Rights to repeat broadcast of old RTÉ drama.

political analyst · 13-08-2018 05:24PM #1

It's a pity that most of the drama that has been broadcast by RTÉ has not been repeated or released on DVD, e.g. The Burke Enigma, The Spike, Caught in a Free State (a World War Two drama co-production with Channel 4), Making the Cut.

I suspect that it's because, even for the rights to just a repeat broadcast, RTÉ would have to pay the actors - or the estates of actors who have since died - more money, as if they were acting out the whole production all over again, as if it was a stage play.

I believe that the actors' union, Equity, is stuck in a time warp because it's not feasible to have to pay actors for the rights to a repeat broadcast of a TV production as if they were doing the whole thing again because of advances in broadcast technology (I'm aware that a lot of time passed before RTÉ got an agreement with Equity with regard to online catch-up rights to Fair City).

Equity needs to stop being stingy (pronounced "stinjy") because it's wrong to deny future generations of viewers the chance to see past drama productions.

SPDUB · 13-08-2018 07:27PM

political analyst wrote: »

It's a pity that most of the drama that has been broadcast by RThas not been repeated or released on DVD, e.g. The Burke Enigma, The Spike, Caught in a Free State (a World War Two drama co-production with Channel 4), Making the Cut.

I suspect that it's because, even for the rights to just a repeat broadcast, RTwould have to pay the actors - or the estates of actors who have since died - more money, as if they were acting out the whole production all over again, as if it was a stage play.

I believe that the actors' union, Equity, is stuck in a time warp because it's not feasible to have to pay actors for the rights to a repeat broadcast of a TV production as if they were doing the whole thing again because of advances in broadcast technology (I'm aware that a lot of time passed before RTgot an agreement with Equity with regard to online catch-up rights to Fair City).

Equity needs to stop being stingy (pronounced "stinjy") because it's wrong to deny future generations of viewers the chance to see past drama productions.

Glad to see you are keeping an open mind as to why RTE don't repeat various dramas:rolleyes:

political analyst · 13-08-2018 10:16PM

SPDUB wrote: »

Glad to see you are keeping an open mind as to why RTE don't repeat various dramas:rolleyes:

This OP isn't about RTÉ per se. It's about Equity's stance with regard to rights to repeat broadcasts.

SPDUB · 14-08-2018 07:09AM

political analyst wrote: »

This OP isn't about RTper se. It's about Equity's stance with regard to rights to repeat broadcasts.

Since I was apparently too subtle with my comment I will spell it out .

How do you know it's anything to do with Equity ? Have you got some secret knowledge about the lack of repeats , DVD release ?

There can be a number of reasons that material is not shown.

The BBC has had the following problems with repeating programmes .

The programme is considered outdated , there are problems with getting agreement from writers to repeat it , with clearing music that is in the programme etc .

political analyst · 14-08-2018 11:17AM

SPDUB wrote: »

Since I was apparently too subtle with my comment I will spell it out .

How do you know it's anything to do with Equity ? Have you got some secret knowledge about the lack of repeats , DVD release ?

There can be a number of reasons that material is not shown.

The BBC has had the following problems with repeating programmes .

The programme is considered outdated , there are problems with getting agreement from writers to repeat it , with clearing music that is in the programme etc .

Well, Equity was the reason for the delay in making Fair City available on the RTÉ Player.

SPDUB · 14-08-2018 03:04PM

political analyst wrote: »

Well, Equity was the reason for the delay in making Fair City available on the RTPlayer.

So your theory is that because they caused a problem on one occasion they cause the problem of no repeats on every occasion .

Rights are complicated for showing programmes and basically anyway from writers to composers can object to showing programmes again

Elmo · 14-08-2018 07:25PM

SPDUB wrote: »

So your theory is that because they caused a problem on one occasion they cause the problem of no repeats on every occasion .

Rights are complicated for showing programmes and basically anyway from writers to composers can object to showing programmes again

From what I have learned political analyst is right. RTÉ and equity seem to be in a cold war with each other. Equity have asked for too much in royalties for a repeat showing and RTÉ have in turn decided that they won't air any repeats of any Dramas.

RTÉ's deal to have Fair City on RTÉ Player and on RTÉ ONE +1 was all down to discussions with Equity.

For example how many times has Love/Hate aired on RTÉ since it finished its run, here you have one of RTÉ most popular Drama's in a generation, yet some how RTÉ can repeat Father Ted?

Now, there's the question of is it cheaper to buy in a show than to repeat a Drama on RTÉ? Would RTÉ get more viewers for a repeat of an Irish drama over that of a repeat of a foreign drama? If it is more expensive than buying in programming, how much more and would RTÉ be better commissioning a new drama? These are questions I do not know the answers to.

I think Making the Cut and DDU got a DVD or VHS release could be wrong.

Also I have spoken to both the Directors and Writers guild of Ireland and both stated that they don't get much if anything from a repeat showing. IMRO could be a different issue.

Also TG4 started repeating No Tears, second episode starts tonight at 10:30.

SPDUB · 14-08-2018 09:09PM

Elmo wrote: »

From what I have learned political analyst is right. RTand equity seem to be in a cold war with each other. Equity have asked for too much in royalties for a repeat showing and RThave in turn decided that they won't air any repeats of any Dramas.

RTs deal to have Fair City on RTPlayer and on RTONE +1 was all down to discussions with Equity.

For example how many times has Love/Hate aired on RTsince it finished its run, here you have one of RTmost popular Drama's in a generation, yet some how RTcan repeat Father Ted?

Elmo you have demonstrated Knowledge of situations in the past so you posting that claim last night means I probably wouldn't have responded .

Because Father Ted is a foreign programme and I presume the same rules apply to RTE as the BBC

The BBC have said they can repeat foreign drama like Cagney & Lacey much easier than show one of their own drama basically just pay the distributor

Also I have spoken to both the Directors and Writers guild of Ireland and both stated that they don't get much if anything from a repeat showing. IMRO could be a different issue.

I believe it is similar in the UK and I know that some writers there in the past have declined repeats because they thought the fees were too low though most worked on the principle some money is better than nothing .

08-10-2024 10:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2057901101/rights-to-repeat-broadcast-of-old-rte-drama

Yes, it's a great pity that RTE continue to ignore their archive.

But is it definitely down to Equity? How come the same issue does not arise in the UK?

Network DVD (before they folded last year) released loads of archive programmes from the ITV archive. Some of them quite arcane and would only have sold a small number of copies. I bought hundreds of their releases over the last 20 years. I sure they would have released The Riordans / Bracken / Glenroe as all were shown on ITV and there would have been demand for them - in the UK at least.

Simply DVD also released a number of niche BBC titles.

Australia & the USA also have no issues with releasing archive television programmes.

The market seems completely different here.

political analyst · 09-10-2024 12:07AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122699466#Comment_122699466

I had forgotten about that one of my OPs. About 'The Burke Engima', I've since become aware that all but one of the episodes of it have since been wiped.

Peregrinus · 09-10-2024 12:58AM

Um, ITV don't get the right to licence DVDs of a programme merely because ITV themselves at one time had a licence to rebroadcast the programme; ITV can only licence DVDs of a production that they actually own the rights to. If Network DVD had wanted to issue The Riordans, etc, on DVD they would have had to negotiate with the rights owners — RTÉ. ITV wouldn't be in the loop at all.

icdg · 09-10-2024 06:06AM

We don’t drag up old threads.

Rights to repeat broadcast of old RTÉ drama.

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