Branding RTE

Elmo

It continues

www.rte.ie/2fm

2fm lost its 2

aidan_walsh

I'm not seeing what you mean...

Elmo

The large 2 with the fm in the bottom of it.

I.E. the 2fm LOGO.

DMC

John Clarke does it once again.....

JohnC.

I never liked the current way they have the 2FM URL either. IMO, the old www.2fm.ie is much better than www.rte.ie/2fm

The current one lessens or cheapens the brand. It's like it isn't important enough to have its own domain. I can understand why they want to emphasise RTE in their branding, I suppose, but they don't always do it well at all.

But maybe that's just me.

byte

Nah, they're just copying the BBC, both with logo's (look at RTE ONE and RTE TWO logo's) and websites.

watty

Rte's website a copy of the BBC???????????? They wish!

Well it is a good aspiration. BBC is 2nd or 3rd most useful thing on Internet along with Google an wikipedia

Elmo

Well it is a good aspiration. BBC is 2nd or 3rd most useful thing on Internet along with Google an wikipedia

I find the RTE sites do not have as much depth. The BBC seem to put up the jornalists full reports.

RTE should put up the full reports for prime time IMO.

look at RTE ONE and RTE TWO logo's

But they are going over board with the branding.

www.rte.ie/tv
www.rte.ie/2fm
www.rte.ie/radio1

2fm, radio1, ONE and TWO are all using the same fonts.

www.bbc.co.uk/radio

Different designs for their radio stations.

I think the sites are fairly different IMO.

www.rte.ie
www.bbc.co.uk

whiskeyman

FYI...

http://www.lambie-nairn.com/client.asp?ContentId=2725

Lambie Nairn are the brand guardians for the Beeb, and have done a fantastic job at it.

Rick_

Strangely on RTÉ TWO, they have taken off the RTÉ TWO logo and now just broadcast a bigger THE DEN logo in it's place, so there are no longer 2 DOG's on screen during the day. The fact they made it bigger though detracts from this, and they still look like amateurs. Unfortunatly, the TTV strand keeps the two DOG's... (Also, it's after 6 o'clock, why havn't The Simpsons started yet? Bugger those who have set up a Sky + for this. Instead were getting 'news' about some nonentity 'Hollywood' couple that have split up... Jesus, good priorities there, RTÉ!

Now, if only they'd sort out the position of their DOG's on Sky when a 4:3 programme is being shown. It's not fun watching a 4:3 programme with a DOG a third of the way in on the screen!

Paddy

Round Cable

Remember when RTÉ initially said on screen branding was introduced because they want to differentiate themselves from TV3 and questions about TV3 directed at them. :rolleyes: Bull**** they recently admitted that they introduced them because they can, and remove them from ads, so not to offend the great advertisers, a big screw you to the RTÉ licence fee payer. At least now they're telling the truth, but why the initial lie?

icdg

Given that RTE Radio 1 lost its own logo for a logo like this, it was bound to happen to 2FM eventually. The only surprises are a) That it took this logo (nearly two and a half years since the RTÉ Branding Machine went into overdrive in September 2003) and b) they they haven't gone the whole hog and reverted to RTÉ Radio 2.

Lyric FM's also been using a simplified version of its orignal logo now for a while - with the symbol gone, an RTÉ logo added, and the the logotype's colour been changed to green. Wonder if they will change to the standard font now also.

Incidently, regarding the BBC's radio stations - its only recently the rules have been relaxed - all the BBC's radio stations in 1997 had their then logos dropped and replaced by logos saying [C] RADIO x in the Gill Sans font.

Telefís

I kinda like what they've done - bringing everything in under the broad RTÉ umbrella. Saying that, I don't really listen to 2fm so I might care more otherwise about the loss of its distinctive identity.
But media in Ireland does operate in such a fragmented marketplace - I can never get over how so many people are surprised to discover 2fm is part of RTÉ, it's unbelievable.
This change will help.

On the subject of RTÉ identities, it's quite likely a 'new look' RTÉ Television News will be launched in just over a week's time on Jan 1st. The current set is largely deemed to be appalling in amost every respect, it's nearly two and a half years old now (not that that's a lot really), but mainly the transition to widescreen for RTÉ News has to take place some time in early 2006.
So Jan 1st looks like the big day. The graphics may be retained with just some tweaks to the set to accommodate widescreen framing, but it remains to be seen if a whole new package is launched.

Sorry for hijacking Elmo

Scobie

Telef&#237 wrote: »

So Jan 1st looks like the big day. The graphics may be retained with just some tweaks to the set to accommodate widescreen framing, but it remains to be seen if a whole new package is launched.

From what I hear, it will be next Sept before RTE News go widescreen and get a new set. I could be wrong.

Telefís

More likely me
I've been told that a reliable source has suggested early 2006 for the widescreen switch, but personally I can't see everything being ready by Jan 1st - both the widescreen switch which has vast production implications, or a new design.

Also there's been absolutely no hint whatever about plans being rolled out for a big change, so next Sept does seem more likely - not least as the present package will be three years old by then: the average life of a news/regular studio production scheme. 2 years and 4 months is pushing it a bit.
We shall see...

byte

watty wrote:

Rte's website a copy of the BBC???????????? They wish!

Well it is a good aspiration. BBC is 2nd or 3rd most useful thing on Internet along with Google an wikipedia

I should have been more specific. I meant in the way they have the URL's for their stations. eg bbc.co.uk/bbcone rte.ie/2fm etc

All the channels as sub folders of the main website, unlike what RTE used to do with 2fm.ie etc...

With regards content, they've very dissimilar, though I do think RTE's site is getting gradually better.

Telefís

Gradually. On big stories the news section can be very good, and they're great at updating, but for the most part stories just aren't comprehensive enough. You can often get more information on Aertel - ironically on the very same site.

Solair

Widescreen in the newsroom is a bigger deal than elsewhere, mostly because of all of the video sources in use. It will mean upgrading all of the reporter camera equipment.

On the otherside of it, Widescreen has become much easier to implement due to moves towards fully digital production.

The set and studio cameras are the easy bit!

Wait till you see Charlie bird stretched as they mix wide and standard formats

Telefís

The notion of RTÉ handling a widescreen changeover for News fills me with utter horror :eek:

Yes - it's an absolutely massive event for news, all field cameras, satellite vans, editing suites in RTÉ, editing and transmission in sat vans, regional studios' bases and their sat vans etc etc - everything has to go.
Similarly the news gallery in RTÉ has to be as good as shredded, as do of course the cameras in the studio itself, and monitors etc.
They'll have to wreck the place.

From what I'm getting now, it'll likely be Sept of next year - the obvious changeover point.
RTÉ like the dead summer period to prepare for these things.

Elmo

kinda like what they've done - bringing everything in under the broad RTÉ umbrella.

I think they are totally insane. I don't ever remember RTÉ being a good brand.

Next they will want to change TG4 to RTÉ A TRI. Hopeful TG4 will be saved and get its independence.

But media in Ireland does operate in such a fragmented marketplace -I can never get over how so many people are surprised to discover 2fm is part of RTÉ, it's unbelievable.

I feel that the different names gave some kind of independence from RTÉ. I think the branding is boring and contrived (At least now they aren't pretending to be anything else.)

Richard

Telef&#237 wrote: »

The notion of RTÉ handling a widescreen changeover for News fills me with utter horror :eek:

Yes - it's an absolutely massive event for news, all field cameras, satellite vans, editing suites in RTÉ, editing and transmission in sat vans, regional studios' bases and their sat vans etc etc - everything has to go.
Similarly the news gallery in RTÉ has to be as good as shredded, as do of course the cameras in the studio itself, and monitors etc.
They'll have to wreck the place.

Am I missing something here? Surely it will be anamorphic widescreen so much of the equipment will be able to be reused. And can't the cameras be adjusted also?

Scobie

Telef&#237 wrote: »

The notion of RTÉ handling a widescreen changeover for News fills me with utter horror :eek:

Yes - it's an absolutely massive event for news, all field cameras, satellite vans, editing suites in RTÉ, editing and transmission in sat vans, regional studios' bases and their sat vans etc etc - everything has to go.
Similarly the news gallery in RTÉ has to be as good as shredded, as do of course the cameras in the studio itself, and monitors etc.
They'll have to wreck the place.

From what I'm getting now, it'll likely be Sept of next year - the obvious changeover point.
RTÉ like the dead summer period to prepare for these things.

I tend to dissagree. Everything in the RTE Newsroom is Widescreen ready, except the set. Cameras, vision mixers etc. are instantly switchable to widescreen. Captions just need to be created in 16:9. Not a problem.

JohnC.

But that's the newsroom. Are all the regional studios, all the field equipment, etc. ready? The newsroom, while possibly being the most important part, would probably be a fairly small proportion of the overall equipment.

Richard

Kahless wrote:

But that's the newsroom. Are all the regional studios, all the field equipment, etc. ready? The newsroom, while possibly being the most important part, would probably be a fairly small proportion of the overall equipment.

Even if the regional studios aren't easily convertible, they could do what the BBC did (and still do in some cases) and ARC the 4:3 output.

Several English regional newsrooms haven't gone 16:9 yet, but get by by making the programmes in 4:3 and ARCing. It's a stopgap measure until they go to full 16:9.

radiospan

I wonder will they ever fix the problem with the DOGs on all their 4:3 programmes on Sky Digital? I thought it would only have taken a few days for someone at RTE to spot this.

Round Cable

They said they were going to fix them back in July, however if it's taking this length it must be beyond their technical capibilities, pathetic really when no UK channel (~50 Widescreen) have any problems at all.

Rick_

They have some sort of trailers currently showing on RTÉ, they don't appear to be for programmes, but on them the DOG appears to be in a much better place in regards to 16:9 and 4:3 positioning.

Even if a programme is in 16:9, the DOG is too far down the screen and a bit too far towards the centre. When in 4:3, the dog looks horrible streched and it still sticks out a mile. The best way to notice this is during "The Blizzard Of Odd", where clips from other channels are shown. Even on old RTÉ programmes, the DOG looks in the wrong place compared to the DOG that's being shown from the other channel. When comparing it to say Sky Onc, RTÉ's logo is massive and extremely intrusive.

Surely someone has noticed this and thought, "Hey, that isn't right...?"

Paddy

bungeecork

Telef&#237 wrote: »

...it's quite likely a 'new look' RTÉ Television News will be launched ...

Well they keep the 80s style way too loud and way way way too long intro. music so Anne Doyle can continue to stuff up the intro. timing..?

watty

Shoot the Dogs I say. Everything I have as an "i" button to tell me the channel. Even the TV or VHS on Analog Terrestrial.

bungeecork

Sleepless night recently. Noticed the "RTE TWO" dog was changed to "RTE" followed by the old circular n-inside-a-2 logo from the later Network 2 days.

Is it always like this in the early hours?

Telefís

Scobie wrote:

I tend to dissagree. Everything in the RTE Newsroom is Widescreen ready, except the set. Cameras, vision mixers etc. are instantly switchable to widescreen. Captions just need to be created in 16:9. Not a problem.

It's a lot more than that, and I very much so doubt (though am open to correction) that the Newsroom gallery is widescreen ready. It hasn't been touched since at least 2003 when the current scheme came in - though it is possible that it was made widescreen ready at that time.

I doubt it though, not least as the entire monitor bank is 4:3 and looks like it dates from the late 90s, which would suggest the desk vision equipment wasn't changed either...
Similarly phasing in field cameras and equipment has probably been happening over the past year or so alright, but is still a huge project. And to my knowledge all of the regions are still in 4:3.

Certainly all of Montrose was converted to widescreen over last summer, and Presentation suites before that again, but the Newsroom hasn't been to the same extent given the scale of the undertaking and the 4:3-designed set not being suited to 16:9.

There's no doubt now though - there'll definitely be a wholescale design relaunch in September. I think the cuurent scheme, graphics excluded, is deemd to be the worst in recent times, if not ever, given the high expectations of today. The set in particular is throughly flawed as a design concept, and has worn exceptionally bady, not least as it is poorly maintained.

Know exactly what you mean about the headline sequence bungeecork - the incompetency of RTÉ VT editors and the at times bizarre unprofessionalism of Doyle is a bad combination :eek:
Makes for most entertaining viewing though!