The future of RTE after Tubsgate.

thesandeman

I heard an ad on the radio asking people to complete a survey on the future of RTE. I missed the email address though.

Tow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121417520#Comment_121417520

See link towards the bottom of the page https://www.rte.ie/eile/2023/1113/1416288-a-new-direction-for-rte/

Clo-Clo

Anyone that thinks the future of RTE includes 2FM is deranged in my opinion. Never seen such a black hole of talent in all my life, maybe 1-2 should survive.

Mickey Mike

RTE+1s and TG4+1 is an entirely waste of space, the digital radio channels are trash as well. We should be shouting at the top of our heads to get VM1 HD (even though its rubbish too) then we can take it from there. I believe in quality not quantity, I want to see full HD (1920×1080) instead of 1440×1080) on Saorview.

decor58

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121418643#Comment_121418643

It appears as if most want VM in HD except VM. As regards the +1's, some love them, some think they are a waste. They are handy but when players are the norm the broadcaster gets advertising revenue from both sources, depends on which one is more profitable.

thesandeman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419191#Comment_121419191

That's fine, but the RTE Player isn't functional.

If programmes clash the +1 is an excellent option.

I would rather miss something completely that spend an hour and a half getting more and more frustrated trying to catch up with a fifty minute long programme.

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419328#Comment_121419328

I was just about to quote that poster to say the same. The RTE Player is the biggest pile ofshite ever. I'd love to know who wrote it. I wouldn't at all be surprised, actually, I'd expect it to be some RTE Exec's brother or sister in laws personal project which they ended up paying for.

Is VM1 not being

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419191#Comment_121419191

If you have the VM player, VM1 is in HD on it (as is 2 & 3). It’s not as big an issue as it once was.

Tork

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419328#Comment_121419328

I agree. I often use the +1 for not just RTE but other channels as well. Getting rid of those is optics.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121420668#Comment_121420668

I'd argue that neither RTÉ nor TG4 should have started with +1, BBC have no +1 channels.

I think RTÉ should have been allowed to progress RTÉ Mix/THREE, largely it would have contain much of the +1 but at a different time or on a different day, along with other classic programming and imports and some sports, largely RTÉ News provides a +1 service for News and Current Affairs on RTÉ ONE in any case. RTÉ Mix/THREE would largely have just drop those shows, with maybe Fair City and EastEnders repeated at 10pm.

7pm Old RTÉ Doc

7:30 Classic Comedy

8pm New imports

9pm High quality imports / Film

10pm Soaps

11pm Repeat of other other RTÉ ONE/2 programming from earlier in the day

12pm Assie Soaps repeat

1:30 Classic Chat shows from RTÉ and the BBC

TG4 initial plan for TG4 +1 was all new home produced shows would air an hour after broadcast on TG4 +1, while all imported programming would be replaced by classic TG4 archive programming.

lertsnim

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121420744#Comment_121420744

The BBC also don't have ads so it would make no sense to have them.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121421399#Comment_121421399

Didn't the BBC want to replace BBC 3 with BBC 1 +1 a few years back?

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121416922#Comment_121416922

This is a crazy idea. There is nothing there worth buying. These channels do not and cannot exist independently. Anybody looking to broadcast on Saorview (is there anyone???) would be far better off waiting for them to close and then approach 2rn about the freed-up capacity.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121425304#Comment_121425304

Granted, it is just a point of view, I think if you try setting up from scratch you'd be on to a looser. Freed up space is really only an option for Sky, in that case.

And if you had read what I was saying it was suggesting the new owner by month 4 would have rebranded and changed the +1 services to stand alone ones, with the potential of making arrangement with RTÉ for some of their imported programming as part of the sale. It's just a though, much like closing them down is just as much of a thought.

Hotblack Desiato

yes so in the end they've bought nothing, just the space on the muxes which they could have got from 2rn anyway.

decor58

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121425621#Comment_121425621

True, like buying a bucket of smoke, pop radio stations appear to 10 to the penny, albeit with a national rather than regional licence. As you say with the +1's, why buy it, wait till RTE close it and then rent the space, there don't appear to be too many bidders out there. Maybe a potential sale item might be the 2rn infrastructure, not for tv but for phone and data masts. I am sure they are being used for that purpose now and do/ could provide a revenue stream for the owner in the future.

medoc

When people say RTÉ should be forced to sell off tv or radio stations like RTÉ 2 or 2FM what do they expect to happen. What would you be buying in reality. For RTÉ 2 nothing except space on one of the muxes which you could rent directly anyway. The brand wouldn’t be useable. The rights to most/all sports and programming would remain with RTÉ. The value of buying RTÉ 2 ended after the analogue era. There would be some value in 2FM in gaining a nationwide frequency which with no DAB is somewhat valuable. But you would need to gain a license to broadcast something with all the costs associated with that.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121426284#Comment_121426284

I largely agree, I don't want to see either sold. But I think over the last decade much of the problems with both lie with the Mismanagement of RTÉ, along with that debate over linear versus on demand, that debate is not help by RTÉ's management team.

If a sale of RTÉ2 did occur it would have to come with some programming e.g. Aussie Soaps, UEFA champions league rights, potential Six Nation Rights, Some first run BBC programming like EastEnders, with the rest moving over to either RTÉ ONE or RTÉ News.

2FM would have to reduce itself in size for a commercial operator to be interest, I'd argue that lack of cuts to 2FM have been a huge issue for RTÉ something they've not dealt with, rather thowning money away on the idea that it retains a young audience.

Moya Doherty is wrong about 2FM when you have nothing surrounding it, when you cutting Drama, not investing in Comedy and cutting young people's programming then you are loosing that Youth audience and 2FM in that situation doesn't really matter and as we have seen becomes redundant.

icdg

I think 2FM, if it is to be retained by RTE needs a whole rethink about what it is and what it could be.

In a Dublin context, it’s just another commercial station with the same type of audience that is being catered to by 98FM/FM104 or Spin 1038, and I’d question why RTE needs to be involved in that market. Of course you could just sell the station and take the cash windfall, subject to the buyer obtaining a broadcasting contract from the Media Commission and being on the same basis as any other commercial broadcaster.

I know outside of Dublin and perhaps the other cities the ILRs have generally gone for an older, more rural audience and maybe 2FM plays a key role in serving the younger listener there.

Could that audience be better served by Today FM? Since Communicorp acquired Newstalk I’ve wondered about the value of keeping the remaining PSB obligations on Today FM, they are to an extent a relic of the original Radio Ireland format.

You look then at 2FM and re-orienting its role as RTE’s second radio station, perhaps making it the home of radio sport, moving the Sunday morning programmes there once Radio 1 Extra goes, so that the religious services can move back to Radio 1, and making it a more generally PSB station.

decor58

The acting chair of the BBC suggested at a conference today that a subscription type fee costing as much as £400 p a would be one of the alternative ways of funding the PSB, how would a similar figure go down here, what is PSB worth and what value do people put on it.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121428186#Comment_121428186

“I know outside of Dublin and perhaps the other cities the ILRs have generally gone for an older, more rural audience and maybe 2FM plays a key role in serving the younger listener there.”

Would the 3 regional stations (iRadio, Spin Southwest & Beat 102-103) not have the younger market covered outside of Dublin? Reduces the need for 2FM here as well IMO.

Mickey Mike

2FM should be rebranded back to its original name "RTE Radio2" and maybe carry much of the programming of RTE Gold, along with sports and Radio1 Extra content when it eventually goes.

RTE should concentrate on its PSB on two of its primary Radio channels.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121434512#Comment_121434512

If it's subscription i.e. opt-in then £400 isn't going to go very far. You'd also have to replace every Freesat and Freeview box in the UK with a new one and provide a box for standalone Freesat and Freeview TVs. That could be several new boxes a household and Virgin or Sky etc. won't be subsidising that cost.

decor58

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121435967#Comment_121435967

Whatever about the logistics, the BBC are exploring alternatives to the tv licence, with separate subs for tv, radio and news. It removes the legal requirement for a licence and an optional subscription makes the income stream unpredictable. How do other countries fund their PSB, what options are open to an Irish PSB or do we need one.

icdg

Usually either by a license fee, or some sort of charge akin to a licence fee but described differently, or some sort of dedicated tax (eg on electricity bills) or from general taxation, coupled with advertising in many cases. The BBC example of only license fee funding is actually the exception rather than the rule. Then you have the US where donations play a huge part.

Practically no one uses a sub. The difficulty with doing so is you have to attract subscribers, and to do so you have to generate the kind of programming that attracts subscribers - premium sports and movies and entertainment.

Five years after moving to a sub model, the BBC would be more Sky than Sky, and it would be unrecognisable from its current self.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121436426#Comment_121436426

If it requires a paid subscription then is it really a PSB at all?

It's disgusting what the Tories have done to a lot of things but gutting the BBC is one of the worst. In the meantime it's produced the desired editorial effects though.

LambshankRedemption

What is this fixation on "How will you pay for it". Irish people are taxed quite heavily and as of the last budget we have a huge surplus. All other public services are paid for out of taxation, why should RTE be different?

icdg

For two reasons. One is that, unlike the license fee, general taxation funding can be very easily cut in accordance with the needs of the Government of the day. In the event of another crash RTE (and TG4) would be asked to take their share of public service cuts, subjected to moratoriums etc.

The other reason is that direct taxation funding comes with strings, and that the effect of those strings is that RTE might no longer be a public broadcaster, but quite explicitly a Government broadcaster. He who pays the piper calls the tune and all that.

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121436826#Comment_121436826

OK, reason 1, what would be the problem with that?

For reason 2, I'm sorry but thats a bit of a mickey mouse reason. Who sets the current cost of the TV License? The government. When RTE need a top up, who do they go to? The government. When RTE go with their begging bowl, is there not the same risk of a nod and a wink and an easy time for the government on RTE programs?

decor58

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121436944#Comment_121436944

Is that to say you would be happy with general taxation being increased to pay for a PSB or where are cuts made to transfer funds to the PSB.

In a situation where a once opposition party, now in government, feels they weren't given good press by the PSB previously they decide to cut funding.