RTÉ

I was sure it was 4:3. I was watching it on NTL Digital and switched to NTL Standard as I was writing the above post just in case it was the digital messing up. But the standard showed a 4:3 RTE DOG which coupled with the missing ends of the advertisers logos (ghastly yokes... anyone in RTE ever hear of transparency?!?) made me think it was 4:3. Maybe TERRESTRIAL or Sky Digital was 16:9 but NTL wasnt.

NTL is normally good with the 16:9 stuff such as the Late Late so it's not just NTL chopping it up to 4:3, that's how I could see it (and a good chunk of people in Dublin, Galway and Waterford had the same feed)

Agree about the mic at the end, appauling singer anyway missing his cues from the Garda band and almost swallowing the mic in the middle. It did seem to fizzle out but only after someone in the sound dock got a rotten tomato thrown at them no doubt!!

Did you notice the missing RTE ONE DOG at the end?? Crazy stuff. Overall it was an ok format, but the end of it was WAY too rushed! And there was a notable absence of music as the tiara was being awarded. I'm sure RTE has control over the music as they are essentially the producers... notice how Ray kept deliberately hinting to the band to drumroll (and last night too to no avail).

The mics were intrusive, but heck of a better sound pick up, even if they forced Ray and Rose far apart.

I thought the illuminated set behind Ray was fabulous, and by far the best thing I've seen RTE manage in years (again assuming RTE were responsible for it). And yes, the steady-cam was too fast, and really shouldn't be going behind the Rose when performing - a girl's back is hardly flattering!!! Especially when you see it in almost 3D with the speed of the camera movement. Do get the feeling they just used to to make the audience feel like they knew what they were doing. Overall the thing was good, save for a few hiccups, but the cueing was terrible.

NTL Digital can be very tempermantal as you know diarmy. On Sky it was certainly in true 16:9 tonight but TV3 isn't even in 16:9 on NTL yet so more than likely its NTL's problem. I thought the set has improved tonight as it has over the years but I would kinda pity RTÉ for a change - the venue is a dive. Its tiny! More like a parochial hall than an auditorium. They can't really do much with it - I'm sure they would try to put on a better show if it was in the NEC in Killarney or something like that. And the sponsorship logos after the breaks are the most disgusting thing I've ever seen coming out RTÉ. The very same ones were used when the programme was going out in 4:3 (I think!) so hence the terrible overscan and likewise with the astons - abysmal! The lighting though was impressive as you say Telefis. But like I said - they're very restricted in that venue and thats simply the best they can do with it.

I have to say, I don't think I've ever seen anything quite as bad as that. Those logos filled more than two thirds of the screen. Awful.



The lighting was reasonable...until the end of the show. That moment when all the Roses were brought on stage. The lighting was watered down drastically and revealed the set backing in all its plainness.



Now that was bad. The singer seemed completely oblivious to the peaking. I waited desperately for him to move the mic further away from his mouth - but no, it wasn't happening.

Fully agreed. I'm still rather confused at the explanation of good aul peaking for the final song problem though - it's too simple an answer, as correct as it is! How the heck could that have happened?!
One can only imagine the mayhem in the gallery, especially with the crew desperate not to end the show on such a negative note - why couldn't the sound op simply bring his levels down?! Did they spill their bottle of Lucozade over the sound desk?! It just doesn't make sense that everyone in the OB van just stood their helpless to proceedings...
And obviously the mic was the correct type, as it would have been used in rehersals. I just don't get it... Surely it wasn't just his positioning of the mic? :

Agreed about the lighting at the end - this is a problem every single year where they just blast on the floods and reveal the set as the flat mish mash of metal and gauze that it is. Such a shame.
But I agree with Phen that they have so few options in the Dome - essentially the world's largest marque . The lighting is so close to the subjects, and the subjects so close to the cramped set at the end, that there's little you can do. Saying that, it was inexcusable that one of Ray's final (rehearsed) positions was two inches away from a set panel, harshly lit in all its stretched gauze glory, and he casting a hard shadow across it - what a mess.
But that aside, the lighting throughout the show, including performances was generally excellent given the location - some really lovely stuff.

And also agreed about the sponsor graphics - an absolute abomination, on so many levels. From an aesthetic perspective obviously, from the cringe-inducing crassness aspect, from a professional point of view, to a public service broadcasting perspective: that such disgusting crass commercialism taints one of RTÉ's principal, if not flagship television productions. It simply beggars belief.

And this isn't even accounting for the fact that they can't even be arsed to make them 14:9 safe!!! Nor the fact that they destroy what are otherwise pretty impressive graphics - layered and complex, rich and visually stimulating pieces of work (aside from the ridiculous zooming oval shaped red graphic they used when introducing each Rose. That graphic worked so well with the petals falling, until the oval then zoomed out like the childish effect you get on a domestic camcorder )

The scrolling rose across the screen at ad breaks by contrast is exceptionally impressive - an indication of the fine standard that lurks underneath all the commercial shyte.

How disappointing. If the preview before the Nine O'Clock News is anything to go by, the 'Late Late' is back with the same set and titles.

The Late Late on Friday was a walking disaster. It's more of the same, with the exception of the changed backdrop (which is split in the middle and crooked in one shot.

Overall the guests were mediocre for the first show of the season. The music was talentless (with the exception of Morrisson). The only interesting piece was with Derek Davis and crew. Great to see the man talk about food... something most of us hold dear in our hearts. But the rest was terrible. The section on dogs was terribly directed, the piece on the surrogacy was too stomach-wrenchingly cringe-worthy that most people turned off the show until after it was over.

The camerawork was terrible, with the plank that is Pat himself not knowing which camera to look into. He himself is terribly dry and doesn't know when to shut up really (see the surrogacy part where he just digs himself into a hole deeper and deeper).

The floor manager on the night was wearting a WHITE SUIT!!!! way to keep yourself in the background??? I thought there was an un-written rule on RTE and most TV shows that floor managers always wore black??!! Certainly any time I've been on camera at RTE (years ago mind!) the floor managers were in black. There's one shot before an adbreak where you can clearly see the floor manager over near the sound stage clapping to the audience.

In fairness, if the show was any way entertaining, you wouldn't need the floor manager cueing the audience to clap or roar. It's a terrible show. And flicking over to BBC during the many ad-breaks and seeing a clip from the forthcoming Friday Night with Jonathan Ross shows how bad RTE is for guest attraction. It should be brought back to its former glory. Pat Kenny should stick to radio. Someone should be taking Gay Byrne's place and carry on the show properly. RTE have a great asset here in this show because it's religiously followed by a huge portion of the population and is truly prime-time television. RTE should maybe scrap programmes like Would You Believe? and the ritualistic purchasing of outdated movies and invest the money in a proper friday night show. As for who'd be presenter, I frankly don't know. But within the RTE ranks, few spring to mind. If I were pushed to pick someone for the sake of controversy, I'd say George Hook would be a good character.

And it's a credit in some small way to the string of misery that is Ryan Tubridy that he had Bertie Ahern on his show not too long ago. Pat Kenny just simply wouldn't be able to handle Ireland's most powerful man and that's testament to his complete lack of interview ability. He's great on radio, but that's partly due to the fact that his radio show is heavily scripted and listeners dont have to look at his face.

Well, it's Monday, September 4th 2006, and there are NO new idents being transmitted on RTÉ!

Could it be that we'll wait until next week or that there is some technical difficulty with them?

Or was it yet another waste of money from the Irish Broadcaster?

I've just seen a promo for RTE Two's coverage of the Ryder Cup, stating that the opening ceremony will be live at 2.30 on Thursday 21st September,. and then 'coverage starts Friday 22nd September at 6.00'.

Is this 6.00am or 6.00pm? The reason why I'm asking is that I thought Sky had the exclusive UK & Ireland rights to the Ryder Cup, and that RTE would not be showing it live? Do they have delayed highlights?

A friend did the filming for the new RTE idents (RTE are providing film and Red Bee are doing stuff with it) and he says it will be iared in late OCTOBER.

Insider info (lol):
- They filmed some footage of a woman making bread
- They filmed some footage of a teenager looking for their stuff under their bed and
- They filmed some footage of a kid painting/drawing on a wall.

I don't know what that stuff will be used for but I was there when they filmed it and they wouldn't be doing it for nothing. (Actually it's RTE so maybe they would). I guess this means they'll be using live action (or scripted live action if that's possible???) in the new idents.

Also I've seen a few of the old RTE 1 idents used over the last few days (The ones from the 2003 revamp that were dropped, ie the paper boy, the combine harvester, the photographer). Maybe that's just to use them while they can.

I bet it will be October 31 - That's TG4's 10th anniversary and TG4 have now been granted independence from RTE. REVENGE!!!

Another, my friend did... Fair enough, but if anything Red Bee would have been filming using RTE as guidance i.e. if it was specific location based.



If these are indeed the idents, why would RTE be filming them when they could be filmed anywhere in the UK and wouldn't look anything like Ireland thus keeping costs down for RTE and Red Bee.



I thought you said that he was working on the new idents, and now you don't know what they're for? Sounds like nonsense to me...

Well he said something to do with Red Bee and some RTE rebranding. It's either idents or a new season promo but I doubt they'll ditch the in-house one now.

Maybe it's one of those "part of life" or "so much to offer" films.

How disappointing...Tubridy Tonight is exactly the same as it has been since the show started! There were some tall tales going around lately about a re-vamp and we all thought they were true! But alas we'll have to put up with this set for another year at least. Not that its a bad set - mind you its probably one of the best that RTÉ have at present - but it has been in use for quite a while and it could do with a refresh really.