece for the Trump/ Farage agenda? By all means have your own opinion but at least come up with the idea yourself and stop being a parrot. Has having a debate in Ireland also been reduced the headache inducing sound bites (on both sides) like it has here in the UK since the referendum?
What goes around comes around Dill, I’m delighted that you got a taste of your own medicine. Chris Donoghue should also be ran out of newstalk by his bosses, he’s not somebody you’d want with you in the trenches.
@Titus Groan: I’m referring to the hash “No”! reply you got. Just thought it was funny as I pictured Squidward saying it. Sorry if I hurt your feelings…it’s still funny though…:-)
Brutal show dripping in contrived multicultural motifs. Was like attending diversity training at work. Forced right-on’ anecdotes about ‘progress’ and ‘embraces’. Just make ‘Off the Ball’ longer, schedule fixed…
@Gareth Gill: off the ball is a brilliant show isn’t it . I don’t like sports at all and I love the show cause the lads are so funny and the interviews are brilliant !
Could get a gig on the journal – need to fail a spelling test and report stuff 2 days after it happened to meet the standards of excellence they demand
@Andrew Nolan: I don’t go on here for news, merely to observe the fruitcakes in the comments section, bit like a parallel universe of the Daily Mail comments section
Great news. She knew her show was rubbish and likely to be scrapped in the near future so she took it out on those around her and tried to play the martyr. Maybe the Irish Times will take her on so the majority of Irish people never have to hear or read about her again.
I found her hard to listen to, constant gay issues all the time, she couldn’t go one show without bringing up Gay Gay Gay. I’ve nothing against Gays but her show was called global village not gay village. a self promoting attention grabber.
@mr non snowflake: From what i know about her, i don’t think i would enjoy her show; however, we should all care. Not because she lost her job, but because of increasing control of the media by one individual. Are you really happy that a thin-skinned, perma-tanned billionaire tax dodger with suspect business ties is banning members of the media from the airwaves?
@Coco86: I think Newstalk have to show all of its employees that they are employees. For an employee to refuse to do their job in an effort to force the hand of the employer in a disciplinary matter is in itself deserving of disciplinary action. Personally I think she took a gamble in jumping on the PC bandwagon in order to increase her popularity. Did she really think she could walk out of a broadcast without any repercussions?
@Anne Marie Devlin: I’d love to see O’Brien rot in Mountjoy. But credit where it’s due. A mob of self appointed worthies tried to tell him who he can and cannot have on his radio station, and they got more than they bargained for. You’d want a heart of stone not to laugh at them.
The only good news to come out of Newstalk of late. Global village was mediocre at best. The Right Hook with George Hook excellent. She was diluded in her protest v Hook (and his fans) and her employers.
@Mike: coming so soon after Irish Times journalists were banned from all Denis o Brien media, I say Mr o Brien has made a few phone calls recently. He’s obviously a Hook fan.
@Dermot Lane: He shouldn’t control so much media in Ireland full stop. Today FM and Newstalk should be separate imo. Controlling biggest print, online and radio should be prevented too. We end up having corporate interests dictating the talking points the way it is now.
I suppose we don’t know why Dill was fired, maybe, maybe not DOB. I’m thinking she was only there as a sop to the progressives and she’s bitten the hand that feeds. RTE will suit her down to the ground.
Whilst admiring her standing up to be counted, her niavity was breathtaking. Her show had become a one women show against all things non LGTB, she seemed obsessed at the slightest notion of discrimination and more disturbing she failed abysmally in understanding the gold rule of broadcasting, OBJECTIVITY. I predicted she would be dismissed, was pillared for such a thought but Hook was always going to to triumph and oddly enough, Denis O Briens intervention tonight re Irish Times journalists will perhaps seal the utterly ghastly Hooks faith. Seems newstalk too will suffer, I for one will be switching the dial.
It absolutely shocks me that the majority of idiots on this thread, who are men by the way, saying good riddance to a FEMALE radioshow host who stood up for herself and protested Hook’s comments on HIS show about how victims are to blame for being raped or sexually abused. So she gets fired, but HE gets moved to a new slot in December? and people wonder why incidents of rape, sexual abuse go unreported. George Hook should have been fired. It’s not surprising that he wasn’t because Newstalk is male dominated.
@Ruth McCann: She was probably sacked for breach of contract. She refused to work essentially abandoning her job. There needs to be diversity of opinion in public discourse but not tolerence of mediocrity. I dont take any glee in her dismissal but its no surprise.
@Ruth McCann: Ruth you need to go back & listen to the interview.. that’s not what he said.. .. you owe it to yourself to find out what he actually said… less people will keep disagreeing with you then..
@Ruth McCann: I’m not shocked at all really. Dil and the rest of her merry bandits in tights believe their opinions are widely shared with the rest of the country. Newsflash!!..They’re not. That’s why she got the graveyard shift and that’s why she got sacked. Her ratings sucked. Her opinions sucked. She refused to work for Newstalk as long as a fellow employee with higher ratings was employed. It was only going to end one way. If she didn’t see this eventual outcome arrising then she ain’t that bright.
@Dj: she was sacked because of her refusal to host a show in the wake of hook;s comments about rape and victim blaming.. do you think if it was a man who protested against a woman saying these things, would we be having this debate? We have Trump who is WORSE than Hook as the president of the world even though he’s said some despicable things about women, foreigners, etc
@Ruth McCann: Ruth, I am not being facetious, but sometimes the best thing to do is ignore, and keep your mouth shut and she would still have job if she did that. Her behaviour was abhorrent.
@seanmccann: agree. she, and her program were 5th rate standard, and she was a boring “Single Issue” (Gay) campaigner all the time even though there was no need for it anymore. Like a dog this chases the Bus and when it stops, doesn’t know what to do with it ?!
I never heard of her or her show until her inflated protest against Hooks opinion. It looks like she rattled too loud and like what would happen to any employee in the land she brought down unwelcome attention from her employer.
@Bewarethebeardz: just goes to show how stupid you are for using such a stupid comparison, when you leave the front door of your house open there is always a possibility of been robbed. How ever no one knows when they are about to be raped, no person would put themselves in the company of some one that has raped someone, it is never the victims fault it is and always will be the responsibility of the culprit. I can’t believe so many stupid people like you and other journal comments exist
…..and in about 3-6 weeks time (I am being generous with that estimate) this story will be more or less forgotten about as social media moves on to the next great outrage when someone else puts their foot squarely in their mouth, causes uproar and gets the mob baying for blood, which will then more or less be forgotten about in 3-6 weeks……etc, etc, etc…..I have disposable razors that last longer than social media’s disposable memory.
Hope she sues the socks off them. Disgusted with Menstalk. Didn’t enjoy her show but no way to be treated. Awful Trumpian women hating comments on here again.
Sad to see so many people celebrating the perceived demise of people with integrity. Blaming a victim for being raped cannot be condoned in any civilised society.
Are they going to fire the men who came out against Hook, of course not. Living up to the Misogyny they’ve been charged with. And yes the Director is a woman, women can hate women too.
@GizmoIrl: Don’t be so sure. There could be a certain male presenter with the initials CD following in her slipstream. I’d be worried if I were him. You know, cherry on top of the cake and all that.
Its a disgrace to cancel her show..newstalk should hv suspended george hook straight away..but they only did it because of public out cry..and Dil gets fired fr doing the right thing..makes newstalk look sexist .?? At the very least..see ur legal team Dil
And so the big tough men of newstalk have huddled together and decided to strike a blow for freedom of speech .. by putting hook back on his show ..eh no ..that would cost them ad revenue
..so in order to soothe their damaged little egos they take on and defeat …the lesbian immigrant with the one hour show!
I think it shows what these guys are made of..was a bit worried about their influence but not anymore ..hook deserved to go but the guys who used him for ad well
@Observer: You know what? If I don’t show up for work tomorrow because I don’t like what soneone I work with said….I’ll get let go tooo. Wakey wakeeyyyyy.
@A H: you might be right about that ..my point was her actions were based on principle ..not because she disliked what he said ..their actions were and are mercenary ..she was prepared to lose her job they were not prepared to lose money..don’t know the woman or the sky over her
But would respect her call
@Fiona deFreyne: “Right Speak”, you mean the genuine opinions of Irish people who have been born and bred in Dublin, for many generations, who now find that they can’t even find a place to rent on the suburbs of the county that they were born in, because the likes of Dil Wickremasinghe wants to equate the rights of those who have no right in law to even be here, with the rights of people who have lived here and paid tax all their lives and are caught up in this housing crisis, which we all know is down to economic migration?
@Mari: trust me I am a man and I don’t back Hooks victim blaming remarks not one bit, it’s proper order he got the boot from his show I just don’t understand why they would bring him back in December,
So she protests against George Hook and loses her programme and George Hook gets a slot during the weekend!
So fewer women on the air than before! Well done Newstalk!
This is disgraceful the way Newstalk have treated this lady I personally believe she is a great broadcaster and she has a good show which is very informative, but this is the kind of treatment you can expect when you speak out against a conservative radio station, shame on Newstalk the way they treat women is a disgrace
George Hook..*sigh*… gone but not ..oh..wait.. actually totally forgotten!! Yippee! . He’ll come back, perhaps, to draw a raspy breath and spread spleen for a year or 2 max. Then, we can all breath a sigh of relief and let other more intresting, balanced and equally qualified hosts fill our airwaves!
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