RTE on DSat

peneau

Hi Everybody, I sent this off to RTE yesterday, looking for an explanation, what do you think.




My query is, why is it only possible to receive RTE television via digital satellite transmission on the Sky platform?
I am Dublin based and I have a free to air satellite (non Sky subscription) system installed and I cannot receive RTE television broadcasts via satellite.

I presume RTE has a business arrangement with Sky and that this is the reason, however I don't wish to subscribe to Sky and as a license fee payer I feel that people in a similar position to myself are at a disadvantage when compared to those people who subscribe to Sky.

In the U.K. BBC and ITV are broadcast free to air via satellite and digitally, as are Ch4 and Ch5 on freeview or with Sky via a viewing card, why is it RTE has not made a similar arrangement with Sky.

RTE broadcasts are available via satellite, so long as you subscribe to sky and In my opinion, if RTE makes its transmissions available on any satellite platform then as the National Broadcaster, it should be available to all license fee payers via satellite and not the preserve of those who subscribe to a premium product, and in essence making the sky package more attractive to potential Irish customers.

I know that there is no RTE (non Sky) digital TV broadcast currently generally available in Ireland, and that RTE tv is available via analogue transmission, that aside RTE television is available via satellite (Sky platform) and I feel that this is unfair to those license fee payers with satellite systems other than the sky platform.

Thank you for taking the time to read my email, I'd be interested in any comments you may have.

Regards.

Mossy Monk

and they will probably tell you that they are in an agreement with Sky. tbh i dont know if they would even be on satellite was it not for that contract. besides nothing will change until at least 2008. BBC and ITV were encrypted too

peneau

You may well be right Mossy, however as the National Broadcaster RTE has a duty to the license fee payer and I guess what I'm really trying to find out from them is, given their broadcasting remit, are they legally entitled to make their broadcasts available exclusively to Sky on DSat, regardless of their current business arrangement with Sky.

dmeehan

Mossy Monk wrote:

BBC and ITV were encrypted too

but at least while that was the case, licence payers could still avail of a free to view card (which doesnt help those with a non-sky sat receiver)

watty

Below is RTE's opinion. it is NOT mine!

RTE has a different view of Satellite to BBC/ITV. From Emails & phone calls with them:
* Satellite is only pay Multi Channel alternative to cable
* Anyone that wants multichannel and can't get cable will cheerfully subscribe to sky
* RTE carriage and encryption and EPG on Sky is Free to RTE, so this is a good deal for the licence payer & etc.
* We can't justify cost of a FTV card scheme.
* We don't have any obligation to be on satellite.
* Noone watches satellite TV without a Sky Subscription.


So you see from RTE's point of view they are VERY GOOD and KIND doing the deal with Sky.




Sky can charge what they like and put RTE into any package they like. Current agreement with secret terms expires maybe in 2008.

There is NO Irish Satellite service. So RTE is no obligated to be on Satellite at all!

Widescreen

Watty, I agree with most of your excellent comments. On this one, however, I fail to see how RTE being available on Sky Digital ,by having to pay Sly for a package of channels,is a good deal for the licence payer. I believe the Licence payer in this country gets very little value for his steadily rising €155+ euros per year...Remember this price jumped, ESB style, about 4 years ago.
I see no extra value. Thats my opinion. RTE should at least be FTV. Why don't they get some advice from the BEEB in how to handle Sky... I believe Sky need RTE more than RTE need Sky!

Tomk1

watty wrote:

RTE has a different view of Satellite to BBC/ITV. From Emails & phone calls with them:
* Satellite is only pay Multi Channel alternative to cable
* Anyone that wants multichannel and can't get cable will cheerfully subscribe to sky
* RTE carriage and encryption and EPG on Sky is Free to RTE, so this is a good deal for the licence payer & etc.
* We can't justify cost of a FTV card scheme.
* We don't have any obligation to be on satellite.
* Noone watches satellite TV without a Sky Subscription.


So you see from RTE's point of view they are VERY GOOD and KIND doing the deal with Sky.




Sky can charge what they like and put RTE into any package they like. Current agreement with secret terms expires maybe in 2008.

There is NO Irish Satellite service. So RTE is no obligated to be on Satellite at all!

yes a very understandable statement except......
* Noone watches satellite TV without a Sky Subscription.

but in the majority of satellite viewers it would be the case.

rgds. t.k.

peneau

Another thought, I suspect Sky would lose quite a few Irish subs, were RTE1 and 2 not included in their package, which brings me back to, if RTE television broadcasts are made available via satellite (which they are on the Sky platform) then imo it should be made available FTA to all license fee payers.

watty

Widescreen wrote:

Watty, I agree with most of your excellent comments. On this one, however, I fail to see how RTE being available on Sky Digital ,by having to pay Sly for a package of channels,is a good deal for the licence payer. I believe the Licence payer in this country gets very little value for his steadily rising €155+ euros per year...Remember this price jumped, ESB style, about 4 years ago.
I see no extra value. Thats my opinion. RTE should at least be FTV. Why don't they get some advice from the BEEB in how to handle Sky... I believe Sky need RTE more than RTE need Sky!

I agree it is a stupid deal. It manfestly is only a good deal for finance dept at RTE, not the real licence payer. Above I am quoting RTE.

FTA is impossible. Sky do charge too much (Millions that can't be justified) for FTV.

The BBC conculded that FTV locked them into something that they had no control of price nor delivery. They can do FTA, RTE can't.

I estimate that Sky would want about €5M to €10 Million per year for FTV. (it costs them almost nothing, or possibly they would make a profit at ZERO charge as they would sell the FTVcards at 4x cost (80% profit margin on SP probably).

It has been explained at LENGTH here why FTA is impossible for RTE.

All this is rehashing old ground.