RTE to provide hit television show downloads

SoSueMe

Well it seems RTE is fianally woken up and entered the 21st century. Here is the article from today's Sunday Independent detailing their plans to offer TV shows to download.

RTE to provide hit television show downloads for a few cents

NICK WEBB

RTE is working on high-level plans to allow viewers to buy and download episodes of top programmes over the internet, which would transform the face of broadcasting in Ireland, the Sunday Independent can reveal.

The State broadcaster is holding talks with a number of Hollywood and international TV production companies about freeing up the media rights to the shows, which would enable RTE to launch an on-demand service as early as next year.

It is thought that international blockbuster shows such as Lost and Desperate Housewives could be sold to customers to watch on their PC or other mobile devices, rather than its home-produced programmes such as Prime Time or Fair City.

"There will be commercial opportunities and we will definitely be looking at it. We are investigating certain options," according to RTE executive director of publishing Muirne Laffan. "It will be in 2007. We haven't identified specific shows but we would definitely be offering some of the acquisitions."

Laffan added that RTE's primary strategy in creating a wide-ranging download service is to maximise its audience, rather than as a purely commercial ploy.

However, a decision to charge for certain shows would probably cause major political debate, given that RTE already receives a licence fee. At the moment, all of RTE's online content is home-produced, such as sport or the Late Late Show, and is available free.

RTE's decision to jump into the on-demand arena follows similar moves by major international networks in the last couple of months. Traditional TV stations have been losing viewers in recent years, as more and more 15 to 35-year-olds have shifted to hugely popular internet sites like YouTube, Myspace or Bebo, or the wide range of digital television channels.

Television networks and Hollywood studios have been desperately trying to win back audiences, prompting the decision to offer on-demand shows bought online.

Recently, Walt Disney inked a landmark deal with Apple's iTunes download service to sell movies online. Other networks have followed suit, with ABC offering download episodes of Grey's Anatomy and Lost for sale one day after airing on television.

Last week, Channel Four revealed its own ambitious plans for what it claims is the world's first full-schedule video on demand service. Copying the hugely successful iTunes music download format, they charge 99p (€1.46) to rent a show or up to £1.99 (€2.94) for a film.

RTE's internet site already broadcasts about 50 or 60 hours per week of home produced television, as well as much of its radio content. The volume of programming has increased "hugely" in the last year, according to Laffan. The soon-to-be overhauled RTE website has experienced a 40 per cent year-on-year growth in traffic, hitting 1.1m users per month, she added.

The broadcaster streams Champions League football matches online at the same time as the games appear on RTE2. Last summer, over 12,000 people tuned in to watch the Munster Gaelic Football final, with over 5,000 online viewers for Bernard Dunne's recent title fight. The station also provides unique content for its website, ranging from interviews with stars to a series on global warming.

Hobbes

I don't see why we should have to pay if we are already paying for a TV license.

As it stands now I don't watch RTE at all yet I am still expected to pay for it, especially with the new laws going in.

byte

Well, the way I see it, if you don't want to pay extra, just watch the shows on the TV channel when aired. If you want to watch it when you feel like it, pay a bit extra. The levy would probably help cover server costs which I imagine would be quite high to offer such services.

Hobbes

How about the other way around. If I want to watch on the net (which I have a strange feeling is going to be crap quality and non-downloadable) then it should be free. If you use TV then you pay.

mickd

You would want to be some sad bastard to be downloading Fair City to your pc.

ixoy

Will they provide old archived material? Imagine the joys of being able to download both seasons, to have in perpetuity, of "Upwardly Mobile" :eek:

Rollo Tamasi

SoSueMe wrote:

Traditional TV stations have been losing viewers in recent years, as more and more 15 to 35-year-olds have shifted to hugely popular internet sites like YouTube, Myspace or Bebo, or the wide range of digital television channels.

eh..more like Torrents there Mr. Webb.

lodgepole

ixoy wrote:

Will they provide old archived material? Imagine the joys of being able to download both seasons, to have in perpetuity, of "Upwardly Mobile" :eek:

Jokes aside, I would love to have access to the RTE archive. They began showing some material from the 60s a couple of years ago, and TG4 often show documentaries from that era. I'd pay a small annual fee for access to that kind of material.

Mossy Monk

Reeling In The Years would be good

ondafly

The BBC already offer this to UK residents for free. We pay a licence fee for the creation/running of these shows, and now have to pay again ?

jester77

I can understand paying for the archive but from that report it sounds like it will only apply to current shows. Why would anyone pay for current shows when they can just record them when they are on and watch them at any time? Sounds like they are charging you for forgetting to set your recorder

Yakuza

Reeling in the years; yes...I have to say one of my favourite home-produced shows.

I'd pay good money for a recording of the Zig and Zag snippet when they were talking about farmyard animal noises..

Zig: "What does a cow say?"
Zag: "Moo".
Zig: "What does a sheep say?"
Zag: "Baaa".
Zig: "What does a pig say?"
Zag: "Is dat yor veh-hickle".

I believe they were put off the air for a week

Or their "Bosco is a b0llix" incident. Ah! Sweet memories...

Edit: Added spoiler tags

Rollo Tamasi

Yakuza wrote:

Edit: Added spoiler tags

Kewl!

OFDM

Yakuza wrote:

Zig: "What does a cow say?"
Zag: "Moo".
Zig: "What does a sheep say?"
Zag: "Baaa".
Zig: "What does a pig say?"
Zag: "Is dat yor veh-hickle".

I believe they were put off the air for a week

Urban legend tbh....

Elmo

www.tg4.tv

It's been done, RTE.

Hobbes

OFDM wrote:

Urban legend tbh....

As I recall that was one of the three things that I remember them going off air for.

One I was there for...

Zig: What's white and wobbles?
Zag: What?
Zig: Come Dancing!

... Cue look of 2 second confusion of Ray followed by look of "OMG they didn't!"