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The RTE News Thread

Discussion about RTE News (August 2016)

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LL
London Lite Founding member
While I'd like RTÉ News to come out of the dark ages, it won't for all the reasons mentioned above.

Have to admit I'm having a Tom Bradby moment with Caitriona Perry. Fantastic correspondent in DC reduced to co-presenter of the Six One and still finding her feet as a presenter. Early days mind.
JK
JKDerry
I would like RTE to try and do something on RTE One in the mornings. They have left morning news to Morning Ireland on RTE Radio 1 and TV3 have cornered the market with Ireland AM.

I know it will never happen, and RTE are content with airing reruns of Today with Daithi and Maura and Euronews in the mornings. It would be nice that Ireland's public service broadcaster could offer an alternative to the light fluff Ireland AM pump out.

It seems RTE will always be in deficit. It will always operate on a loss. I have come to believe that RTE management are content with it, and so is the government.
CI
cityprod
I would like RTE to try and do something on RTE One in the mornings. They have left morning news to Morning Ireland on RTE Radio 1 and TV3 have cornered the market with Ireland AM.

I know it will never happen, and RTE are content with airing reruns of Today with Daithi and Maura and Euronews in the mornings. It would be nice that Ireland's public service broadcaster could offer an alternative to the light fluff Ireland AM pump out.

It seems RTE will always be in deficit. It will always operate on a loss. I have come to believe that RTE management are content with it, and so is the government.


Not sure the evidence backs you up.

2016: -€19.7million
2015: -€2.8million
2014: +€200,000
2013: +€700,000
2012: -€65.2miilion
2011: -€16.7million
2010: -€4.6miilion

Yes, they've mostly run in defecit, but you have had two years of small surpluses in that run. Whilst the Irish government may or may not be happy with RTE running at a defecit, I can't imagine RTE management are very happy with that situation. I certainly know I wouldn't be if I were managing RTE.

There's lots of things I'd love to see happen with RTE, but right now, the chances of any of them happening are somewhere around zero.

The one thing I find weird at the moment is RTE2 showing children's programmes from 7am to 5pm, when RTE Jr is on from 7am to 7pm, and both schedules are different. That duplication makes little sense to me.
RD
rdd Founding member
But we know exactly the reason that duplication exists, the requirement under the Broadcasting Act 2009 to seek ministerial consent to channel variations. Seemingly RTÉ planned on removing the RTEjr block from RTE Two (leaving the TRTE block of older children’s programmers) but was informally told that request would be refused.
CI
cityprod
rdd posted:
But we know exactly the reason that duplication exists, the requirement under the Broadcasting Act 2009 to seek ministerial consent to channel variations. Seemingly RTÉ planned on removing the RTEjr block from RTE Two (leaving the TRTE block of older children’s programmers) but was informally told that request would be refused.


Well that's just plain old silly. That's the government being backwards, not RTE.
:-(
A former member


Not sure the evidence backs you up.

2016: -€19.7million
2015: -€2.8million
2014: +€200,000
2013: +€700,000
2012: -€65.2miilion
2011: -€16.7million
2010: -€4.6miilion

I’m not sure you can look at those figures and realistically say that RTE isn’t running at a loss, especially given that the 2 modest surpluses are followed by the biggest deficit of all. To quote those 2 years shows that you aren’t seeing the bigger picture.
CI
cityprod


Not sure the evidence backs you up.

2016: -€19.7million
2015: -€2.8million
2014: +€200,000
2013: +€700,000
2012: -€65.2miilion
2011: -€16.7million
2010: -€4.6miilion

I’m not sure you can look at those figures and realistically say that RTE isn’t running at a loss, especially given that the 2 modest surpluses are followed by the biggest deficit of all. To quote those 2 years shows that you aren’t seeing the bigger picture.


You're reading it slightly wrong, those two modest surpluses, in 2013 and 2014, followed the biggest defecit in 2012. I was going backwards through the annual reports.

But even given the modest nature of those surpluses, which are, statistically, really no more than breaking even, it does indicate to me that RTE management are not happy or content to be running at a defecit all the time.

Part of this problem is due to the variances in commercial revenue, but that doesn't explain all of it by a long chalk.

I've noticed that RTE have teleshopping slots now scheduled in the early morning after EuroNews but before the repeat of Today. I don't hold out much hope about those making enough money to cover the difference, and also, I'm not sure just how effective it is to be putting on programmes on RTE One and RTE 2 until like 3am or 4am in the morning, even repeats or old imports. Maybe it would be better to go to EuroNews earlier in the night.
NG
noggin Founding member
rdd posted:
But we know exactly the reason that duplication exists, the requirement under the Broadcasting Act 2009 to seek ministerial consent to channel variations. Seemingly RTÉ planned on removing the RTEjr block from RTE Two (leaving the TRTE block of older children’s programmers) but was informally told that request would be refused.


Is that because RTÉjr and RTÉ2 are on different DTT muxes - or are both muxes available to the same audiences?

Are there any platforms that carry RTÉ2 but not RTÉjr?

Isn't RTÉ2 also HD, whereas RTÉjr is SD - at least on DTT. I doubt the govt care that much about HD vs SD in kids programming - but it may play a part?
CI
cityprod
rdd posted:
But we know exactly the reason that duplication exists, the requirement under the Broadcasting Act 2009 to seek ministerial consent to channel variations. Seemingly RTÉ planned on removing the RTEjr block from RTE Two (leaving the TRTE block of older children’s programmers) but was informally told that request would be refused.


Is that because RTÉjr and RTÉ2 are on different DTT muxes - or are both muxes available to the same audiences?

Are there any platforms that carry RTÉ2 but not RTÉjr?

Isn't RTÉ2 also HD, whereas RTÉjr is SD - at least on DTT. I doubt the govt care that much about HD vs SD in kids programming - but it may play a part?


Both multiplexes broadcast from the same transmitters at the same power, so I don't think the fact that they're on different multiplexes makes any difference at all.

The SD/HD thing would make sense if both were transmitting the same programmes, but that's not even the case.

RTE Jr is on DTT, Cable and Sky, so I hardly think the platform argument is a valid one either.

No this just seems to be a decision by government to make things difficult for RTE for no valid reason at all, and that is just plain old silly.

14 days later

PO
polo23
Una O’Hagan is stepping down from RTE News on February 25th. A consummate professional and one of the best ever newscasters in RTÉ. A class act and a hugh loss to the newsroom. https://m.independent.ie/entertainment/television/tv-news/anchors-away-as-una-to-leave-rte-news-36564541.html
Last edited by polo23 on 4 February 2018 11:34am
BR
Brekkie
RTE Jr is on DTT, Cable and Sky, so I hardly think the platform argument is a valid one either.

No this just seems to be a decision by government to make things difficult for RTE for no valid reason at all, and that is just plain old silly.

Although as we've seen here in the UK clearing the schedules of children's programmes just leaves channel with a clear schedule they don't know what to do with.
CI
cityprod
RTE Jr is on DTT, Cable and Sky, so I hardly think the platform argument is a valid one either.

No this just seems to be a decision by government to make things difficult for RTE for no valid reason at all, and that is just plain old silly.

Although as we've seen here in the UK clearing the schedules of children's programmes just leaves channel with a clear schedule they don't know what to do with.


BBC1? Yeah, that has been a problem. ITV? Not so much, they've settled into a strong schedule that rates pretty well for them. Besides, the children's channels are the ones getting the most eyeballs now from kids after school, rather than the mainstream channels, so it makes sense to push the kids channels more.

As for what RTE 2 should do in place of the kids shows, I would suggest as little as possible right now, as many repeats as you can, and EuroNews and Teleshopping to fill up the required space. Not ideal, but I'd suggest that for RTE, daytime on RTE 1 & RTE 2 are low priority right now.

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