How can they expect....

Funkyzeit

..people (and more importantly kids) to get into the sport of cycling when they show the TOI at 11:55....after the nutty professor...:mad:

RANT OVER....sorry...

blorg

Yesterday they showed it late, with the result that my video recording was cut off on Mount Leinster or thereabouts This is quite typical with RTE, they seem to have great difficulty holding to a schedule (a common Irish affliction which I am guilty of myself.) The later in the day a programme is, the more likely it is to be delayed from what came before.

TinyExplosions

blorg wrote: »

Yesterday they showed it late, with the result that my video recording was cut off on Mount Leinster or thereabouts This is quite typical with RTE, they seem to have great difficulty holding to a schedule (a common Irish affliction which I am guilty of myself.) The later in the day a programme is, the more likely it is to be delayed from what came before.

Very rare I'm on RTE's side, but it was late due to a football match they were showing live going to extra time (Liverpool United or someone was trying to win) -unfortunate, but not atypical when there's a sporting event with a non-clearly defined timeline.

Still poor show having it on so late -ITV are showing the Tour of Britain from 8-9pm!

petethedrummer

Because they have to generate income from advertising, and they probably guess that not many people will want to watch it.

Are the government and RTE supposed to be in some joint promotion of cycling venture??

blorg

Well pete there is this thing called the TV License that is meant to support a public-service type thing with minority interests, it's not meant to be all about ratings...

rash

itv4 are showing toi from 1900-2000, look at satellite forum for info on how to tune itv4

Funkyzeit

rash wrote: »

itv4 are showing toi from 1900-2000, look at satellite forum for info on how to tune itv4

Didn't know that - Ta !

doozerie

Even if it were shown at a reasonable time, the fact that they have Jimmy Magee and Phil Liggott commentating is enough to put me off watching it. Magee has proved in the past that he knows nothing about cycling (his commentary on a previous Tour of Ireland was a disgrace and showed a lack of respect for the sport by RTE choosing him in the first place), and while Liggott may know the sport well he seems very fond of just spouting drivel when commentating. Which goes to prove that knowledge of a sport doesn't make you a good commentator and experience of commentating doesn't mean you can commentate successfully on any sport that is dropped on your plate.

Surely RTE could have found someone with at least some knowledge of the sport, and pairing them with Liggott might then have led to something useful.

TinyExplosions

doozerie wrote: »

Surely RTE could have found someone with at least some knowledge of the sport, and pairing them with Liggott might then have led to something useful.

Should have got Kelly to do it -they talk to him at the start, at least then they'd get the place names right!

rflynnr

The point about the licence fee and public service is valid - to a point. RTE operate in what is arguably the most competitive broadcasting environment in the world relative to population. In addition to direct competition in the TV ad market from TG4 (now independent of RTE) and other "locals" (though you wouldn't know it from looking at their schedules) like TV3 and Channel 6, the following all maintain sales offices in Dublin and offer ad space to Irish advertisers: Setanta, UTV, Channel 4, E4, Nickolodeon, Sky One and MTV.

RTE's ad revenues may not seem relevant given their access to at least 95% of licence fee revenues but it's worth bearing in mind that Irish licences cost about the same as they do in Germany where larger population size means that total licence revenue may be as much as €7bn as opposed to the €195million RTE received from licence fees in 2007. Meanwhile RTE still rely on advertising and other commercial revenues for the bulk of their income - €245m in 2007. Consequently, the commercial bottom line still unavoidably dominates their programming and scheduling decisions with predictable consequences for "minority" sports like cycling. It's regrettable from a biker perspective but arguably the fact that they have screened the Tour at all constitutes compliance with their obligations as a public service broadcaster. (What price a similar inclusion in the schedules of TV3 or Channel 6?)

Funkyzeit

Revenue shouldn't be ( I know it is) the only consideration.

Have a look at this evening's schedule..

RTE 1 - An English soap followed by a (dreadful) Irish soap and a REPEAT of Hanging with Hector

RTE 2 - REPEAT of Anonymous followed by the Nutty Prof 2...

Where is the value and contribution there?!!

niceonetom

petethedrummer wrote: »

Are the government and RTE supposed to be in some joint promotion of cycling venture??

well biffo's big ugly face is on the back of the promotional tour program i picked up at the start together with a long spiel by him about how the tour is great for ireland, cycling, tourism etc. etc.

and the tour is "in association with" fáilte ireland (a state body) and sponsored by an post (again, state money there) so, what with it being shown on a national broadcaster and all, yes, i think it would be accurate to say that there is "some joint promotion of cycling venture" going on.

it's not just promoting cycling though, it's more using cycling as a platform from which to promote the country. or something.

if public money is going into it, i think it would make sense to give it a bit of a higher priority in the schedule, simply to maximise return on investment. but, to be honest, i'm slightly surprised they're covering it as well as they are (such are my low expectations of rte i suppose) rather than putting together a one-off programme to be shown when it's all over. cycling's a bit shop-soiled at the moment so i'll take what i can get.

oh and i saw meself on telly just there. twas brief but it was me all right. in the boards jersey :pac:. saw ba too.

zzzzzzzz

rash wrote: »

itv4 are showing toi from 1900-2000, look at satellite forum for info on how to tune itv4

I know that you can tune in all the ITV channels on a sky box - but is it possible on an NTL digital box as well?

zzzzzzzz

niceonetom wrote: »

well biffo's big ugly face is on the back of the promotional tour program i picked up at the start together with a long spiel by him about how the tour is great for ireland, cycling, tourism etc. etc.

and the tour is "in association with" fáilte ireland (a state body) and sponsored by an post (again, state money there) so, what with it being shown on a national broadcaster and all, yes, i think it would be accurate to say that there is "some joint promotion of cycling venture" going on.

it's not just promoting cycling though, it's more using cycling as a platform from which to promote the country. or something.

if public money is going into it, i think it would make sense to give it a bit of a higher priority in the schedule, simply to maximise return on investment. but, to be honest, i'm slightly surprised they're covering it as well as they are (such are my low expectations of rte i suppose) rather than putting together a one-off programme to be shown when it's all over. cycling's a bit shop-soiled at the moment so i'll take what i can get.

oh and i saw meself on telly just there. twas brief but it was me all right. in the boards jersey :pac:. saw ba too.

As far as I know, they have to pay a fortune to get the show ON to the national airwaves to begin with. I'm sure it's a fairly cheap time slot from half 11 onwards in comparison with broadcasting at primetime

PeadarofAodh

TOI has destroyed me...don't have any video machine and have to get up early for work. God bless my morning double latte!

kcphoto

Funkyzeit wrote: »

..people (and more importantly kids) to get into the sport of cycling when they show the TOI at 11:55....after the nutty professor...:mad:

RANT OVER....sorry...

Have to agree completely.
There's a lot of talk on the program itself from politicians about promoting the TOI , making it a bigger event , promoting sport and cycling etc and I doubt most people without more than a passing interest in cycling even know that it's on.
On the opening day there was no mention of it on TV3's main news sports section and about 15 seconds of it on RTE main evening news (while there was no other significant national sporting event that day).

Besides the coverage being produced a bit like a 1980's Bord Failte ad and burying it after 11pm each night , there also seems to have been a concerted effort by people along the narrow roads (especially on Thursday) to try to block them with jeeps , cars , tractors etc.
I'd love to know what the riders make of the obstacle course and why the route is not closed and cleared effectively.

ednwireland

watching it myself on itv4 couldnt beleive the rte scheduling i'd think it was a smack in the face if i was an organizer, mind you maybe rte cant get a highlights package organized as quickly as the production company for itv4

blorg

I would be surprised if the programme on ITV4 is any different, AFAIK the TV production is produced by the event organiser and then given ready to air to RTE (I have heard possibly paying RTE to show it.)

Tackleberry

Such a pack of moaners in here....we've an hour each night of pro racing in our own country and crazy old me things it may actually be a good thing?

The coverage is fine, bit overdosed on promoting Ireland but Jesus thats why they're putting the money in!!!!

Kelly would be too bloody expensive, and I 100% agree Jimmy Magee should be put out to pasture where he belongs.

But would you not just be happy with what you get? Go crazy and ask your mom to let you stay up past 12!!!

In more important news, the Rás is approx 9/11 times a thousand better than this race ... early skirmish, long suicidal break, columbia cruisin, bunch sprint, yawn

Raam

Tackleberry wrote: »

Kelly would be too bloody expensive

Kelly is presumably busy running his team in the race.

Tackleberry

As far as I know he has very little hands-on involvement with the team, his input is largely to allow the team to use his name to get invites to races.

King Kelly

Tackleberry wrote: »

As far as I know he has very little hands-on involvement with the team, his input is largely to allow the team to use his name to get invites to races.

For the record I don't know Kelly personally but have met him on several occasions where he has went out of his way to support cycling events my club has put on at no personal benefit to himself other then a cup of tea after launching an event and spending a hour or two posing for photos's and signing autographs before driving home.

If 's hes earned the figure you mention I say fair play to him - he deserved it. (although I doubt it given the money cyclists were earning in the 70's and 80's). If he's paid to lend his name to events I say wheres the problem - its a commercial descision where someone decides that by availing of Kellys'name/imput they will make a multiple of the cost paid to him.

In my opinion he is a magnificent ambassordor for the sport and for Ireland. His story is amazing given his beginnings from a fairly humble background, leaving school and home early to pursue a career in a foreign country, adjusting and learning numerous languages on the way to becoming one of the worlds greatest cyclists.



By the way I am a fan.