RTE FTA ? why not ?

clarkbelt

Maybe this has been covered before........just wondering does anyone know why RTE is not available to satellite FTA viwers who hold a current Irish Tv licence . Should RTE not issue iewing cards FOC for people who do not subscribe to Sky ?

Supercell

Grrr, i've got opinions on this...interested to see the response from others on it too.

mjsmyth

RTE believe that they cannot go FTA because of rights issues. I got this reply from themrecently.

"Dear Mr ?????

Thank you for your email concerning the availability of
RTÉ television. RTÉ is obliged under broadcasting
legislation to provide a free-to-air television signal
to as many homes as is possible in the Republic of
Ireland. We currently provide this service to over 99%
of households. This level of penetration is regarded
as universal and fulfils all obligations in regard to
distribution of our service.

Many households in the country choose to pay for the
reception of their television signal. This is their
choice. The primary motive is to increase the number
of television channels available to them. In order to
facilitate those households who access their television
channels via cable or satellite RTÉ is available on
all cable systems and on Sky Digital satellite. We are
open to the possibility of extending the range of
platforms carrying our signal. However we have to take
account of the cost of going on other platforms and
the demand.

RTÉ cannot broadcast into the UK as we do not have UK
broadcasting rights to many of our programmes. These
are either not available to RTÉ or would be
prohibitively expensive. On the other hand as the
BBC/ITV, etc. are entitled to provide a service to
people living in Northern Ireland their signal is
available throughout Ireland. There
is nothing RTÉ can do to change this. It is simply
unrealistic to believe RTÉ can either ignore the rights
issue or negotiate some kind of exemption."

I too believe that if they cannot go FTA like BBC and ITV, a FTV card should be available for free when you purchase your licence. This should be a card that can be used in non-sky boxes (as those that have sky do not need it as they get the channels already).

MJ

Ulsterman 1690

Yes its been covered before

Yes they should but no they wont because of their unholy and suicidal alliance with $ky

DMC

There has been a lot of this discussion in the TV3 stop ITV FTA thread.

watty

RTE don't really believe that people in Ireland would watch Satellite TV without a Sky Sub, so by their logic Sky for free (to them) makes more sense than RTE nearly free for us (Via FTV card) but expensive for them.

Greenman

This a real "old chestnut"

This was my last reply that I posted a few weeks ago!!!

Dear Mr .......,

Thank you for your email. Would that it were as simple
as you suggest! RTÉ is
currently examining the possibility of an international
television service. Our
initial ambition is to get an Irish television service
up and running in the UK.
After that we would be looking at the rest of Europe.
But there are quite a few
obstacles to overcome.

1. Rights. RTÉ currently buys Irish broadcasting
rights to the acquired
American, British and Australian programmes we
transmit. We either could not
afford to buy world rights or world rights are not
available for many of the
acquired programmes we show. Therefore any service we
make available
internationally would have to be confined to the
programmes we make ourselves or
the programmes we commission ourselves. Basically an
amalgam of our home
production on RTÉ One and RTÉ Two would form the basis
of a RTÉ International
channel.

2. Legal. The advice we have received is that current
broadcasting legislation
may need to be amended to allow RTÉ to operate an
international service. RTÉ is
working with the Department of Communications on this.

3. . Technology. To get a signal to potential viewers
outside of Ireland we
have to consider different means of distribution
including Digital Satellite,
Digital Terrestrial , cable and broadband. All of
these options are currently
being examined.

4. Cost. I wish we could share your optimism about
the market for an RTÉ
International service. Tara Television lost
considerable amounts of money
before it ceased broadcasting. It is RTÉ's view that
any future operation would
have to receive a subsidy from the Irish government as
part of its "Irish
Abroad" programme administered by the Department of
Foreign Affairs. Many
European countries subsidise the international
operation of their public
service broadcasting organisations.

So overall we are aware of a level of interest,
albeit one that is difficult
to quantify. We are working towards getting an
operation up and running. But
it will not happen quickly.

Yours sincerely

Beverly Hanly
Secretary to Audience Council

clarkbelt

I wonder if this is open to a legal challenge , how can RTE justify charging us twice ( by expecting us to subscribe to Sky, and pay a licence fee ) for our own National TV srevice , worse still these subscriptions going to a UK based broadcaster ?

In their replies to our questions RTE just bull**** about rights issues , Why cant they or why dont they restrict viewing by means of viewing cards as the BBC have done for years ?

Round Cable

clarkbelt wrote:

I wonder if this is open to a legal challenge , how can RTE justify charging us twice ( by expecting us to subscribe to Sky, and pay a licence fee ) for our own National TV srevice , worse still these subscriptions going to a UK based broadcaster ?

Not forgetting we have to endure adverts too.

clarkbelt wrote:

In their replies to our questions RTE just bull**** about rights issues , Why cant they or why dont they restrict viewing by means of viewing cards as the BBC have done for years ?

Too true, RTÉ say they have no plans to introduce FTV cards, fact is Sky said NO, see what happens when you sell out your licence fee investors.

Mossy Monk

adverts on our PSB
encrypted on satellite too

Ireland is not unique in this. why do people always compare RTÉ to the BBC who have in comparison to RTÉ a never ending money pit *sigh*

Ulsterman 1690

Ireland is not unique in this

RTE is practically unique in
1) Encrypting ALL programming (not just the stuff with "rights issues") on its satellite feed
2) Denying digital reception to viewers IN ITS HOME MARKET unless said viewers are prepared to subscribe its biggest competitor

Greenman

clarkbelt wrote:

I wonder if this is open to a legal challenge , how can RTE justify charging us twice ( by expecting us to subscribe to Sky, and pay a licence fee ) for our own National TV srevice , worse still these subscriptions going to a UK based broadcaster ?

In their replies to our questions RTE just bull**** about rights issues , Why cant they or why dont they restrict viewing by means of viewing cards as the BBC have done for years ?

I'm outside Ireland and don't feel I have so many legs to stand on as regards asking RTE to be FTA!! but why don't the people in Ireland who feel angry at having to pay double to watch RTE do something!!!
Has anyone tried to ring Joe Duffy??? I mailed the show a few times but got nothing back!!!
Has anyone ever written to say The Irish Times??? I did!!!
Has anyone contacted their local TD???
Has anyone done something constructive???
Taking TARA TV off the air was a bad move as I feel the Irish in the UK and Europe are missing out on home grown TV!!! you cannot imagine what its like when you are Irish living outside Ireland to watch The News,Late late show,About the house,Ear to the ground etc!!!
God how I'd like to go into Montrose and give them a good shake!!!