RTÉ, where did it go wrong?

Oscar Bravo

Not a bad series back in the day Hands

CrankyHaus

whisky_galore wrote: »

I find it amazing that people still buy the RTE Guide, most of which is Montrose navel gazing pap, the programme schedule you can get free online anyway.
Also the dinosaur that is Aertel is still with us.

Believe it or not that was hugely profitable for RTE in its heyday. When sales began flagging in the 2000s it created serious financial problems.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Like Ireland generally, RTE has ****loads of potential but a complete aversion to anything in slightest bit controversial, consequently settling for the banal, the boring, the downright normal simply because it's a safer bet; and no-one's going to be offended.

Cienciano

With the availability of stuff to watch online I'm surprised anyone under the age of 45 still watches it.

thecretinhop

Paths to freedom was epic you can only get bits of it now on utube...

ogsjw

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

Like Ireland generally, RTE has ****loads of potential but a complete aversion to anything in slightest bit controversial, consequently settling for the banal, the boring, the downright normal simply because it's a safer bet; and no-one's going to be offended.

You're half-right, aside from the alt-right dogwhistling. The Irish have always been a mix of apathetic and insecure (as in lacking confidence of ability). The Irish as a society are terrified of things that sound like they may fail if we try. Look at how progressive our Northern cousins are in the likes of Norway and Finland, and what has been done in Portugal regarding drug abuse. They try and see serious results, and we're not even brave enough to copy them.

NewbridgeIR

NIMAN wrote: »

When I search the Rte player app for it, finding nothing.

Can you link to it?

Hi


https://www.rte.ie/player/series/bachelors-walk/SI0000004222?epguid=IP7333

Atlantic Dawn

thecretinhop wrote: »

Paths to freedom was epic you can only get bits of it now on utube...

It was added to the Player a couple of weeks ago, it's gold...


https://www.rte.ie/player/series/paths-to-freedom/SI0000005542?epguid=AQ000084919

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adv4XGIhlzo

OK, the Drogheda feud. Prime Time is discussing it this minute. The journalist said that it started with an attack on a "halting site". Shortly after, the same journalist says the feud is between two groups, one in their 30s and one in their 20s, who had previously been part of the one group.

OK, so the Drogheda feud is between Travellers? If this is the reality, would they please just say it? They're as bad as The Irish Times for this patronising paternalism.

bodhrandude

SPDUB wrote: »

They actually did try to create a channel to repeat them in 2012

It was going to be called RTE3 .

Minister of Communication turned them down , said it was RTE1+1 for 6 hours a night or nothing .

Tried to dump kids programmes off RTE2 in 2015 or so . Minster didn't even bother to reply to their proposal .

I remember a channel I think called Tara TV channel that was on Sky in the late nineties and early noughties and that used to feature archive RTE stuff and current stuff at the time like Come West Along the Road and stuff like that, but it only lasted a few years and it was scrapped, was great for the Irish living in the UK.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tara_Television

Deebles McBeebles

Deleted User wrote: »

OK, so the Drogheda feud is between Travellers? If this is the reality, would they please just say it? They're as bad as The Irish Times for this patronising paternalism.

Same on Six One yesterday. "Travelling crime gangs" is my favourite phrase they use.

Deebles McBeebles

bodhrandude wrote: »

I remember a channel I think called Tara TV channel that was on Sky in the late nineties and early noughties and that used to feature archive RTE stuff and current stuff at the time like Come West Along the Road and stuff like that, but it only lasted a few years and it was scrapped, was great for the Irish living in the UK.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tara_Television

RTE Player (which is awful) has a channel sort of like that, they show old shows about Dublin and the odd Don't Feed The Gondolas episode.

sligojoek

Deleted User wrote: »

OK, the Drogheda feud. Prime Time is discussing it this minute. The journalist said that it started with an attack on a "halting site". Shortly after, the same journalist says the feud is between two groups, one in their 30s and one in their 20s, who had previously been part of the one group.

OK, so the Drogheda feud is between Travellers? If this is the reality, would they please just say it? They're as bad as The Irish Times for this patronising paternalism.

Deebles McBeebles wrote: »

RTE Player (which is awful) has a channel sort of like that, they show old shows about Dublin and the odd Don't Feed The Gondolas episode.

In the interview afterwards, The father of the missing lad (Maughan) said it was travellers too.

sligojoek

Sorry Deebles. I meant to quote your first post.

The Late Late Show

I think reality TV destroyed most TV stations RTE included. But outside of this, the other stuff mostly is poor too:

Chat shows: too many on RTE and the same guests.
Music: non-existent apart from them reality talent shows.
Drama: RTE did a great drama in Love/Hate but has not made anything great since then. I feel RTE listen to the minority who condemn violence and therefore make all these tame Striking Out and Finding Joy type dramas. 2004's The Big Bow Wow can never be forgiven either. Watch The Handmaid's Tale, McMafia, Better Call Saul, Game of Thrones and Mr Mercedes instead of any current RTE drama.
Sport: less showing of major sports events of late too, even GAA matches.
Current affairs and news: below par compared to UK channels for sure.
Comedy: way too much of Mrs Brown and copies of it.

sligojoek

The Late Late Show wrote: »

I think reality TV destroyed most TV stations RTE included. But outside of this, the other stuff mostly is poor too:

Chat shows: too many on RTE and the same guests.

One is enough and even that is all misery and faux C&W music and z listers selling stuff.

Music: non-existent apart from them reality talent shows.

You forgot the Carter twins. Other than that, was the awful "Irelands favourite folk song". The ending was the anti climax of the year.

Drama: RTE did a great drama in Love/Hate but has not made anything great since then. I feel RTE listen to the minority who condemn violence and therefore make all these tame Striking Out and Finding Joy type dramas. 2004's The Big Bow Wow can never be forgiven either. Watch The Handmaid's Tale, McMafia, Better Call Saul, Game of Thrones and Mr Mercedes instead of any current RTE drama.

Love Hate was bought in.


Sport: less showing of major sports events of late too, even GAA matches.

GAA is all they have left and they're over egging that pudding. I see now that they're going all out on the womens world cup. WOW, that'll be a spectacle.

Current affairs and news: below par compared to UK channels for sure.

Propaganda central


Comedy: way too much of Mrs Brown and copies of it.

On a loop. Gone beyond a joke now.

You're dead right.

The Late Late Show

sligojoek wrote: »

You're dead right.

All very true. RTE should just find a way of killing off Mrs Brown for good. Perhaps, do a joint production with Hulu called Mrs Brown Goes To Gilead. Mrs Brown becomes a handmaid, tells Gilead to F off and gets salvaged. Now, that would be good!

James Brown

It started out with cronyism and nepotism, however, it was all we had and was celebrated and enjoyed. Then as the years rolled on we saw professionals and talent from elsewhere and we still had RTE cronyism and nepotism.
It's cheaper to buy in crap when your nieces and nephews have no ideas of their own and what they do have is forgettable.

suicide_circus

the way they interview their own colleagues on chat shows and the rte guide as if merely working at rte makes you a person of interest is beyond embarrassing. if i see one more fawning expose of miriam ocallaghan or katherine thomas i may just vomit.

razorblunt

Their insistence on nepotism and "who you know" getting jobs.

A travel show with Tommy Bowe and Vogue Williams FFS!
Lottie Ryan etc etc.

GMSA

They did a full hour on 2FM dj Stephen Byrne on RTE2 last night where he went back and repeated the Leaving Cert. 9 yrs after his first attempt. Why bother? He has a job for life. His results weren't great. If it was me I'd be ashamed to have it broadcast. Leaving Again it was called.

Fan of Netflix

RTE is D4 only half of em related to each other. The BBC would never allow that.

James Brown

Fan of Netflix wrote: »

RTE is D4 only half of em related to each other. The BBC would never allow that.

On BBC job applications you need list any relatives working there.
In RTE you get a job in the post room and as something comes up you get bumped up, unless you've no relatives in RTE, then, well you work in the post room.

Fan of Netflix

I noticed their new politics reporter Mary Regan is married and has children with another RTE reporter. I wonder how she got the job ffs. They rarely ever advertise most of their positions publically which is a disgrace for a public broadcaster.

James Brown

Fan of Netflix wrote: »

I noticed their new politics reporter Mary Regan is married and has children with another RTE reporter. I wonder how she got the job ffs. They rarely ever advertise most of their positions publically which is a disgrace for a public broadcaster.

I was taking a night course a number of years ago. Long story short we were prepping for exams and would often cross paths with the daytime/full-time crowd. One fella said to some of us, I don't mind if I fail, his uncle, (points to his pal) works in RTE we've jobs waiting on us".
Not to mention I was at an RTE event once and there was a set of identical twins working there, I sh*t you not. Not forgetting the Heffernans...

https://stillslibrary.rte.ie/indexplus/image/2006/046.html

The trick was when government insisted, (Michael D. I think) that RTE use more independent contractors...they all left RTE and set up as independent contractors.

Fan of Netflix

Fan of Netflix wrote: »

I noticed their new politics reporter Mary Regan is married and has children with another RTE reporter. I wonder how she got the job ffs. They rarely ever advertise most of their positions publically which is a disgrace for a public broadcaster.

She started in RTE, went working in the private media and then came back to RTE. From an ordinary background in Galway afaik. Nothing untoward there.

James Brown

Deleted User wrote: »

She started in RTE, went working in the private media and then came back to RTE. From an ordinary background in Galway afaik. Nothing untoward there.

How did she start in RTE? Not saying she's not skilled, just wondering how one 'starts' at RTE?

Thelonious Monk

I think it was Tuesday night this week at 2130 and they're showing father f*cking ted on RTE 2.

Thelonious Monk

Surely the Lottie Ryan thing is against the law? Imagine hiring someone to work in the civil service because their dad worked there. There'd be uproar. RTE is basically civil service anyway. Why doesn't it have a transparent recruitment process?

Fan of Netflix

Deleted User wrote: »

She started in RTE, went working in the private media and then came back to RTE. From an ordinary background in Galway afaik. Nothing untoward there.

How did she start in RTE? I note her younger sister is an actress/model who has also worked in RTE. So her husband is an RTE news presenter, her sister works with RTE and she is now on her second stint with RTE.

Very good for an ordinary family! On the other hand I've never known anybody who even got an interview there much less a job. Must be the least diverse broadcaster in the English speaking world.

Fan of Netflix

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Surely the Lottie Ryan thing is against the law? Imagine hiring someone to work in the civil service because their dad worked there. There'd be uproar. RTE is basically civil service anyway. Why doesn't it have a transparent recruitment process?

Unreal that nobody has called that out. How long until Mrirams daughters get a job because of "Mummy"

Journalism degree I think.

Thelonious Monk

Deleted User wrote: »

Journalism degree I think.

So if I get a Mickey Mouse degree like that I get a job in RTE?

Balanadan

Thank **** I don't pay for a tv licence.

vriesmays

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

So if I get a Mickey Mouse degree like that I get a job in RTE?

If you're female, love immigration, pro-gay, dislike the Catholic Church and believe in climate change then yes.

Cryptopagan

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

So if I get a Mickey Mouse degree like that I get a job in RTE?

Funnily enough a journalism degree does actually prepare people for a career in journalism.

Cryptopagan

vriesmays wrote: »

If you're female, love immigration, pro-gay, dislike the Catholic Church and believe in climate change then yes.

Yeah, they are all radical feminists in RTE: Ryan Tubridy, Sean ORourke, Bryan Dobson, George Hamilton...

topper75

vriesmays wrote: »

If you're female, love immigration, pro-gay, dislike the Catholic Church and believe in climate change then yes.

Saying 'new Ireland' quite a lot is not essential but will be looked on favourably.

cameramonkey

vriesmays wrote: »

If you're female, love immigration, pro-gay, dislike the Catholic Church and believe in climate change then yes.

But not working with immigrants. As someone pointed out earlier it must be the place where the least amount of immigrants work. They will have to wait until they marry into the place.

Fan of Netflix

cameramonkey wrote: »

But not working with immigrants. As someone pointed out earlier it must be the place where the least amount of immigrants work. They will have to wait until they marry into the place.

"Diversity" in RTE is giving your D4 sister a job. Not many working class Dubs or Culchies in RTE never mind ethnic minorities.

cameramonkey

That reminds me , how many of the Bowman family worked in Montrose, must be at least 3.

Larbre34

A lot of people here living or wanting to live in the past, what a waste of life.

Sure RTÉ is flawed, it has a brief to be all things to all people and not nearly the money to do it. I'm not advocating a bigger taxpayer stipend, personally I'd break up the whole thing and keep a small organisation of news and current affairs with a fixed non-political budget and a citizens board formed by lottery and let sport and entertainment be paid for by those who want it.

Because thats where this is heading, you cannot on one hand demand summer gaelic matches be on RTE2 for your auld lad who is 'entitled' to it and yet say RTÉ is wasting money getting into bidding wars with sporting bodies among other investments. The national borders of the broadcast media are almost gone anyway, RTÉ should get ahead of the curve and divest now.

Also, I'll say to people what Eoin O'Broin said very candidly about his party Sinn Féin's awful results last week; "people told us on the doors they wanted to hear more solutions from us", so where are all of your ideas for RTÉ, who would you get to present and produce, what would you allocate the budget to?

cameramonkey

Larbre34 wrote: »

A lot of people here living or wanting to live in the past, what a waste of life.

Sure RTÉ is flawed, it has a brief to be all things to all people and not nearly the money to do it. I'm not advocating a bigger taxpayer stipend, personally I'd break up the whole thing and keep a small organisation of news and current affairs with a fixed non-political budget and a citizens board formed by lottery and let sport and entertainment be paid for by those who want it.

Because thats where this is heading, you cannot on one hand demand summer gaelic matches be on RTE2 for your auld lad who is 'entitled' to it and yet say RTÉ is wasting money getting into bidding wars with sporting bodies among other investments. The national borders of the broadcast media are almost gone anyway, RTÉ should get ahead of the curve and divest now.

Also, I'll say to people what Eoin O'Broin said very candidly about his party Sinn Féin's awful results last week; "people told us on the doors they wanted to hear more solutions from us", so where are all of your ideas for RTÉ, who would you get to present and produce, what would you allocate the budget to?

Do you think dancing with the stars or what ever they call it is essential to our cultural life? They could scrap that for a start. save hundreds of thousands I would imagine.

Pero_Bueno

whisky_galore wrote: »

Much of early shows like Wanderly Wagon are gone for good as RTE reused tapes as an economy measure.

Aren't they available on DVD ?

James Brown

Larbre34 wrote: »

A lot of people here living or wanting to live in the past, what a waste of life.

Sure RTÉ is flawed, it has a brief to be all things to all people and not nearly the money to do it. I'm not advocating a bigger taxpayer stipend, personally I'd break up the whole thing and keep a small organisation of news and current affairs with a fixed non-political budget and a citizens board formed by lottery and let sport and entertainment be paid for by those who want it.

Because thats where this is heading, you cannot on one hand demand summer gaelic matches be on RTE2 for your auld lad who is 'entitled' to it and yet say RTÉ is wasting money getting into bidding wars with sporting bodies among other investments. The national borders of the broadcast media are almost gone anyway, RTÉ should get ahead of the curve and divest now.

Also, I'll say to people what Eoin O'Broin said very candidly about his party Sinn Féin's awful results last week; "people told us on the doors they wanted to hear more solutions from us", so where are all of your ideas for RTÉ, who would you get to present and produce, what would you allocate the budget to?

If they hired people based on talent they might fare better?
It's exactly like the civil service does entertainment, (which is what RTE was born out of). Look it's repeats, foreign soaps, copies of foreign shows, poor efforts at comedy, a shyte Irish soap, sport and rural stuff.
I know they use to create shows for Gerry Ryan. Not create a show and wonder who could fit in the role. Proof? 'Secrets". The LLS chair was waiting for Ryan Tubbs when he was a younger spotty little Tory doing radio spots.

You get a few decent creative types and they could walk rings around half the crap we pay for that airs. The old days are indeed gone every kid is media savvy and there are numerous media courses producing people all the time, but f**k let's give Lottie f***ing Ryan a show ffs.

cameramonkey

Pero_Bueno wrote: »

Aren't they available on DVD ?

He is taking about the 1960s, DVD was only a twinkle in someones eye then.

James Brown

Pero_Bueno wrote: »

Aren't they available on DVD ?

Ever hear of the Good Friday agreement? They're all gone now. You might find a continuity streaming service about the place.

razorblunt

Fan of Netflix wrote: »

Unreal that nobody has called that out. How long until Mrirams daughters get a job because of "Mummy"

She’s got about 14 sprogs that need jobs.

NewbridgeIR

Pero_Bueno wrote: »

Aren't they available on DVD ?

Two volumes - 7 episodes on each - no end credits (shoddy)

Larbre34

cameramonkey wrote: »

Do you think dancing with the stars or what ever they call it is essential to our cultural life? They could scrap that for a start. save hundreds of thousands I would imagine.

Of course it isn't, but a certain demographic enjoy it and its popularity brings in advertising and sponsorship, thats what the brief is. Youd be moaning about a bigger deficit otherwise. Do they address your cultural needs at other times? Folk and trad, poetry, punk, rebels, painters?