Like own-brand beef burgers and Bill Cullen and his Renault franchise, the good times have gone and all most of us are left with is a bitter taste.
Despite haemorrhaging money, the semi-state station sent a whopping 12 staff to the Pope- Fest in Rome.
This was justified by RTE because, as a spokesperson said, "ratings seem to show that's what Irish audiences wanted".
Sadly it would seem their calculations were hugely off considering we're a country of 4.6 million people and only a pathetic 46,000 viewers tuned in to watch the beginning of the Pope's farewell address at 10am.
Whisper
They also bragged that their new flagship breakfast show, Morning Edition, pulled in a ratings high of 27,000 viewers; but seriously, surely a meagre 27,000 TV's switched on in the background while stay-at-home mums and the unemployed do their housework is something to whisper about rather that celebrate?Slightly harsh I know, but the majority of people are busy between the hours of 9am and 11:30am right?
No matter who was watching, unemployed, sick, retired or otherwise, such paltry figures did not justify the flights, hotels, expenses etc of 12 RTE staff to cover the Pope's retreat to the country.
I did tune in myself out of curiosity, but while I felt this was a historic event which turned into a lovely PR package for the Italian Tourist Board, I didn't feel my viewing pleasure was enhanced by endless inane chats with German or British tourists on the ground.
Instead of the people who made pilgrimages and queued for days to attend the funeral of John Paul II, most of the people voxpopped just happened to be in Rome at the time and felt lucky to witness the excitement as if they'd caught a big football match by chance.
RTE's continuing love-in with the Catholic Church in the face on endless scandals on their behalf is mindboggling.
Shame I mean, why didn't one of the reporters earn their keep and ask a few of the Irish nuns out there what they thought of the recent Magdalene Laundries Report?
An admission of shame or even sympathy would have stoked the nation's interest for sure.
If I heard, "He'll be using this time for packing," by one more pundit I thought my head would explode.
I'm sorry RTE but after that lazy journalism I think you need to do what the Pope's just done and go off and have a long think about your actions.