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Happy Birthday RTÉ TWO

  • 31-10-2008 2:00pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭


    So Sunday is RTÉ TWO's 30th Birthday.

    It launched on the 2nd of November 1978.

    No celebrations or anything on RTÉ TWO but it has changed Irish television over the years.

    RTÉ 2 1978 - 1988
    Rte2lar1978.jpg
    Network 2 1988 - 1996
    Net21st88.jpg
    RTÉ NETWORK 2 1996 - 1997
    Network294.jpg
    N2 1997 - 2003
    N2-1.jpg
    RTÉ Network 2 2003 - 2004
    As above just with continuity stating that you are now watching RTE Network 2.
    RTÉ TWO 2004 - Date
    RTE_TWO.png

    Which era of RTE Two? 17 votes

    RTÉ 2 1978 - 1988
    0% 0 votes
    Network 2 1988 - 1996
    11% 2 votes
    RTÉ Network TWO 1996 - 1997
    41% 7 votes
    N2 1997 - 2003
    5% 1 vote
    RTÉ N2 2003 - 2004
    41% 7 votes
    RTÉ TWO 2004 - Date
    0% 0 votes


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 1,321 ✭✭✭Foggy43


    Just spotted your post Elmo! Thank you for the info.

    I do remember this. The confusion as to whether a new aerial was required or not. Anyone receiving from Maghera needed a new aerial. A Band 1 / Band 111 combi antenna. RTV Rentals in Tipperary had previously installed a Band 111 aerial to receive from Mullaghanish for my parents. There was another Band 1 txer somewhere in Cork but I cannot remember where.

    Wasn't it Terry Wogan and Mike Murphy who hosted the opening show?


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


    I am too young to remember, sorry. I vaguely remember a Corronation Street add bumper in Brown, Orange and White in the 1980s.

    3 stripes diagonally across the top left hand corner, an thin orange boarder around a picture of the cast, the number 2 in the bottom left hand corner with a brown background!!!!


  • Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,461 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    There is of course one more logo that you haven't posted above - the very short lived 1987-1988 RTÉ corporate look that briefly replaced the first logo and was the only RTÉ2 look to incorporate the St Brigid's Cross more normally associated with RTÉ One. Basically the 1987-1995 RTÉ logo (the big blocky one) with a "2" underneath.

    As for favourite era - a big toss up between the original Network 2 look and the N2 look as originally implemented. I'm going for the N2 look (up to 2001 or so) as it is one of the best graphics and presentation packages I have ever seen on a TV station despite its consequences for the overall RTÉ corporate identity (it tried to distance N2 away from RTÉ as much as possible). Great idents (despite not knowing what some of them were meant to be), a whole identity around the logo, consistant presentation, IVC, etc. And it wasn't just about presentation - a whole programming package came with it - this was the era of News 2, Later on 2, Monday Comedy Nights, Weekend Time Nights, DFTG, Top 30 Hits, N2 Sport and the rest. The only downsides were the axing of Sports Stadium and the fact that they didn't go the whole hog and call the channel officially N2 (announcements still referred to Network 2).

    The whole thing starting going awry around 2000, 2001 or so as RTÉ tired of the N2 era (it designed new idents, and then never introduced them properly, axed IVC, and the N2 era programmes started to fade away) and by September 2003 all that was left was the logo being used with some poor colour themed idents. Still, the best overall branding - and more importantly, programming - line up RTÉ have ever done.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 217 ✭✭camel toe


    i liked when sister sister and are you afraid of the dark was on midweek.

    liked it around 2003-2004 as well.

    remember ray darcy used to do those educational programmes? he'd talk about why you shouldnt throw stones at trains and the dangers of electricity stations.


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


    icdg wrote: »
    There is of course one more logo that you haven't posted above - the very short lived 1987-1988 RTÉ corporate look that briefly replaced the first logo and was the only RTÉ2 look to incorporate the St Brigid's Cross more normally associated with RTÉ One. Basically the 1987-1995 RTÉ logo (the big blocky one) with a "2" underneath.

    Thats is actually the one I remember from my last post.

    main-001-104.jpg
    main-001-33.jpg


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  • Registered Users Posts: 4,012 ✭✭✭Digifriendly


    Wasn't RTE2 opening or preparing to open the reason why the famous Munster victory over the All Blacks was not covered with a proper OB unit and relied on a film camera instead?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,668 ✭✭✭nlgbbbblth


    Wasn't RTE2 opening or preparing to open the reason why the famous Munster victory over the All Blacks was not covered with a proper OB unit and relied on a film camera instead?

    All Blacks game was day before wasn't it?

    Never heard of that reason but sounds plausible.


  • Registered Users Posts: 81 ✭✭seadog9


    Thank god for RTE 2!! The only decent one of the 4 "free" channels.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,602 ✭✭✭Rick_


    I remember it from it's 1996 onwards look. Some of it's idents from the 1997-2003 look were quite good, but I do like the current set of "pan around the room" idents. The one with the three snowmen trying to 'shoot' each-other with hairdryers is a personal favourite.


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


    Wasn't RTE2 opening or preparing to open the reason why the famous Munster victory over the All Blacks was not covered with a proper OB unit and relied on a film camera instead?


    RTÉ TWO was orginially set up to provide access to British programming to those viewers unable to receive BBC1, 2 and ITV (and also Irish Lanuage programming). Coronation Street was orginally broadcast from 1978 to 1992 on RTÉ TWO. However this changed as time went on as more and more people took up Cable and Deflectors and MMDS etc by the late 1980 sky was providing the channels via satellite.

    TV3 was launching in 1989 (however it didn't happen for another 9 years) and with the up take of cable RTE TWO reinvented itself becoming Network 2. AFAIK RTE TWO had very low veiwership up until its rebrand.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 4,012 ✭✭✭Digifriendly


    See the book 'Stand Up and Fight - when Munster beat the All Blacks' by Alan English (Yellow Jersey Press 2005). On Pg 231, the 'Limerick Leader' refers to Limerick rugby fans as being irate at the failure of RTE to provide live coverage on either radio or television of the game in question. (Find it surprising there was no live radio coverage mentioned here as there is earlier reference to match being broadcast on the radio on Pg. 204.) Mr. Tony Lyons, RTE Information Officer is also referred to as saying that the majority of RTE staff were in Cork for the launch of the second TV channel, RTE 2, and so the match could not have been covered with OB unit.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,628 ✭✭✭Koloman


    Elmo wrote: »
    RTÉ TWO was orginially set up to provide access to British programming to those viewers unable to receive BBC1, 2 and ITV (and also Irish Lanuage programming). Coronation Street was orginally broadcast from 1978 to 1992 on RTÉ TWO. However this changed as time went on as more and more people took up Cable and Deflectors and MMDS etc by the late 1980 sky was providing the channels via satellite.

    TV3 was launching in 1989 (however it didn't happen for another 9 years) and with the up take of cable RTE TWO reinvented itself becoming Network 2. AFAIK RTE TWO had very low veiwership up until its rebrand.
    Am I right in saying that TV3 regularly beats RTE2 for ratings? Whenever you hear someone from TV3 talking they usually say that RTE2 is their main completion and not RTE1?


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


    Koloman wrote: »
    Am I right in saying that TV3 regularly beats RTE2 for ratings? Whenever you hear someone from TV3 talking they usually say that RTE2 is their main completion and not RTE1?

    RTE TWO is a close 3rd to TV3.

    RTE ONE = 26%
    TV3 = 12%
    RTE TWO = 11%
    TG4 = 2.5%


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