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RTÉ Ireland (RTÉ International) - RTÉ 5 year strategy

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  • 16-09-2013 3:43pm
    #1
    The Cush
    Registered Users Posts: 15,515 ✭✭✭✭


    RTÉ today published their 5 year strategy 2012-17 - http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0916/474593-rte/, http://static.rasset.ie/documents/news/rtestrategicplan-shortversion.pdf

    In the strategy they said they have proposed 2 new services in the coming years

    RTÉ Ireland (Free-to-air broadcast television channel for Great Britain) - A new linear television service combining content from RTÉ One and RTÉ Two serving the UK based Irish Diaspora audience on satellite and cable. Globally the channel will be made available online on RTÉ.ie

    IPTV Services (Internet TV) - RTÉ plans to launch a number of new low cost IPTV channels, in the areas of: arts and culture, comedy, sport, life and style, young adults, senior school and business. Some of these will be developed with appropriate partners

    RTÉ Ireland was once planned as RTÉ International with a launch date of 17 March 2009 but cancelled in late 2008 due to the economic downturn - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RT%C3%89_International


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    #2
    Banjoxed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,844 ✭✭✭Banjoxed


    The Cush wrote: »
    RTÉ today published their 5 year strategy 2012-17 - http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0916/474593-rte/, http://static.rasset.ie/documents/news/rtestrategicplan-shortversion.pdf

    In the strategy they said they have proposed 2 new services in the coming years

    RTÉ Ireland - A new linear television service combining content from RTÉ One and RTÉ Two serving the UK based Irish Diaspora audience on satellite and cable. Globally the channel will be made available online on RTÉ.ie

    IPTV Services (Internet TV) - RTÉ plans to launch a number of new low cost IPTV channels, in the areas of: arts and culture, comedy, sport, life and style, young adults, senior school and business. Some of these will be developed with appropriate partners

    RTÉ Ireland was once planned as RTÉ International with a launch date of 17 March 2009 but cancelled in late 2008 due to the economic downturn - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RT%C3%89_International

    The catch is that the document proposes these services "with additional resources".


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    #3
    The Cush
    Registered Users Posts: 15,515 ✭✭✭✭The Cush


    From the longer version of the strategy
    RTÉ Ireland

    Description
    RTÉ plans to launch an RTÉ branded linear television channel – working title RTÉ Ireland. The channel will be made available free to air in the Great Britain market (England, Scotland and Wales) on satellite and cable platforms (the channel will not be available in Northern Ireland as RTÉ One and RTÉ Two are available on Freeview, Sky and Virgin Media). The channel will also be made available online at RTÉ.ie.

    The target market for the channel is the Irish diaspora and anyone who has an interest in Irish life, culture and media. The channel is to feature Irish content sourced from the schedules of RTÉ One and RTÉ Two and from the RTÉ archive and will feature a number of genres – entertainment, factual, lifestyle, and news and current affairs. Some programmes will be simulcast live from the RTÉ One and RTÉ Two schedules.

    With the implementation of the digital content server we will be able to manage the set-up costs, and it is the intention to base the packaging and playout the channel at an established external playout facility in order to minimise upfront investment.
    IPTV Channels

    Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is television over broadband. With improving broadband speeds, the ability to access and stream high quality video is becoming more attractive to the Irish public.

    IPTV is a key benefit of Ireland’s National Digital Strategy and over the next few years IPTV may well account for a significant share of ‘television’ viewing. IPTV offers RTÉ the opportunity to curate archive content as channels and leverage that content to meet diverse audience needs. Channels can be created at a low cost to allow innovation and experimentation, and the overall objective is to get the best possible value for money from our existing content.

    As IPTV’s share of overall television viewing grows, it could erode traditional advertising revenue. Aggregated audience measurement will be essential to the financial viability of IPTV services, which is one of the benefits of SAORVIEW Anywhere.

    With more and more people watching television online (especially 15-34 year olds), now is the time to develop a portfolio of IPTV channels for RTÉ. RTÉ proposes to launch a number of new IPTV channels, one each for arts and culture, comedy, sport, life and style, young adults, senior school and business.

    The concept is a low-cost and scalable delivery model, similar to that of RTÉ News Now. An IPTV-delivery framework would be created connected to the existing broadcast and ad-delivery infrastructure, facilitating the addition of extra channels at low incremental costs.

    A centralised channel management and operations team would be established to launch, incubate and run the IPTV channels, thereby driving efficiencies.

    Financial Implications
    The detailed business case for the IPTV channels is being prepared.


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    #4
    Digifriendly
    Registered Users Posts: 4,025 ✭✭✭Digifriendly


    How can the channel be FTA and yet not available in NI? Does it not mean the proposed channel will be FTV (Free to view)?


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    #5
    Banjoxed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,844 ✭✭✭Banjoxed


    Digifriendly wrote: »
    How can the channel be FTA and yet not available in NI? Does it not mean the proposed channel will be FTV (Free to view)?

    Perhaps it simply won't be carried on the ROI and NI Sky EPGs?


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    #6
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,552 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    Banjoxed wrote: »
    Perhaps it simply won't be carried on the ROI and NI Sky EPGs?

    More likely, in reality I wouldn't be surprised if (if it materialises) it ended up part of the Sky Digital package.

    The "with additional resources" means "only if you give us the money to do it" which really won't be forthcoming at the moment. And that really is what this document in its totally is - a cry from RTÉ for more money. It contains all sorts of very vague aspirations, few actual proposals, and the general theme is "we could do this, if only we had more money".


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    #7
    ftakeith
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,251 ✭✭✭ftakeith


    rtetv ireland won't happen this is a rte tactic of promising a lot to get more money from the broadcasting charge that replaces irish tv licence

    in 2030, it still won't happen

    in 3999 when there is a planet of the apes it still won't happen


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    #8
    Delta2113
    Registered Users Posts: 2,677 ✭✭✭Delta2113


    RTE News Now is terrible and money has got nothing to do with it. Bad scheduling,too many graphics. The week in politics late on sunday on this channel and RTE1. The hurling shown on sunday afternoon same as RTE2 - flightfest was a good option.

    It's woeful.


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    #9
    Onthe3rdDay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,194 ✭✭✭Onthe3rdDay


    icdg wrote: »
    More likely, in reality I wouldn't be surprised if (if it materialises) it ended up part of the Sky Digital package.

    The "with additional resources" means "only if you give us the money to do it" which really won't be forthcoming at the moment. And that really is what this document in its totally is - a cry from RTÉ for more money. It contains all sorts of very vague aspirations, few actual proposals, and the general theme is "we could do this, if only we had more money".

    Right now, I have nothing to do so I'm replying to a comment from ICDG. There's little value to the comment as it's off the top of my head. The statement RTE made about this new service has roughly the same worth except they printed it and put it on a PDF.

    I plan to launch a 3 station Network for the Irish in Britain. It'll be free to air. Each station with concentrate on a particular part of Irish culture. The service will produce 400 hours of new Drama a Year entirely in Irish. Obviously someone has to supply the cash but that's only a small obstacle:).


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    #10
    OldRio
    Registered Users Posts: 5,952 ✭✭✭OldRio


    We're a cynical bunch


    with good reason.;)


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    #11
    watty
    Registered Users Posts: 32,417 ✭✭✭✭watty


    The channel will be made available free to air in the Great Britain market (England, Scotland and Wales) on satellite and cable platforms (the channel will not be available in Northern Ireland)

    White man speak with forked tongue.

    Besides some people in N.I. can't get terrestrial RTE (though maybe they can get Saorsat which at least has whatever HD there is. The NI Mini-mux will not have any HD).


    Cable isn't FTA.
    Internet (really Broadband) isn't Broadcast or Free.
    Sky isn't free.

    Unless it's on Freesat and on Sky EPG it's not effectively FTA in Great Britain. Or are they going to pay x100 as much to have it on Freeview? What are they smoking in Montrose?


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    #12
    The Cush
    Registered Users Posts: 15,515 ✭✭✭✭The Cush


    watty wrote: »
    Unless it's on Freesat and on Sky EPG it's not effectively FTA in Great Britain. Or are they going to pay x100 as much to have it on Freeview? What are they smoking in Montrose?

    Back in Mar 2008 RTÉ published a tender for the "provision of encoding, uplinking and transponder space at the UK DTH position at 28.2E or 28.5E for provision of a TV channel on the Freesat platform". It would be available through other channels on a Sky box and was available to cable companies if they chose to carry it IIRC. Of course the tender was never awarded.
    Title: IRL-Donnybrook: satellites 2008/S 61-082848
    Published by: Radio Telefis Eireann
    Publication Date: 28/03/2008
    Application Deadline:
    Notice Deadline Date: 12/05/2008


    II.1.5) Short description of the contract or purchase(s):

    Radio Telefis Eireann, Ireland’s national broadcaster, is committed to providing a television service to the Irish communities living in the United Kingdom.

    It now wishes to contract for the provision of encoding, uplinking and transponder space at the UK’s DTH position of 28.2E or 28.5E for transmission on the Freesat platform. RTE wishes to encode using MPEG2 technology with a combined video and audio rate of 3Mbit. The offered transponder must have a suitable footprint to offer DTH reception in the United Kingdom.

    RTE, or its agent, will deliver the proposed SD channel in the SDI format with embedded audio to BT Tower in Lonon for onward carriage to the proposed contractor’s mux site. In addition the contractor should be in a position to supply connectivity for the delivery of EPG and SI data to the Freesat platform.

    RTE is looking to contract with one provider for such services. That provider will be expected to have a close working relationship with relevant RTE staff and named agents to ensure smooth operation of the service.

    ...
    II.3) DURATION OF THE CONTRACT OR TIME-LIMIT FOR COMPLETION: Starting: 1.9.2008.

    http://www.e-tenders.gov.ie/Search/Show/Search_View.aspx?id=MAR100578


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    #13
    Onthe3rdDay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,194 ✭✭✭Onthe3rdDay


    watty wrote: »
    White man speak with forked tongue.

    Besides some people in N.I. can't get terrestrial RTE (though maybe they can get Saorsat which at least has whatever HD there is. The NI Mini-mux will not have any HD).


    Cable isn't FTA.
    Internet (really Broadband) isn't Broadcast or Free.
    Sky isn't free.

    Unless it's on Freesat and on Sky EPG it's not effectively FTA in Great Britain. Or are they going to pay x100 as much to have it on Freeview? What are they smoking in Montrose?

    They're not smoking anything, However I can see where you get the idea because they're creating a smokescreen. Make a grand statement and then forget about it. When someone actually complains they can blame the government for not increasing the amount they get from the license fee.

    If they were run like a proper commercial operation they would be able to find a way, perhaps a partnership with another operator. However RTE hate giving any sort of control to others.

    Depending on who you talk to and what you read TARA TV could have survived if some goodwill had been shown from RTE. Of course they were probably thinking long term and having a channel that broadcast entirely under their control.


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    #14
    marclt
    Registered Users Posts: 845 ✭✭✭marclt


    Maybe RTE's friends at Sky will help with satellite distribution?


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    #15
    Copyerselveson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 299 ✭✭Copyerselveson


    watty wrote: »

    Unless it's on Freesat and on Sky EPG it's not effectively FTA in Great Britain. Or are they going to pay x100 as much to have it on Freeview? What are they smoking in Montrose?

    It's FTA anywhere the Astra UK/Ireland footprint takes it. Freesat and Sky EPG coverage help visibility and access to the channel but it's still FTA regardless.
    marclt wrote: »
    Maybe RTE's friends at Sky will help with satellite distribution?

    Sky need RTE more than RTE need Sky. If I were in RTE I would make free EPG carriage of the GB channel a part of any agreement for carriage of RTE channels in Ireland.


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    #16
    Copyerselveson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 299 ✭✭Copyerselveson


    Onthe3rdDay wrote: »
    They're not smoking anything, However I can see where you get the idea because they're creating a smokescreen. Make a grand statement and then forget about it. When someone actually complains they can blame the government for not increasing the amount they get from the license fee.

    I fully agree with this. I would love to see the RTE Ireland channel finally up and running on satellite however the cynic in me thinks that RTE will never implement the channel on satellite until the Government gives them a grant to do so.

    Having said that, getting a linear RTE Ireland channel streaming on RTE.ie should be a relatively lower cost option for RTE. The channel could stream along with RTE News Now on the International version of the RTE player. Surely that could be up and running relatively quickly?


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    #17
    watty
    Registered Users Posts: 32,417 ✭✭✭✭watty


    getting a linear RTE Ireland channel streaming on RTE.ie should be a relatively lower cost option for RTE
    Not if people are using it. It could easily cost more than Satellite. Larger users pay for data transfer not just for a connection.
    Also the staffing and internal resources could cost as much as satellite Carriage.


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    #18
    formerly scottish paddy
    Registered Users Posts: 545 ✭✭✭formerly scottish paddy


    Well in their proposal they say it can be run very cost effectively utilising a new server they are installing. The main cost therefore would be the transponder rent. Presumably this channel would carry advertising, and without direct programme costs, could very likely be run at break-even point.
    There would of course be a lot of repeat material on it, but I expect that it would show mostly news, current affairs and documentary material that would be of most interest to the Irish in Britain. All this sort of programming should not have problems with “rights issues” unlike sports, drama, and music.


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    #19
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    If it happens it will happen in late 2017. This is a 5 year plan for 2013 to 2017. Have RTÉ achieved any of the plan in 2013? and has the BAI who carried out the review seen any of these plans.

    There is no reason what a linear IPTV service combining the Schedules of RTÉ ONE and TWO should not already exist. There is no reason why RTÉ NEWS NOW is not redeveloped by looking at other Broadcast News services and utilising effectively the news reports and news programmes that RTÉ already have. For example there was no need to spend a fortune on Morning Edition. In effect they have over spend on such a news show, while giving a morning show to one of their brightest jornalists (IMO Keelin Shanley is wasted on this show). Look at France 24, high number of repeats, look at BBC News 24 news presenters introduce previous interviews from TV as if it were part of the current news, look at EURONEWS that avoided onscreen presenters (RTÉ could re-edit all of its news for late night into such a service, it would be better than the current looped services).

    Search through the document the Soarview Anywhere uses Saorview to distribute new IPTV services to TV, in other words RTÉ don't have to look for the regulator or government to look at new linear services as they do if the want to launch new broadcast channels.

    It is just another report that will sit collecting dust. (Cynical? we should be!)


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    #20
    watty
    Registered Users Posts: 32,417 ✭✭✭✭watty


    they say it can be run very cost effectively utilising a new server
    Nonsense.
    Say you had an actually used by the masses worldwide (so no UPC head end or Eircom exchange pre-loaded servers) edge Streaming Video at 2Mbps and there was "only" 200,000 connected users simultaneously. A fraction of local prime time broadcast.

    That is 2,000 Gbps! That is more expensive than a Satellite Transponder that can have 20 Million simultaneous viewers. I'd like to see their data centre too.

    If people actually use Oireachtas TV or RTE player seriously instead of Broadcast it would "fall over".


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    #21
    Hotblack Desiato
    Registered Users Posts: 34,285 ✭✭✭✭Hotblack Desiato


    watty wrote: »
    If people actually use Oireachtas TV or RTE player seriously instead of Broadcast it would "fall over".

    It did today, during the All-Ireland final. Even the RTE News website was inaccessible for a while.

    Fingal County Council are certainly not competent to be making decisions about the most important piece of infrastructure on the island. They need to stick to badly designed cycle lanes and deciding on whether Mrs Murphy can have her kitchen extension.



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    #22
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,552 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    Earlier in the GAA season they screened the Dublin v Kilkenny hurling replay on RTÉ.ie exclusively, their server could quite obviously not cope with the strain - constant freezing and the stream failing, it was nearly unwatchable.


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    #23
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    icdg wrote: »
    Earlier in the GAA season they screened the Dublin v Kilkenny hurling replay on RTÉ.ie exclusively, their server could quite obviously not cope with the strain - constant freezing and the stream failing, it was nearly unwatchable.

    It should have also aired on News Now :rolleyes:


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    #24
    formerly scottish paddy
    Registered Users Posts: 545 ✭✭✭formerly scottish paddy


    The new server that is mentioned in the report is not for streaming services, rather it is for playout on broadcast channels. The server would allow the efficient broadcast of a dedicated satellite channel for the UK with minimum manning levels. (The same server will also be used for transmission of RTÉ 1 and RTÉ 2)
    RTÉ is currently investing in a new digital content server which will enable us to receive programmes as digital files, more efficiently prepare and manage that content on the server and then play out content from the server to the television channels as well as the RTÉ Player.


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    #25
    lertsnim
    Registered Users Posts: 9,729 ✭✭✭lertsnim


    Elmo wrote: »
    It should have also aired on News Now :rolleyes:

    They told me that they couldn't because News Now is available world wide online and their GAA rights extend only to the island of Ireland. Absolute rubbish


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    #26
    munchkin_utd
    Registered Users Posts: 7,856 ✭✭✭munchkin_utd


    lertsnim wrote: »
    They told me that they couldn't because News Now is available world wide online and their GAA rights extend only to the island of Ireland. Absolute rubbish
    but completely correct in a contractual sense as premier sports aka setanta have all rights to GAA abroad and they have a reasonably priced streaming service for GAA games, including some games which are not available in Ireland at all (Cavan-London quarter final, Leitrim-London replay and a couple of others for instance)

    (*just mentioning the pricing lest anyone say that it was silly money and not a viable option, or claim that RTE can show it regardless and ignore the fact that then they are open to being sued for loss of earnings to the actual holder of the GAA worldwide rights. 10pound stg x a number of month x thousands of potentially lost users = a potentially large bill for RTE should they show GAA abroad!!!)


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    #27
    lertsnim
    Registered Users Posts: 9,729 ✭✭✭lertsnim


    munchkin_utd wrote: »
    but completely correct in a contractual sense as premier sports aka setanta have all rights to GAA abroad and they have a reasonably priced streaming service for GAA games, including some games which are not available in Ireland at all (Cavan-London quarter final, Leitrim-London replay and a couple of others for instance)

    That's correct but to suggest that they couldn't change the feed for News Now on television is ridiculous.


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    #28
    watty
    Registered Users Posts: 32,417 ✭✭✭✭watty


    formerly scottish paddy wrote: »
    The new server that is mentioned in the report is not for streaming services, rather it is for playout on broadcast channels. The server would allow the efficient broadcast of a dedicated satellite channel for the UK with minimum manning levels. (The same server will also be used for transmission of RTÉ 1 and RTÉ 2)

    It says RTE player...

    You can do a DTT mux or Satellite Transponder on a decent PC. Not rocket science. PCI & PCIe cards for multiplexing, SDI in and SDI out etc are available.

    But the same PC would strain to handle 200 Internet streaming connections. RTE player is really nothing to do with a playout server for Broadcast TV.


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    #29
    NFD100
    Registered Users Posts: 141 ✭✭NFD100


    Copyerselveson wrote: »
    It's FTA anywhere the Astra UK/Ireland footprint takes it. Freesat and Sky EPG coverage help visibility and access to the channel but it's still FTA regardless.



    Sky need RTE more than RTE need Sky. If I were in RTE I would make free EPG carriage of the GB channel a part of any agreement for carriage of RTE channels in Ireland.


    Nail ... head! Why isn't this being done?


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    #30
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,978 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    Quick bump - the BAI are up in front of the Oireachtas Committee for comms today to discuss the 5 year review.


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    #31
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    mike65 wrote: »
    Quick bump - the BAI are up in front of the Oireachtas Committee for comms today to discuss the 5 year review.

    Look at how politicians try to save local media.


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