Dee Forbes banging the RTE TV licence drum again 60m uncollected fee *poll not working - pl ignore*

Hate horse racing but this female was there on merit and RTE let her go.
https://evoke.ie/2020/01/31/showbiz/tracy-piggott-rte

Boggles

jmcc wrote: »

The same kind of "solution" thinking that destroyed British Satellite Broadcasting and left Sky dominate the UK satellite TV market,.

Nope.

Most popular TV channels in the United Kingdom

jmcc wrote: »

Almost like it was set up so RTE people could get RTE in their holiday homes in France.

Where do you think the Astra footprint beams to?

Open the Pubs

TomTomTim wrote: »

Both RTE and Virgin have gone female mad on their main news shows. Both outlets are well beyond majority female. It's funny that their form of equality is just flipping the previous dominance of men. Male dominance= sexist, female dominance= equality.

That's Irish feminism for you. There was never a shortage of upper class women on RTE. You would rarely hear any working class people from Dublin or people with regional accents on RTE outside sporting coverage or Love/Hate. And it's not much different now.

I notice they have a fella with a Dublin accent doing Prime Time this year, stands out because they never do. Dee Forbes just wants people like her, it's become a womens channel for D4s.

Seamai

Open the Pubs wrote: »

That's Irish feminism for you. There was never a shortage of upper class women on RTE. You would rarely hear any working class people from Dublin or people with regional accents on RTE outside sporting coverage or Love/Hate. And it's not much different now.

I notice they have a fella with a Dublin accent doing Prime Time this year, stands out because they never do. Dee Forbes just wants people like her, it's become a womens channel for D4s.

Except she's a west Cork bogger even though she might not like to be reminded of it.

Open the Pubs

Seamai wrote: »

Except she's a west Cork bogger even though she might not like to be reminded of it.

The worst D4s are from the countryside, move to Dublin, ditch the accent ditch anything to do with where your from.

And from what I hear West Cork is probably posh enough in parts anyway. Rachel Allen, Holly Cairns TD, Colette Browne etc. Not much of a Cork twang there! Funny enough they seem to be on RTE regularly too.

jmcc

Boggles wrote: »

Nope.

You really don't know about British Satellite Broadcasting and Sky? Not really that surprising. It happened in 1990.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Satellite_Broadcasting

Most popular TV channels in the United Kingdom

Perhaps you weren't paying attention to the satellite part of satellite TV.

Where do you think the Astra footprint beams to?

The Astra footprint doesn't beam anywhere. The footprint is an area covered by the satellite's transponders (the transmitters that transmit the signals). For the benefit of the public, it is generally shown in terms of the size of dish required for reception. The output of the transponders can be shaped for different geographical coverage. Sometimes, it is possible to pick up a usable signal from a satellite outside the centre of the footprint (where 60 cm dishes or smaller can be used) using a larger dish or better LNB (the block of electronics in front of the dish).

Regards...jmcc

jmcc

jmcc wrote: »

You really don't know about British Satellite Broadcasting and Sky? Not really that surprising. It happened in 1990.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Satellite_Broadcasting

Perhaps you weren't paying attention to the satellite part of satellite TV.

Unlike you, I know about satellite TV. The Astra footprint doesn't beam anywhere. The footprint is an area covered by the satellite's transponders (the transmitters that transmit the signals). For the benefit of the public, it is generally shown in terms of the size of dish required for reception. The output of the transponders can be shaped for different geographical coverage. Sometimes, it is possible to pick up a usable signal from a satellite outside the centre of the footprint (where 60 cm dishes or smaller can be used) using a larger dish or better LNB (the block of electronics in front of the dish).

Regards...jmcc

If you can pick up saorsat in France then you might just be the man that will find proof of intelligent life from signals coming from distant planets and SETI will be eternally grateful.

jmcc

Deleted User wrote: »

If you can pick up saorsat in France then you might just be the man that will find proof of intelligent life from signals coming from distant planets and SETI will be eternally grateful.

Brest is probably just on the edge of that footprint. I think that finding signs of intelligent life in Dail Eireann might be more of a challenge.

Regards...jmcc

Elmo

Seamai wrote: »

Except she's a west Cork bogger even though she might not like to be reminded of it.

Yeah but She knows Ted Turner!

Elmo

I am going to say this in the anonymity of boards.ie and I have personally nothing against Ms. Forbes.

When she was given the job of DG she was given a €50,000 moving costs. But from what I can gather she largely lived between London and West Cork, and from what I can gather now she largely lives in West Cork, not sure if she has a home in Dublin, but was not deserving of a €50,000 for moving. IMO.

Kivaro

Elmo wrote: »

I am going to say this in the anonymity of boards.ie and I have personally nothing against Ms. Forbes.

When she was given the job of DG she was given a €50,000 moving costs. But from what I can gather she largely lived between London and West Cork, and from what I can gather now she largely lives in West Cork, not sure if she has a home in Dublin, but was not deserving of a €50,000 for moving. IMO.

€50K is chump change for RTE, and since it is not their money they couldn't give a shoite how inappropriately they spend it. As I keep saying, there is no accountability at RTE and very little (if any) oversight.

Boggles

jmcc wrote: »

Perhaps you weren't paying attention to the satellite part of satellite TV.

They all broadcast on "satellite tv", a phrase I haven't heard in decades.

I don't see what your point is?

jmcc wrote: »

The Astra footprint doesn't beam anywhere. The footprint is an area covered by the satellite's transponders (the transmitters that transmit the signals). For the benefit of the public, it is generally shown in terms of the size of dish required for reception. The output of the transponders can be shaped for different geographical coverage. Sometimes, it is possible to pick up a usable signal from a satellite outside the centre of the footprint (where 60 cm dishes or smaller can be used) using a larger dish or better LNB (the block of electronics in front of the dish).
Regards...jmcc

jmcc

Boggles wrote: »

They all broadcast on "satellite tv", a phrase I haven't heard in decades.

The point is that you didn't have a clue about how BSB was taken over by Sky and how Sky dominated the UK/Irish satellite TV market. Instead, you cluelessly provided some stats link on the combined TV market in the UK.

BSB was the British government approved Direct Broadcast via Satellite service and Sky was the competitor. Sky and some other ventures had bid for the franchise but lost to BSB. BSB used D-MAC and its own encryption system supplied by General Instruments. Sky used PAL and cheap technology. It also introduced Videocrypt as its scrambling system after the movie wars (they were bidding against each other for movie rights) with BSB when both services had to hard scramble. You might find this difficult to believe but I know more about that subject than you.

BSB was run by people who shared the BBC public service broadcaster mentality. This mentality is not unlike the one to which RTE aspires. Unlike you, I knew quite a few of them. Sky was far more ruthless. But you probably weren't even aware that BSB existed. Sky and its platform effectively became the gatekeeper for the UK and Irish satellite TV market. That's why Astra is the main satellite group and why the BSB satellites were sold off after the service was fully merged with Sky.

I don't see what your point is?

That footprint map is for Astra and shows required dish sizes. Saorsat is broadcast from a different satellite and has a very different footprint. Perhaps you don't have a strong understanding of footprints, the history of satellite TV in Ireland and the UK and satellite TV in general.

Regards...jmcc

Boggles

jmcc wrote: »

That footprint map is for Astra and shows required dish sizes.

I know, I posted it.

jmcc wrote: »

Saorsat is broadcast from a different satellite and has a very different footprint.

I know that is the point.

jmcc wrote: »

Perhaps you don't have a strong understanding of footprints, the history of satellite TV in Ireland and the UK and satellite TV in general.

Regards...jmcc

No lad, I was falling off roofs installing dishes long before you read about them on wikipedia.

Brock Turnpike

jmcc wrote: »

The point is that you didn't have a clue about how BSB was taken over by Sky and how Sky dominated the UK/Irish satellite TV market. Instead, you cluelessly provided some stats link on the combined TV market in the UK.

BSB was the British government approved Direct Broadcast via Satellite service and Sky was the competitor. Sky and some other ventures had bid for the franchise but lost to BSB. BSB used D-MAC and its own encryption system supplied by General Instruments. Sky used PAL and cheap technology. It also introduced Videocrypt as its scrambling system after the movie wars (they were bidding against each other for movie rights) with BSB when both services had to hard scramble. You might find this difficult to believe but I know more about that subject than you.

BSB was run by people who shared the BBC public service broadcaster mentality. This mentality is not unlike the one to which RTE aspires. Unlike you, I knew quite a few of them. Sky was far more ruthless. But you probably weren't even aware that BSB existed. Sky and its platform effectively became the gatekeeper for the UK and Irish satellite TV market. That's why Astra is the main satellite group and why the BSB satellites were sold off after the service was fully merged with Sky.

That footprint map is for Astra and shows required dish sizes. Saorsat is broadcast from a different satellite and has a very different footprint. Perhaps you don't have a strong understanding of footprints, the history of satellite TV in Ireland and the UK and satellite TV in general.

Regards...jmcc

Ridiculously condescending post. No need for it.

Seamai

Open the Pubs wrote: »

The worst D4s are from the countryside, move to Dublin, ditch the accent ditch anything to do with where your from.

And from what I hear West Cork is probably posh enough in parts anyway. Rachel Allen, Holly Cairns TD, Colette Browne etc. Not much of a Cork twang there! Funny enough they seem to be on RTE regularly too.

Spot on, if I was from Drimoleague I'd probably reinvent myself too. It's probably the grimest town in west Cork.

Hotblack Desiato

jmcc wrote: »

The Astra satellites/slot are the main satellites for the Irish market. Existing and cheap technology that people use. But RTE and whoever advised it made a mess of it.

What are you suggesting - an Irish "Freesat from Sky" ? Would Sky be willing to offer that, given that it would damage their commercial interests here? On what terms would they be willing to offer it? The BBC and ITV found the costs of paying Sky for encryption to be onerous.

Almost like it was set up so RTE people could get RTE in their holiday homes in France.

Anybody who knows how Saorsat works would know that that is an entirely ludicrous suggestion due to spot reuse. And I'm sure RTE staffers can afford a Sky sub and a spare box :rolleyes:

It encapsulates RTE's profligate culture. They pay no price for commercial failure. The licence payers and the tax payers pay.

The costs of Saorsat are not very high. It only exists because it's cheaper than building more relays.

Elmo

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

What are you suggesting - an Irish "Freesat from Sky" ? Would Sky be willing to offer that, given that it would damage their commercial interests here? On what terms would they be willing to offer it? The BBC and ITV found the costs of paying Sky for encryption to be onerous.

When Oireachtas TV first appeared on Sky and refused to go on Saorview they were paying to go encrypted on Satellite on Sky for €250,000. AFAIK the same price if you went out in the Clear on satellite. But the refused to go on Soarview because why should the pay when its a Free service.

I think OTV still pay for Sky, and look like the refuse to pay extra for the weekend on saorview, which come under RTÉ's remit!

Elmo

I see the carlow school story was not a news story either. Trust Matters.

Boggles

Elmo wrote: »

I see the carlow school story was not a news story either. Trust Matters.

It was on RTE news, the website and prime time.

Boggles

Boggles wrote: »

It was on RTE news, the website and prime time.

And some fella from the School was on Morning Ireland refuting the story (to no avail, really)

jmcc

Boggles wrote: »

I know, I posted it.

As I said, Astra publishes footprint maps with the recommended dish sizes for the public. Publishing them with the power levels may not be as obvious.

I know that is the point.

Really? It simply looked like you couldn't tell one satellite's footprint map from another.

No lad, I was falling off roofs installing dishes long before you read about them on wikipedia.

As Wikipedia.org was only registered in 2001, my simply reading about it first on Wikipedia is highly unlikely. My involvement with satellite TV predates that and even the establishment of Boards.

Regards...jmcc

Boggles

jmcc wrote: »

My involvement with satellite TV predates that and even the establishment of Boards.

Regards...jmcc

You wouldn't think it.

Regards...Boggles.

jmcc

Brock Turnpike wrote: »

Ridiculously condescending post. No need for it.

If you don't know the history and the mindsets, then you won't understand why RTE got it wrong with Saorsat. RTE's aspiration to be the equivalent of BBC on the Dodder drives some of its decisions. the same commercially oblivious attitude permeated BSB as it too saw itself as being a kind of public service broadcaster. It chose a complex and new technology that was incompatible with most televisions of the day. There was a memorable debate on Newsnight where John Gau of BSB was debating with Andrew Neil and Neil asked how the BSB box would connect with subscriber's TVs. Gau produced a SCART lead and Neil pointed out that most TVs at the time did not have a SCART socket so the improved picture quality of BSB was wasted as it had to be converted back to PAL for most TVs.

RTE's decision to use an off-Astra satellite and a higher frequency for transmission which required different technology on the consumer side echoed that of BSB.

Astra had become the main focus for the growing satellite TV market in Ireland and the UK because Sky was broadcasting Sky Movies without encryption. People could get free movies and other programming without a Sky decoder for a while. Then Sky encrypted and a lot of people bought Sky decoders or bought receivers with built-in decoders. That is basically how Astra's slot and Sky's platform came to dominate the Irish and UK market. RTE's choice of a different satellite for Saorsat is similar to BSB using a satellite in a different orbital slot to the more popular Astra.

Many people who could not get a decent RTE signal or Saorview signal might already have had a Sky TV installation for programming. The RTE approach, being typically disconnected from commerical reality and hooked on the heroin of licence fee money, didn't give a damn about the extra equipment costs incurred by those who had to pay both the licence fee and the installation and equipment costs to get Saorsat.

Regards...jmcc

Elmo

Deleted User wrote: »

And some fella from the School was on Morning Ireland refuting the story (to no avail, really)

Sounds to me that the School told everyone to abided by the dress code. This was due to "some of the Girls treating it like a fashion show" (a very teachery thing to say, TBH).

But is a completely different story, it sounds to me like some girls inferred something that wasn't said.

Otherwise the headline is just

Carlow School insists on School Dress Code during PE.

Free paper type headline.

Boggles

Elmo wrote: »

Sounds to me that the School told everyone to abided by the dress code. This was due to "some of the Girls treating it like a fashion show" (a very teachery thing to say, TBH).
.

I'm pretty sure the story is they only pulled the girls out of class to remind them about the dress code.

Specifically leggings.

* blesses self *

I don't think it helped the situation that the principal basically came out and called the girls liars.

Boggles

jmcc wrote: »

Many people who could not get a decent RTE signal or Saorview signal might already have had a Sky TV installation for programming.

They all ready had RTE so.

Elmo

Boggles wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the story is they only pulled the girls out of class to remind them about the dress code.

Specifically leggings.

* blesses self *

I don't think it helped the situation that the principal basically came out and called the girls liars.

If this is the case then he's a fool and should have broached the subject to everyone.

If a school has a dress code, that's the end of it really. But if you go to suggest its only the girls and pull them all in to assembly seems OTT.

Some on twitter calling out the Journalists.

Hotblack Desiato

jmcc wrote: »

RTE's choice of a different satellite for Saorsat is similar to BSB using a satellite in a different orbital slot to the more popular Astra.

The UK government mandated that the successful tenderer use the "UK" satellites (Marcopolo) and MAC. Sky were on 19.2 back then not where they are now, and using analogue.

Many people who could not get a decent RTE signal or Saorview signal might already have had a Sky TV installation for programming. The RTE approach, being typically disconnected from commerical reality and hooked on the heroin of licence fee money, didn't give a damn about the extra equipment costs incurred by those who had to pay both the licence fee and the installation and equipment costs to get Saorsat.

You have to pay for a licence and some sort of equipment no matter what way you want to receive broadcast TV.

Saorsat is the only way to get Irish channels in Saorview black spots, and every terrestrial network has black spots, including the UK.

Should people in bad coverage areas have just been told "Tough, get Sky" ?

People (like myself) who don't want to pay Sky or Virgin have never had it so good in this country - Saorview or Saorsat for Irish channels and Freesat for the UK channels. Only recurring cost is the licence and that's just a fact of life unless you don't see any need for public service broadcasting whatsoever. Even the US has a PSB.

RTE's content on satellite has to be either restricted by a very tight beam (Ku band spot beams don't cut it) or strong encryption, that's just the way it is. Every small country which shares a language with a large neighbour has the same issue e.g. Austria and Germany.

Elmo

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Should people in bad coverage areas have just been told "Tough, get Sky" ?

Sky should have been told that in those black spots that they must provide those areas with FTV card for the Irish stations. This wouldn't break the bank for them and Sky would probably gain a few subs that they would normal get, the card could be issued by Saorview. Those cards could just be limited to those areas.

How many people actually use Saorsat in those areas?