RTE Radio Drops The Ball During Ireland/Italy OB

Radio Mad.

RTE Radio and Newstalk were badly hampered by power cuts during the Ireland/Italy Six Nations rugby match today. The problem resulted in both broadcasters experiencing breaks in transmission from Croke Park.

While RTE can't be blamed for power cuts (which they were at pains to say a number of times today are out of their control), at the same time sh1t happens from time to time, especially in live programmes, and particularly during OB broadcasts, so they should always have a back-up plan. Well today they didn't and were all over the place when things started to go wrong.

The first break happened just before half time. While the radio commentary went down, TV's stayed up. The sensible thing to do, immediately, would have been to put the TV feed out on radio or have the radio team continue commentating on a mobile phone until such time as the problem was rectified. But no, radio took an unscheduled Ad break (while match continued), returning some minutes later before deciding to carry the TV output. It happened again in the second half.

As RTE weren't just commentating on the game, but were also anchoring the whole programme from there, a presenter back at base had to step in to the breach at half time. Unfortunately, he sounded ill-prepared for the job, with a lot of stops and starts, stuttering, pauses because he wasn't sure what to say next, dead air between him announcing clips and them playing etc.

Why does our state-funded national broadcaster piss about like this?
The same just doesn't happen on BBC radio.

DMC

It affected all broadcasters bar TV, it appears, including the TV match official and the ref link.....

I listened to it on radio, and, aiui, RTÉ will cut to an ad break in situation like that, giving a breather in the hope that live coverage can resume. Andrew O'Connor was only meant to go on air after the rugby was finished. At least he was there after the ad break. Dead air is not fun. People might retune or start tapping the radio, for all the good it will do!

And have you ever tried making a mobile call in a big stadium? "Network busy" comes to mind.

I have seen matches on Sky where the power goes, but TV cameras and production stays on. Separate power.

http://breakingnews.iol.ie/sport/story.asp?j=104840810&p=yx484yyyz&t=rugby

Kaplan went upstairs for confirmation of Parisse’s try but a power cut at Croke Park five minutes before half-time robbed half the stadium of power and O’Sullivan did not have the luxury of viewing a replay.

O’Sullivan said: “If the try was awarded then it must have been a try.

“But there was a power cut so we didn’t have any replays and the ref link went down too.

“We saw it from 100 yards like all of the other punters. The TVMO seemed to take an awful long time to give the try, though.”

BrianD

All the TV Outside Broadcast units use their own generator power (twin synch-ed generators) and this is independent of the house power. The OB units are parked underneath the Hogan stand.

The radio commentary area is separate and they are located in the media area of the Hogan stand and one assumes that they are fed off house power. The GAA would need to get their act together and get some redundency in there. Perhaps somebody switched on a big kettle in the corporate boxes and blew a fuse!

I would guess that the TV ref is probably watching a monitor within the media area?

maishyburger7

BrianD wrote: »

All the TV Outside Broadcast units use their own generator power (twin synch-ed generators) and this is independent of the house power. The OB units are parked underneath the Hogan stand.

Croke Park has its own twin sync genie which is located next to the OB compound under the hogan stand. Outside of major stadiums such as Croke Park or the new Aviva RTE generally use a company called cini-electric to provide this facility for their live OB's. They provide a twin sync generator (in essence two generators synced) on the back of a rigid truck, which then can travel to the various locations. Radio don't generally use this facility.

The radio commentary area is separate and they are located in the media area of the Hogan stand and one assumes that they are fed off house power. The GAA would need to get their act together and get some redundency in there. Perhaps somebody switched on a big kettle in the corporate boxes and blew a fuse!

[/QUOTE] I would guess that the TV ref is probably watching a monitor within the media area?[/QUOTE] The TMO sit's in the OB truck alongside the replay operators. He views the various angles before informing the match director that he has come to a decision, the director then cuts back to a shot of the referee while the TMO's decision is passed along.

Lenny Lovett

Is it TVM that provide the OB units for RTE at Croker?

afatbollix

No observe.. TVM do most of the stuff down the south.

I think Observe have the contract for RTE untill this year?

maishyburger7

Observe Outside Broadcasting based in kilcoole Co Wicklow have the contract for RTE's in house IBD's outside Broadcasting ( mainly sports religious current affairs). they also provide facilities for a variety of independent productions for a whole host of broadcasters.

Television Mobiles based in Bartlemy near Fermoy co. cork generally provide the facilities for Sky sports. They also provide facilities to a company called Nemeton (based in waterford) who in turn produce sports programming for TG4. TV3 (through Motive an independent production company) have been using TVM for their GAA coverage.

Lenny Lovett

Are RTE obliged to use Independent contractors these days or is just a cheaper/easier option for them?