RTE seeks go-ahead for giant satellite dish

beer enigma

Minister Sile de Valera: RTE to sell network
State broadcaster hopes to sell programmes through the Sky network. RTÉ has applied for planning permission to build a large satellite dish to rebroadcast its television and radio stations to the Sky network. The Irish state organisation is continuing negotiations with the Rupert Murdoch-led British broadcasting group, but has not yet announced a deal.

However, sources said the fact that RTÉ was seeking planning permission for a dish to feed into Sky showed the two sides were close to an agreement on the matter. A spokesman for RTÉ said yesterday: "We are in discussions. We are optimistic it will reach a conclusion shortly." The deal will involve RTÉ1, Network 2, TG4 and the radio stations being offered to Irish Sky subscribers as part of a core package of channels. The development will result in a significant increase in competition for cable operators Chorus and NTL. At present, Sky subscribers who buy satellite dishes for their homes cannot receive the Irish channels unless they sign up for services from the cable companies.


In its planning application, RTÉ is seeking permission from Dublin Corporation for a "satellite earth station at Montrose, Dublin 4". It said the structure would be 7.6m in diameter. The deal with Sky will also have significant implications for the North of Ireland where viewers have traditionally suffered from poor RTÉ signals.
The issue was also pursued by the Irish Government, which has had a policy of ensuring a strong signal of Irish channels north of the Border. While the radio signals have improved there are still areas where there is poor transmission of television. However, sources said the deal with Sky would result in a "crystal clear" signal of the television channels in the North of Ireland.


In recent months Sky has been expanding in Ireland, and has begun by chasing more Irish advertisers by offering nine minutes per hour on Sky One and Sky News from August 1. Sky Television has also set up a sales house in Dublin. Minister Síle de Valera, who has responsibility for broadcasting, recently told the Dáil that RTÉ was going ahead with the sale of the transmission network, subject to its being able to retain a shareholding of up to 28pc.


She said RTÉ has said it expects its own process to conclude in December.



David Murphy, Deputy Business Editor

Stiabhna

That's all very well. But will they be able to install it on a chimney?

Our man in Havana

LOL! Has any one seen the notice in the papers yet?

Should be interresting! Wonder will anyone object?

Bond

Nero

Andip, where did you get this information ??

At present, Sky subscribers who buy satellite dishes for their homes cannot receive the Irish channels unless they sign up for services from the cable companies.

What a load of Nonsense!!!!!
Ever heard of an outdoor aerial (£30,or so)??
Or even an indoor with an amp (£26 or so)??

When I was living in Ballinteer-a short length of stripped co-ax did the job-crystal!
mm

originally posted by Nero:

Andip, where did you get this information ??

Nero:
The David Murphy-deputy business editor bit at the end answers that-A man who's never heard of an aerial.
mm

Keeks

Originally posted by madman


When I was living in Ballinteer-a short length of stripped co-ax did the job-crystal!
mm

What about the trusty coat hanger

beer enigma

Nero


It was in today's Indo.

http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=184&si=639034&issue_id=6393

Nero

cheers !!!

byte

No mention of TV3. Would RTÉ carry TV3 onto Sky since they are responsible for transmitting TV3 around the country?

DMC

Well, TV3 would have get an new agreement with RTE to do this. After all, it's RTE's transmission network (at the moment) TV3's transmission on RTE's transmitters has nothing to do with satellite uplinking to an Astra satellite. Tis completely separate. But as RTE has all the tech knowledge (more than TV3) then this should be not too difficult to achieve.

If the Government is involved in the behind-the-scenes work on this, then it must surely be a case of all channels, or nowt at all. One up, all up, say....

roy

A report in todays Irish Independent says that two key buyers have backed out of race for RTE relay network. This is because of RTE's plans to go on Sky digital. The report says that sources said yesterday a proposal by RTE to offer its television and radio channels to subscribers of Sky's satellite service in Ireland could play havoc with the Government future plans for the network. ie Digital terrestrial.

It looks like digital terrestrial will never get off the ground.

http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=184&si=639516&issue_id=6396

DMC

Well, is it coincidence that RTÉ will have the network sold off, roundabout the time they join Sky Digital???

I said it in an earlier thread, looking at RTÉ's position right now, in a month or so, they will no longer control a transmission network, RTÉ will just be a programme maker and supplier. And with that change in focus, especially as they will not control the infrastructure of DTTV, then they don't care how their audience receive their programmes, just as long as they DO! RTÉ will not be making a profit from DTTV, some other company will. As it stands RTÉ is losing audience share markedly in Sky Digital homes, and its all about being on the most screens. ITV have learned that the hard way in the UK, and with RTÉ's current financial state, it's on the way.

We will wait for the official announcement, as boxing commentators often say, at the end of a bruising encounter

Gadgie

Originally posted by irishblimp
No mention of TV3. Would RTÉ carry TV3 onto Sky since they are responsible for transmitting TV3 around the country?

I received this from info@tv3.ie:

Hi there,
We have no immediate plans to become available on Sky Digital.
Regards,
TV3

I replied saying that I was dissapointed, but have yet to receive a reply from them.

Of course if anyone thinks badgering them about it will do any good, use the address above

Glenn

Just to add to this:
About ten miles or so as the crow flies from where I live there is a valley-with quite a few homes in it and a relatively new large hotel/conrerence centre-RTE reception there is total snow (less than an hour from Donnybrook)
No TV3 and no TG4!
All homes there have Sky digital-but none had been told about ITV being on it-untill a friend saw it here at my house-They now all have ITV tuned in and are looking foward to RTE and TV3 arriving.
That Glen had no access to Corrie or Emmerdale since Dec 31 2000! now they do, but on ITV-hurry up RTE-these are your Grass roots!
mm

byte

Originally posted by Glennus


I received this from info@tv3.ie:

Hi there,
We have no immediate plans to become available on Sky Digital.
Regards,
TV3

I replied saying that I was dissapointed, but have yet to receive a reply from them.

Of course if anyone thinks badgering them about it will do any good, use the address above

Glenn

I have emailed TV3 many times, as have others, and always received the same reply. It must be an automated response. It would be nice if someone at TV3 took time to reseach some of the questions emailed to them.:rolleyes:

Gadgie

Originally posted by irishblimp


I have emailed TV3 many times, as have others, and always received the same reply. It must be an automated response. It would be nice if someone at TV3 took time to reseach some of the questions emailed to them.:rolleyes:

Yeah, I had a feeling that it was just a standard reply.

I get the same thing from Sky when I mail them about the (total) lack of widescreen programming on Sky One: "our research indicates most users prefer standard fullscreen to widescreen, blah blah...". When I reply to remind them that the digibox can crop widescreen images... no reply.....

Incidentally, if anyone is interested, there is a petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/wssky/petition.html to get Sky to broadcast in widescreen. Please, do not sign the petition solely to post negative comments.

I didn't know quite where to post this article as it crosses a few topics on these boards but here it is ;taken from todays irish times:http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/finance/2001/1119/fin6.htm



Monday, November 19, 2001

Time for RTE to do
Sky digital deal?

---

It might not be such a bad idea after all for RTÉ to get into bed with Rupert Murdoch. From the punter's point of view, at least, it looks like a winner. If RTÉ's three channels and TV3 were available on Sky Digital, you would today be getting for around £21 (€27) per month something - Irish-produced digital television - that it is otherwise hard to see us getting for several years, and probably at considerably greater cost.

This is how the argument stacks up. Everybody who has a television in the Republic is already obliged to pay £7.04 per month or £84.50 per year for a television licence that allows them receive the free-to-air analogue channels such as RTÉ, BBC etc. Another 600,000 or so pay an extra £12 per month or more to subscribe to a cable network which gives them access to these channels plus additional analogue channels and, at some stage in the future, digital channels. Another 200,000 or so pay £14 per month upward for Sky Digital, which gives them access to numerous digital channels via a satellite dish, but not RTÉ.

It would follow from the above that RTÉ's channels could be available on Sky Digital tomorrow at a total cost to the viewer of £7.04 plus £14 per month. The alternative Digital Terrestrial Television service planned by the Government is still on the drawing board and the cost, as yet unquantified, is unlikely to be less than £21.

Assuming that digital TV is something we all want as soon as possible, it sounds like there is now a compelling case for the Government to ditch its plans and for RTÉ to hook up with Sky.

The case is all the stronger when you look at the mess the Government DTT plans are in. A new company, called Netco, was to be spun out of RTÉ and sold to commercial interests that would upgrade the network to carry digital signals. RTÉ will retain a 28 per cent stake. The state of play on Netco is unclear. Some sources say that a deal will be done within weeks, while others claim nobody is interested.

One thing is clear. The plan is badly delayed and even if it does go ahead we are unlikely to see its fruit for several years, by which time Sky will be even more firmly embedded in the Irish market.


It is not clear how much Netco will charge subscribers, but it is unlikely to be able to achieve anything like the economies of scale attained by Sky, and hence it is hard to see it competing on price. Faced with this reality, it makes sense for the Government to revisit the logic of proceeding with its digital television plan. The temptation to abandon the current plan in favour of a link with an established satellite broadcaster - and Sky is the only such player in town - must be strong.

The deal would look all the more attractive to the Government if it gets it off the hook on the licence fee issue. RTÉ has made it clear that its digital plans are contingent on a significant increase in the licence fee next year. It can argue that the national broadcaster would be able to exit the transmission business earlier than anticipated and presumably sell the transmission infrastructure.

The case does seem compelling and someone in RTÉ would appear also to be of the same view. Last week, the company sought planning permission for a huge satellite dish at Montrose to allow RTÉ uplink to Sky's satellite. The official line from RTÉ is that hooking up with Sky is not an alternative to Netco, but is an avenue that will be developed in tandem. It would be a mistake to abandon Netco because it would leave RTÉ completely dependent on Sky and jeopardise its ability to fulfil its public service remit, RTÉ argues. Instead, the struggling broadcaster believes it is better served by splitting its limited resources and backing two competing broadcast platforms, even though one is already emerging as the winner.

Fair enough, but you would have to wonder how much of RTÉ's ambivalence towards Sky has to do with antipathy to Rupert Murdoch, the media magnate and controlling shareholder in the satellite channel. Even by going down the Netco route, RTÉ will cross the Rubicon of surrendering control over the distribution of its signal to commercial interests. RTÉ may hold a large stake in Netco but it will not call the shots and there is no reason to believe that owners of the other 72 per cent will be any less commercially orientated than Mr Murdoch's companies. The issues surrounding RTÉ's requirement to provide its signal free to air will have to be dealt with whether it goes with Netco, Sky or another third party.

A real concern is that the satellite television industry in Europe is not regulated in any conventional sense. Sky is based in Luxembourg and not subject to any Irish regulatory authority. At the moment, Sky is competitive with Chorus and NTL. It is also considered to offer as good a service if not a better one. This, however, could change and RTÉ's ability to fulfil its mandate might be jeopardised. Unlike Chorus, NTL and presumably Netco, the Irish telecoms regulator will not set service standards and price caps for Sky.

It is a significant risk but presupposes that Sky could act in an uncommercial fashion - not very likely - and also that it would be anything other than supportive to the Trojan horse that will get it into every household in Ireland.

At the moment, Sky needs RTÉ more than RTÉ needs Sky. That could change quickly if the already stalled Netco project falls apart, and Sky's Irish subscriber base continues to grow. Now might be the time to do a deal - but RTÉ should get out its long spoon.
____________________________________________________

Now I could not agree more regarding RTE going on Sky-it makes perfect sense. Aswell it would be a HUGE mistake for them not to be there, if UTV are there,a major competitor,Plus then theres the fact that SKY are offering Irish advertisers 9 minutes an hour on SKY ONE and NEWS.

I do not agree with the pessimistic outlook for DTT in Ireland, referred to here- Especially when the same article says that Sky's service is as good as Chorus! What a joke!
SKY are streets ahead of Chorus who are the worst value for money,this side of China...

As regards NETco-Are there not other services it can offer via the Transmission network to raise revenue besides DTT and RTE's analogue service? and Can anyone tell me if they are obligated to provide transmission services for RTE and Irish DTT, which would mean less of a problem regarding how much of a margin they take there??

anyhow just some thoughts
mm

roy

Reading the reports in the papers last week about RTE being on sky, I was wondering will RTE have a FTA card like the BBC, because RTE should not be available only if you subscribe to a sky package.

I will take a guess at answering this and say that the cost of going on Sky digital,coupled with,the small audience relative to the UK will make this unlikely.
The motivation seems to be to arrest the decline in viewership to RTE caused by the myriad of channels on Sky digital, and not to provide digital television-in other words selfishness and survival.
It would seem senseless then to promote an RTE Card as such for "no sub sky boxes" as these Cost anything up to £300- a very small market-especially when they are still going to hold 28% of the Transmission network when it's sold off.
mm