RTÉ News

This is edited, because it runs every hour, so it cannot be live. Also, this was from a long time ago, so the news looks much different now than it did back when we aired this. We just started the semester when that thing aired, so it looked really crappy. From time to time, I looked at that and I wonder "who made this crap?"

Unfortunately I can't see the clip - my Quicktime Player isn't working and the upgrades don't seem to be on their site either....


Anyone watching the 1916 Commemoration coverage? Interestingly the St. Patrick's Day Parade, at exactly the same location and involving many of the same production practices, is doled out to an independent production company Coco Television, but this event was shot by RTÉ's News and Current Affairs Division

It was a major broadcasting event - the largest undertaken in the state since the Special Olympics opening ceremony at Croke Park three years ago which involved the use of at least 19 cameras, probably the biggest multi-camera event ever in Ireland.

1916 yesterday made use of about 15, most located around O'Connell Street, but also three or so at City Hall, another at Kilmainham Jail, and another at Áras an Uachtaráin, each location also requiring their own OB facilities. The parade element was very well produced, but really and truly, much of the important ceremonial part beforehand was very very poor. Way too many tight shots at the wrong time made things very claustrophobic - not enough nice lingering wides. RTÉ just do not understand the concept of long-held shots at all - in every aspect of their television production. They just insist on cut cut cut, crassly intruding on events instead of just letting them unfold in single lingering shots. They don't know how to capture atmosphere, or how to set scenes or establish locations. They just show a wide shot or two at the start of these special productions and then keep on close-ups thereafter. The BBC of course know only too well how effective long wide shots are on OBs.

When the national anthem was being played, instead of showing the vast crowds taking part, with clouded logic they cut to the band playing the music - complete with a Londis and Sony Centre in the background . Approaching the end they failed to anticipate the great roar of applause from the crowds and cut to a giant wide of the impressive city centre, maybe slowing zooming out. Instead, they cut to a close-up of the member of the military holding the sword! The great moment was completely lost.

It's just completely mundane, dull, run of the mill production values that permeate the heart of the station - they never think outside the box, never actively think of the best way of communicating atmosphere and ceremony to the people at home. Rather they just think 'what's the best way of getting through these 90 minutes of production that will pass acceptability'. Of course there were the odd impressive token shots, shots that will no doubt win applause for the station, but from a broadcasting perspective that whole part of the ceremony was very poorly directed

And by no means was this confined to visuals. Turn your speakers up to television volume and have a listen to the audio quality of the muck below. For the first half hour, a half hour of prime national television, from our 'professional' public service broadcaster, on an extensively planned production, the unbearable rumblings of RTÉ's electrical generators on site droned constantly through the ceremonial proceedings, including all of Bryan Dobson's coverage and interviews. So much so Bryan and guest were forced to shout the whole way through their being on air. This was nothing to do with the noise of crowds who were nowhere near the mini studio in large numbers. The noise is purely RTÉ's generators!!!

http://dynamic.rte.ie/av/2132259.smil

And for crying out loud, would you look at the presentation - squeezed into a yoke knocked together with a couple of planks of plywood, and a crappy cheap little office table for them to huddle around. And the mics they're wearing.... At least the lighting is excellent. The poor quality really cannot be noted in low-res and low sound quality recordings like these - it's only when magnified on a proper television set and when you've listened for 5,10,20,30 minutes you see how appalling it is for a professional broadcast.
You'll note not even Dobson's guest has his mic in the better position of his right lapel to help cut out some of the noise – instead it’s obscurely clipped to his tie.

Here's the nice opening of the programme (though Mary Kennedy’s radio mic about a minute in was breaking up for her whole link )

http://dynamic.rte.ie/av/2132818.smil

Oh for goodness sake, that first link is absolutely dire. Brian's asking a question to the guy and the shot used it sitting on him just there listening, then a quick cut to wide as the finished and back to the interviewee for the response.

That background sound is atrocious. Why they didn't do what everyone else did and throw them into a portacabin with glass is anyones guess.

Big camera OBs like that aren't really too complex requiring that many links. Generally lots of cable or simple wireless links along the route would handle sections that are close together and they would be cut in a local truck before being sent back, or, there could be feeder points set up in building.

And what a surprise, one of the shots I saw had the opportunity for a nice crane shot, there was a crane there, but did they use it well? No!

Not only was there a crane Peter, we had two cranes there!
And another camera miles up on one of those extendable yokes, five storeys above the city, plus a further two cameras on cherry pickers.

You pick up on a good point there though. Shot-wise it isn't so much what we saw that was bad - as most of it was acceptable, even good at times - but rather what could have been. It is the opportunities lost that are always the most frustrating. And you really have to watch the entire production and get into the rhythm of things to realise just how much better it could have been.

But really and truly it was that studio audio that did it for me - unbelievable. Imagine a director actually signing off on that sound as okay!! In any case you'd think they were in outer Sibera with those generators - surely a municipal supply could have be tapped into?
Also the monstrous studio background of steel railings and crap - could they have chosen a worse location if they tried, in what is one of the most architecturally distinguished streets in the capital!

Wouldn't be too harsh on the vision mixing - though accept more use should've been made of Dobson's MCU (being taken from the same camera as the wide). We've had a lot worse

Ugh
Just looking at the video of the opening.
I would think that RTE would be better off in investing in a decent outdoor studio similar to the BBC News bus (used during the election) and that can be used on special occasions. St. Patricks Day would be interesting to have a studio on the street. During elections and so on.
Events may not happen too often but still they should have it for when the time comes. The BBC don't use it much either but they still have the resource

These things should be taken into considderation when RTE relaunch the news whenever!
I noticed many of those thingys that go up like 5-storys on O'Connell Street after the parade (wasn't at the parade I might add)..I guess 2 or 3 of them at least. If only one was used for cameras I wonder what the other two where for?

Teiliís, as per usual, you're bang on the money with the criticisms. I have to say I was really looking forward to the military parade, unlike many of the elder generation. And with a dislike of visiting the capital (nameley for the scumbag infestation) I was really looking forward to watching it on TV, in the hope it might look good. How wrong was I?!

As you pointed out, the sound at the beginning was terrible. But what was more terrible was Dobbo's useless attempt at speaking the Irish language. That's another thing about him that just pisses me rightly off. He doesn't make the effort really, and I've noticed he shys away for "Gaeilge" broadcasts so hurray for the director who held a gun to his head. Simple fact of the matter is though he shouldn't have been presenting the thing in the first place. Mary Kennedy did an excellent job of it in both english and Irish, and she has a natural flair about her, even sporting a green jacket. Dobbo just lacked passion and charm with the whole thing, mind you I'd be pretty dull about it too couped up in that box with no windows and generators humming in the background and Gardaí who don't seem to know what they're at in the background.

Overall, the parade was a success and a tribute to the servicemen and women who took part. RTE's coverage was bland and tasteless. I agree about the cut cut cut philosophy, borne no doubt out of the fact that the director was getting paid anyway, whether the production was good or bad, and the fact that RTE just hasn't got the edginess of either the BBC or even TV3 to be honest. The poigniant moments, when the President laid the wreath, the National Anthem was played and the wonderful tune of Mise Éire was beautifully recited were completely butchered by the director and camera crew. It seems the fingers just are too trigger happy with the zoom because every shot was just completely ruined with fast and shaky zoom. When the president stood back to observe silence after the wreath laying, we were treated to a shaky zoomed shot of her doing her darndest to be a good leader. Surely RTE have a few tripods lying around the place.

The boom cameras were also completely useless, and at times quite dangerous, lifting just in time so as not to hit someone (you can actually see them moving upward because other cameras capture the movement - which is disgraceful in itself).

All in all, outside the realm of RTE's control (I'm assuming) the use of those canopies and tents was horrible to say the least. There was NO NEED to have two tents at either side of the GPO, ESPECIALLY considering it was the focal point in 1916. One facing the GPO would've done the trick, and have no-one but the Army and Aide de Comps standing on the steps. But I'm also assuming RTE didn't bother to stick the head round the door of the organisation committee when they were planning the whole thing so as to better plan the camera positions. Honestly, it looked as if at 6am that morning, groggy cameramen and the odd crew member showed up with a few cameras and some cabling and just picked spots, without attention to actually capturing the right portion of the audience, let alone the atmosphere of certain moments.

It was horrible. Unforgiveable to be frank. The St. Patrick's Day parades are by no means perfect, but at least there's good movement around the place. RTE just seem to sit there. You can almost sense that no one gave a crap and that the director was more worried about getting his/her frappucino than what shot to open or close on. Dobbo should not have been doing it because he so obviously hates the Irish language and that day needed the Irish tongue. I don't know who you'd put in instead of him, but RTE seriously need to start head-hunting someone for these events and the SixOne news too.

Speaking of Six One, anyone have any idea where Dobbo is these past two days? Sharon has been left to carry the can on her own (and she's appauling on her own) with only the variable 'sports guy' as company at the over-sized table. Sickening and all as it makes me, I kinda missed Dobbo (or a Dobbo-like experienced anchor).

Well, after all my ranting on the previous pages, someone in RTÉ must've been on TVF recently, and stolen my idea. Tonight, the great John Finnerty presented Six One news alongside Ms. Ní Bheolán. The veteran presenter did it in style and was a pleasure to watch in the absence of Dobbo. RTÉ are onto a winner here if they keep the Finner on for Six One. A couple of people have already said to me they noticed he was far better than the antiquated Dobson, even wrangling with a live swap-over to the journalistic bore that is Fergal Bowers.

Sharon, still sporting her 'period-drama' clothing, delivered sustain inflection after monotonous verb as she struggled to keep up with the pace of Finnerty at the table. This is a momentous day for Six One for a long time. Graphics-wise it wasn't without flaw, with David Davin-Power's name cropping up at the end of one report . All in all though, and on balance, the Finner and Sharon made light work of the news, breezing through the now tiresome constant coverage of the health service, introducing no less than two live broadcasts from a well-picked spot in Killarney.

diarmydot, could you downsize your sig a bit please? Thanks.

Fully agreed with your previous post diarmy, especially regarding those monstrous hand-held shots of the President, and the use of pathetic tents and crude metal fencing at such a distinguished ceremony. Was there any coordination between Dublin City Council, the event organisers, and RTÉ at all?! Very poor coverage overall - very disappointing.



Yes was watching too, and it was good to see Finnerty being drafted in. Quite extraordinary that RTÉ in this day and age still use Easter Monday as an excuse to get by on a skeleton Six One for most of the week. It simply is not acceptable in 2006.

And yes, getting through any link with Bowers is a challenge - not sure even Dobson could handle it
But overall I'd have to disagree about Dobson - yes he can come across a tad smug on the rare occasion, but very simply he is the most competent broadcaster in the RTÉ newsroom. Finnerty is excellent on presentation as we know, and is very competent generally on current affairs, but he doesn't quite have the same clout and breath of knowledge as Dobson. To put things in perspective, were you to view Finnerty during a major breaking story, as a viewer you cannot hold the same confidence in him as you can with Dobson, as good as he is as a professional broadcaster. That's the real difference, and the reason why Dobson is as widely acclaimed as he is.
Also he holds most people's, arguably the vast majority of people's affections, quite unlike any other newscaster in RTÉ. I don't know a single person who doesn't like him - though I think I've just met one

Not necessarily Ireland's most fondly-held, but the country's most famous newsreader went humourously rigid last night as she always does when 'something's up' - this time, yet again , the headline sequence was down. Unfortunately for viewers, it was anticipated beforehand, so she was prepared:

(well, as prepared as Anne Doyle can be...)

http://dynamic.rte.ie/av/2133860.smil

And again too much headroom

If anybody saw the Late Late this evening, you'll have seen a clip from the new RTE drama 'Fallout' due to be shown on RTE One, Sunday evening at 21.35. From what I gathered this evening, the ficticious drama is about a nuclear fallout in Sellafield, Cumbria and its potential effects on Ireland. The reason I'm mentioning it here is because the clip they showed was a mock-up BBC News 24 bulltein based on the event - complete with proper News 24 titles, graphics (although not TOG graphics) and presenters - Stephen Cole and Gwenan Edwards. Most unusual ! And whats more interesting is that it came from the real News 24 studio!! How did RTE manage to get the BBC to do that for them?!! Must have been recorded on a Sunday afternoon during a programme between bulletins. I was gobsmacked! I'll definately be tuning in on Sunday night!!!

PS: they also showed part of a fake RTE News report with a 16:9 version of the current RTE News DOG...i wonder will we see any 16:9 shots of the studio???

Teilifís, my sincerest apologies about releasing my point of view on the Dobson animal. Hope I didn't offend anyone. He is definitely a competent presenter and able to deal with 'breaking news' (whever they get it) but I just think he's too out of touch with the youth of the country, and that's important, as our population is getting younger and younger, and more and more ethnically integrated. On that subject, maybe a more neutral presenter would be on order, gently phasing out the 'Veteran'. I promiise from now on not to be so vocal on the "antique" much more.

RE the skeleton crew, I had a feeling that was what was unfolding before my eyes, and reading your words makes complete sense now - totally unacceptable.

RE the "Fallout" documentary, I saw an advert for it during the week and I too was quite shocked at the BBC mock-broadcast. There must be some cross-co-operation going on there, or perhaps people in the higher ranks of the BBC are worried about the potential disaster and were giving themselves a dry-run. All told however, I too will be watching with anticipation.

They really ought to get their playouts working. That's two messed up headlines now in the space of two weeks? Gosh, if it was on the BBC, the forum would be crying for people to be sacked in a flurry of excitement over the possibility of clean beds.