RTÉ News

Past experience would say September 4th, but I think it'll be next Monday. RTE will re-launch on September 4th in the new. But I don't think RTE News want to be solely associated with RTE ONE being that they have RTE TWO news also. Plus, all the temporary newsreaders are being recycled at a faster pace this week to give the regular readers time to rehearse the new studio.

But it's hard to call. If I were in charge I'd want RTE News to go out on Monday 28th August to tease out any complications that week and let RTE ONE go out the following monday and give more time to teething problems with that. The News will undoubtedly be full of complications at the beginning (mostly behind the scenes) so it'd be best for those to be resolved before the whole station goes live.

That said, I'm not in charge and by no means an expert.

Thats an interesting idea diarmy. I have noticed a lack of usual newsreaders on the 6.01 lately - Aengus today, Eileen yesterday and Monday...but Sharon was judging the Rose of Tralee so I suppose that would easily explain her absence. 6.01 will be back to full length on Monday week so it could well not relaunch until then. Seamus seems to think on boards.ie that they'll relaunch next Monday too - why, I don't know! Anyway, I hope it is next Monday.

Because somebody said, i forget who, that It would be in late august, so I am assuming it to be monday.

Well actually I think it was me who said that in the first place because of an email quoted on boards.ie.

From what I've heard, I wouldn't expect anything to be happening this coming Monday. It's tricky to get reliable information from RTE but I think it's fairly safe to say that it'll be September before we see anything.

Yes, agreed. As much as I'd like to see the new look at the earliest point too, I think it would be by far the best move to launch both RTÉ One and RTÉ News on the same date in September. You need a combined relaunch of Presentation and News to generate the necessary impact: a fresh new look across the boards, heralding a new era for the national broadcaster.

Also launching on different dates is a bit confusing for the viewer, leaving one half wondering if the new idents when belatedly launched are going to be permanent, given the overlapping of the old ones over the new News. Far better to make a clean break with Pres and News on the same day, coupled with wall-to-wall transmissions of Autumn Schedule promos and perhaps another station promotion or News promotion.

This is what happened in 2003 as we all recall, and it made for a very exciting, if admittedly somewhat bewildering day! I think as long as a short station promotion is made, making reference to the new look e.g. even just an ident amalgam with V/O at the very end, you're fine.
You just need that impact!

All the same, if they're going for Sept 4th, the new News look will be a whopping five weeks in the making! It better be feckin worth it!

Indeed to pick up on an earlier point, it'll be very interesting to see if they advertise the station or news relaunch in advance of the day - even something along the lines of the BBC's hinting Six clock way back in 1999. Similarly regarding a proper 30-60 sec News promotion to be aired on the lauch day and subsequently. RTÉ News badly needs a decent promo - indeed I don't think they've ever really had one, shot to a high 'feature-length' standard. The current one is rather rough-shod and amateurish, with the silly special effects too distracting for their own good.

By the way, here is the current RTÉ News Promotion (link below),

"The first thirteen and last twenty seconds of this promo are virtual spaces - all the environments are built in 2D/3D with the talent shot green screen and matted in. It was an interesting project in that the timings for the reporters predicated how long the sequences would ultimately be, not predicated by the script. The camera was mounted on semi-circular tracks and were dollied manually - a difficult enough feat. Definitely a learning experience for all concerned. "

http://www.intercuts.com/html/rte_newspromo.html


The Studio 3 mock-up is spookily accurate - almost as if it's an original computer generated package composed to demonstrate the design to management back in 2003. Pausing it frame by frame reveals a lot
Also interesting to see the set in white rather than the current overbearing cream/yellow. I wonder if tarting it up mid-life like the BBC did in 2001 would have made any difference? They could have rewallpapered in a more neutral, sharper tone, changed the cyclorama to a light shade of green rather than blue, ditched the orange stripes, and perhaps cleverly introduced an element of deep green (as per the titles) on certain panels, or via carpet on a raised dais.
But it seems they were just to embarrassed to admit what a disaster this scheme was, so left things as they were

One thing that's always amused me about that RTÉ News promo is Paul Cunningham setting up to record a report V/O on the side of a mountain, battling against the blasting wind. At least they're being honest in showing us how unprofessional they are

The last 3 seconds with the blue globe.....I could see those as titles. I love the greenscreen effects....they actually put effort into it.

I have to say I love that promo... when I first saw it on TV I have to admit I got a tingle of pride down my spine (wish I had the same when I saw the live event!!)

Very interesting being able to freeze-frame the news studio.. I've always wanted to do that. I never realised the desk was just a table and that it curved on the presenter end. I figured it to be a mire of cabinets filled with water bottles, cabling and hideous loads of paper... of course, that stuff could've just as easily been wheeled out for the vid

Just on that note, if you watch BBC N24, you can see from the high shots of the desk that they have a HP laserjet printer behind them... I think RTE could benefit from one of these, and that way not have to be shouted at by the gallery... would bring an air of professionalism to the whole thing...

I really hope Red Bee (or whoever's doing up the news this time round) do a promo like that for the new set. It'd be well nice to see Sean Whelan in the Europe shot and a decent Tommy Gorman clip without the RTE van. Jim Fahy surprised me to be on that vid, but I guess he doesn't have much to do here in the West!!

Great stuff Teilifis... You really are the only reason I keep posting here... fierce informative.

Had a few minutes free at work and said I'd try going through the RTE News promo bit by bit (Sad I know!). Interesting enough thing. Here's a few tidbits.

The 'autocue' shot from the other side of the camera before cutting to Bryan Dobson... it reads:

"...frantic negotiations. For this report we go to our correspondant Joe Fahy in the west of Ireland " I kid you not!!! I wonder does Jim know about this???

http://mecridia.com/tmp/joefahy.gif

And here's a cool shot from behind the perspex stuff at the back wall of the studio. If it's not done in CGI it's conclusive proof they pop out!

http://mecridia.com/tmp/studio.gif

And a wierd shot to be honest in the Four Courts... I counted 3 Mary Wilsons in these frames... here's two visible Mary Wilsons...

http://mecridia.com/tmp/marycalpan.gif

All kinda cool and evidence that I really should be doing something more constructive with my time.

Maybe that blue globe is the new look, if i remember rightly the font on the 'news' bit is the same font that was on the chrome looking picture.

It is a good promo alright - the only one I can ever remember seeing for News. But its about 15 months old now isn't it? I remember seeing it first around the time of the 2005 Eurovision. If you look at Anne when the camera is tracking in behind the panels, she appears to have no legs! And there's only 3 cameras in the studio as well. I'd say in real life the desk does have a load of shelves and stuff. But the graphic at the end I think is really nice. It would make a great set of titles (even though the globe is spinning the wrong way!