RTÉ News & Ireland AM Revamps - Aug 28th, 2006

Milktrolley

Dramatic changes to the face of presentation today, with RTÉ News and Ireland AM going through major changes.

Ireland AM was first off at 7am, unveiling Sinéad Desmond as their new co-presenter. This was alongside new titles, a new set and a new graphics package.

RTÉ News went through a radical overhaul. The news summaries previewed what was to come. If you haven't seen the new look, click here for the One O'Clock bulletin.


Any thoughts?

darkman2

Saw it on the 6:00 news. TBH I was a bit indifferent to it really. The same mistakes will still occur no doubt:rolleyes:

Milktrolley

Six-One with Sharon Ní Bheoláin
http://dynamic.rte.ie/av/2168563.smil

Now available

bennyx_o

Looks alot like BBC to me. Better than what it used to be though.

seamus21514

WHat are the titles supposed to represent? They stink! The music is horrible also! But the set is great IMO.

darkman2

seamus21514 wrote:

WHat are the titles supposed to represent? They stink! The music is horrible also! But the set is great IMO.

I thought the set looked a bit claustrophobic. Im sure the sports reader didnt mind though;)

Milktrolley

darkman2 wrote:

I thought the set looked a bit claustrophobic. Im sure the sports reader didnt mind though;)

Good one!

My initial rage on the new look is subsiding... although they really could have done a lot better. Carole Coleman's report being so mercilessly cropped was dire. And the unusual sign-off ("Carole Coleman for RTÉ News, Guatemala") was strange.

I know dark colours make places look smaller, but come on RTÉ! That can't be the best you can do! Can it? The straps are unbelievably BBC as well. No surprise there.

The DOG looks really awkward, and there's no 'Live' graphic, but the worst of all is the titles. They make no sense whatsoever. I don't mind them as much as the previous ones though. It would take a lot for it to be worse than random numbers and music that tries to be dramatic.

Still, and this isn't saying much, it's a step in the right direction. It's in widescreen (apart from Coleman), and the set, at least, doesn't look as cheap as the last one. But there's no way the OTS shots we saw in the temporary studio will work out in Studio 3. Not now anyway.

But at least watching RTÉ News won't be as depressing as it's been for the last few years. Even if they made a few small (and good!) changes over the next few weeks, it would at least go some way to improving the situation. I'm not holding my breath... but let's hope they do.

medja

Carole Coleman may be freelance at this stage. May have done the report herself. It's a news story but it may have been shot weeks ago and was just thrown in today as it's a slow news day.

Milktrolley

medja wrote:

Carole Coleman may be freelance at this stage. May have done the report herself. It's a news story but it may have been shot weeks ago and was just thrown in today as it's a slow news day.

That's true. But RTÉ "borrow" so many other things from other broadcasters, it'd be nice if they took the practice of proper cropping as well! Sky don't do it too well, but BBC N24 have short black lines down the side. Gives most of the image, doesn't compromise too much yet doesn't annoy 16:9 viewers. Whereas this annoys people who don't know what an aspect ratio is!

Milktrolley

Eileen has no laptop!

Correction: It's still there. But cleverly kept out of the shot.

Alter-Ego

Think the new rte news set is awful. Its so small and tacky looking.

Milktrolley

The subject matter of the titles has been the subject of debate, both here and on other forums. I've a theory.

I looked at the Nine O'Clock and On Two titles in slow-motion (I recorded them onto DVD). It appears to be some sort of satellite, with antennas sticking out, enclosed within a giant Terry's Chocolate Orange. Not that the outside body is meant to represent a piece of confectionary, that's just what it looks like.

I'll take a look at the One and the Six tomorrow and examine their titles.

By the way, the news broke during the late bulletin on RTÉ Two of a circus performer who died in front of an audience in Co. Clare this evening. RTÉ spoke to a Superintendent on the phone. Ten minutes later, TV3's Jenny McCudden had a short report, with footage from the scene, and an eyewitness account. Go figure.


EDIT: RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock with Eileen Dunne
http://dynamic.rte.ie/av/2168653.smil

loyatemu

last nights 9 o clock news, despite being their flagship bulletin launching their new design was still full of technical errors and cock-ups.

The sound on one report faded in with the reporter already in the middle of a sentence; some guy was interviewed at the airport and his name didn't appear on the screen until right at the end - small things but all adding to the general air of incompetence.

Flukey

It is all a bit weird at this stage. We'll all be on error watch for a while. First impressions are not great I'd have to say.