RTE freetoair

scruffy66

could anybody tell me why RTE is not free to air ,i was looking on the freetoair.ie web site at all free channels available and wondering if RTE was also available FTA why would anybody want to pay a monthly subscription .I reckon at least 50% or more house holds would switch to FTA , if RTE went FTA , WHY DONT THEY.

Fighting Irish

Cos they're money grabbing scum

Oh great, fair city is on

ShaneU

Every other major European country has a free to air digital service except us, screw you RTE.

While it's something I'd love to see I can't see it happen due to rights issues. Continental Europe broadcast programmes in their native language which is good enough to keep the rights holders in Hollywood or wherever happy. The UK can get away with it due to its large size in comparison to Ireland (and some UK broadcasters have rights clearance for Ireland anyway). However RTÉ only have rights for Ireland itself, to even get rights clearance for the UK would cost them far more than for its own viewers.

I'm pretty sure that's the reason why RTÉ is still encrypted on satellite. Though it would be nice to see them drop the encryption for home grown material.

Mossy Monk

Fighting Irish wrote: »

Cos they're money grabbing scum

You do realise that RTÉ get nothing from Sky subscriptions? Oh wait you didn't hence the post.

Mossy Monk

ShaneU wrote: »

Every other major European country has a free to air digital service except us, screw you RTE.

Screw TV3 and TG4 also?

biologikal

Mossy Monk wrote: »

You do realise that RTÉ get nothing from Sky subscriptions?

Then why are they on the ROI Sky EPG?

Tony

biologikal wrote: »

Then why are they on the ROI Sky EPG?

Because they did a deal with sky.

ShaneU

Mossy Monk wrote: »

Screw TV3 and TG4 also?

who?

GerardKeating

scruffy66 wrote: »

Could any body tell me why RTE is not free to air on satellite.

Cause RTÉ would have to pay a lot more for the rights to "foreign" shows and make sure if cannot be viewed in the UK. This would cost more than the entire licence fee.

scruffy66 wrote: »

i was looking at the channel list on the freetoair.ie web site

I just had a look at this site, interesting but no prices, total waste of time, most other sites offering a simular service quote prices, this lot don't...

scruffy66 wrote: »

Why do we pay a TV licence and then get told to go to SKY or NTL to get our national channels, is it a CONSPIRACY

Most all of the country can get RTÉ1/RTÉ2/TG4 with out the need for NTL/SKY, you only need them if you want more than what you pay for with the TV licence.

Blaster99

Yeah but you can only get a proper digital widescreen service if you pay for it (and yes I know about the DTT trial), so it clearly suits RTE to have UPC and Sky delivering for them for free.

This stuff can obviously be solved, with an FTV card for Irish residents, but seeing as RTE can barely produce programming worth watching I would think the priority lies elsewhere. This whole digital satellite thing seems a bit advanced all things considered.

Mossy Monk

Hurray for another RTÉ bashing thread. On a thread in a satellite board comments about their programming is not valid.

Tony

Agreed

Mossy Monk wrote: »

Hurray for another RTÉ bashing thread. On a thread in a satellite board comments about their programming is not valid.

biologikal

I'd be interested to know what proportion of viewing any of the Irish channels get through Sky receivers. For me, since I've started getting satellite channels through 28E, I rarely tune into any of the Irish channels, even though I can get analogue and the DTT trial perfectly. In fact, I can't remember the last programme I watched on any of them. I imagine that when others have a choice between the BBC's/C4's/ITVs/etc and the rest of their Sky packages, they're going to spend precious little time watching RTE.

With this in mind, it leads me to the conclusion that RTE only want to be on the Sky EPG so that they can go back to advertisers and give them the numbers of subscribers to Sky in the ROI, thus boosting their revenue from advertising. Thus coming back to the statement someone made about them being "money grabbing scum". QED (IMO).

Personally, if they were FTA, I don't think I watch them anyway, but as someone said, discussion on their programming probably isn't suitable here. Talk of new channels like Oireachtas, etc., don't leave me waiting in anticipation either, as the shower on that channel are just a bad as the ***kers in RTE.

scruffy66

The cost of launching a freeview is going to be very exspensive, a freetoair card for RTE/TV3 in a free sat box would get around any rights issues and would make freesat the biggest provider of TV in the country, NTL and rupert murdoch would lose bags of money ,i think RTE should come clean on the real reason as to why they haven't gone FTA, after all we are paying a TV license

Elmo

With this in mind, it leads me to the conclusion that RTE only want to be on the Sky EPG so that they can go back to advertisers and give them the numbers of subscribers to Sky in the ROI, thus boosting their revenue from advertising. Thus coming back to the statement someone made about them being "money grabbing scum". QED (IMO).

Many of us who live in this country want to know what is going on in this country, none of the Brit channels (bar the BBC NI and UTV) tells us what's happening here. So RTE, TV3 and TG4 are actually watched by some of us.

Bar BBC and C4 channels I see no reason to watch TV on Sky, ITV, Virgin and other gimmicky channels.

Sky have a deal with RTE, TV3 and TG4 to provide their services on the Sky EPG because

1. 101, 102, 103 and 104 are taken up with Irish channels followed by the sky channels ONE, TWO and THREE (piss poor TV). Which means the competition is reduced in away, hence why Sky doesn't want to put Channel 6 at 105 as it is very similar to Sky One, Two and Three (i.e. piss poor TV). Also if C6 did get the choice of 105 and refused then I would think they are very foolish, but it wouldn't surprise me, I don't think it is the reason that C6 isn't at 105 it is just to bizzare.

2. Sky don't want to have to carry 1,2,3 and 4 by law, like UPC and other cable operators hence it is easier for sky to make a direct deal with RTE.

I am also sure people watch Sports, News, Current Affair and some american shows on RTE, TG4 and TV3 and ITV shows on TV3.

Originally Posted by ShaneU
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mossy Monk
Screw TV3 and TG4 also?
who?

TV3 = People who don't make any TV
TG4 = People who make an effort and often make good TV.

biologikal

Elmo wrote: »

Many of us who live in this country want to know what is going on in this country, none of the Brit channels (bar the BBC NI and UTV) tells us what's happening here. So RTE, TV3 and TG4 are actually watched by some of us.

I live in this country too, and I'm interested in whats going on here as well, but I find it depressing to watch day after day about corrupt politicians and the millions handed to solicitors for their tribunals, or the collapse of a court case because some stupid cop couldn't put the correct date on a peice of paper. And to say TV3 is informative is a contrdiction of terms - half their news stories are on the ins-and-outs of the celebrity world, or some stupid story about an elephant standing on it's hind legs. Or the ridiculous Martin King giving his intrepretation of the weather, when it just looks like he's dying to run off-set to take a leak.

The RTE web-site has improved a lot in the past couple of years, so I get my current affairs from there, or I read a newspaper, so that I can read what I'm interested in reading, and not subjected to superfluous guff.

bk

scruffy66 wrote: »

The cost of launching a freeview is going to be very exspensive, a freetoair card for RTE/TV3 in a free sat box would get around any rights issues and would make freesat the biggest provider of TV in the country, NTL and rupert murdoch would lose bags of money ,i think RTE should come clean on the real reason as to why they haven't gone FTA, after all we are paying a TV license

But you see Sky/Murdoch owns all the technology used for the FTV cards used in the Sky boxes.

Murdoch owns NDS which is the company that develops the encryption technology and cards used in Sky boxes.

So if RTE wanted to do FTV cards, they would have to pay Sky an absolute fortune to do it and Sky mightn't even allow them to do it, it wouldn't be in Sky's interest.

Of course RTE could use a different companies encryption tech and cards, but then it wouldn't be compatible with either Sky boxes or FreeSat, a non starter IMO.

The only reason Sky does FTV cards in the UK was because they were forced by the UK TV regulator, Ofcom. I supposed ComReg could try doing the same in Ireland, but ComReg are completely toothless and useless, plus Sky denies that ComReg and the BCI have any authority over them as they operate out of the UK.

Personally I believe that the Irish government could force it if they really wanted to, but I see little interest from the government in doing that.

Tony

The term "Free to air card "is a contradiction, free to air by its very nature does not need a viewing card. The reason RTE is not FTA on satellite is simply rights issues as it would be received in the UK. The freesat system does not and I doubt ever will use a card reader in any case. This topic has been discussed to death here and imho belongs in the broadcasting forum.

scruffy66 wrote: »

The cost of launching a freeview is going to be very exspensive, a freetoair card for RTE/TV3 in a free sat box would get around any rights issues and would make freesat the biggest provider of TV in the country, NTL and rupert murdoch would lose bags of money ,i think RTE should come clean on the real reason as to why they haven't gone FTA, after all we are paying a TV license

Snake Plisken

RTE should be FTA and they should pull out of Sky package and implement a FTV card, France have a card for their TDT channels and I wish Spain had a similar setup having lost their TDT channels recently. RTE could very easily just do an RTE International channel just showing homegrown programming, news, Late Late Show Eircom league etc, that would keep a lot of us happy, although it might mean a drop in sales for some of the Irish Sky dealers

Tony

You do not say how this is to be financed?

Snake Plisken wrote: »

RTE should be FTA and they should pull out of Sky package and implement a FTV card, France have a card for their TDT channels and I wish Spain had a similar setup having lost their TDT channels recently. RTE could very easily just do an RTE International channel just showing homegrown programming, news, Late Late Show Eircom league etc, that would keep a lot of us happy, although it might mean a drop in sales for some of the Irish Sky dealers

Tony

What has this got to do with a satellite forum? Opinions on programme content belong elsewhere

biologikal wrote: »

I live in this country too, and I'm interested in whats going on here as well, but I find it depressing to watch day after day about corrupt politicians and the millions handed to solicitors for their tribunals, or the collapse of a court case because some stupid cop couldn't put the correct date on a peice of paper. And to say TV3 is informative is a contrdiction of terms - half their news stories are on the ins-and-outs of the celebrity world, or some stupid story about an elephant standing on it's hind legs. Or the ridiculous Martin King giving his intrepretation of the weather, when it just looks like he's dying to run off-set to take a leak.

The RTE web-site has improved a lot in the past couple of years, so I get my current affairs from there, or I read a newspaper, so that I can read what I'm interested in reading, and not subjected to superfluous guff.

Dman001

Tony wrote: »

You do not say how this is to be financed?

Tv licence fees?

Tony

Not at their present level, this would mean an increase to pay for this which not everyone would be happy to pay given the earlier comments of "money grabbing ......"

Dman001 wrote: »

Tv licence fees?

watty

Only if you like 2000 Euro licence fees.

Cheaper for RTE to organise a FTV card scheme like UK used to have for all terresstrial channels. FTA RTE on satellite is not feasible. Been lots of threads on it.

Maybe in 10 years time on multiple Ka Band spot beams, but not on Ku.

craichoe

Karsini wrote: »

While it's something I'd love to see I can't see it happen due to rights issues. Continental Europe broadcast programmes in their native language which is good enough to keep the rights holders in Hollywood or wherever happy. The UK can get away with it due to its large size in comparison to Ireland (and some UK broadcasters have rights clearance for Ireland anyway). However RTÉ only have rights for Ireland itself, to even get rights clearance for the UK would cost them far more than for its own viewers.

I'm pretty sure that's the reason why RTÉ is still encrypted on satellite. Though it would be nice to see them drop the encryption for home grown material.

Nah, The netherlands has a population of 16 million people and every single TV show and movie made in English is shown in english with dutch sub titles.

Tony

craichoe wrote: »

Nah, The netherlands has a population of 16 million people and every single TV show and movie made in English is shown in english with dutch sub titles.

On free to air?? http://www.lyngsat.com/freetv/Netherlands.html

Mossy Monk

craichoe wrote: »

Nah, The netherlands has a population of 16 million people and every single TV show and movie made in English is shown in english with dutch sub titles.

And the point is? The FTA channel available from the Netherlands is all Dutch.

lawhec

A FTA RTÉ is not feasible - and they aren't the only public broadcasters that are encrypted for all or most of its TV services - Austria (ORF - special "international" channel FTA only), Switzerland (SSG SRG, SF Info only FTA) and Netherlands (NOS, only local public broadcasters are FTA, national 1-3 channels are not) spring to mind straight away, it is only the larger countries like the UK, Germany, Italy and France that can get away with FTA broadcasting.

RTÉ are in the process of an international channel, but I'd expect these things to take time, it rarely can be set up in a few weeks.

Lennoxschips

RTE have to to all the technical side of the satellite uplink themselves. The expensive stuff.

Sky then charges RTE "nothing" to be 101 and 102 in Ireland. Meanwhile Sky use RTE for marketing.

It's kind of like how some guy called Jack once sold his horse for some magic beans.

That contract was a six year contract and it was signed in May 2002. No idea what the latest developments are.

Lennoxschips

lawhec wrote: »

A FTA RTÉ is not feasible - and they aren't the only public broadcasters that are encrypted for all or most of its TV services - Austria (ORF - special "international" channel FTA only), Switzerland (SSG SRG, SF Info only FTA) and Netherlands (NOS, only local public broadcasters are FTA, national 1-3 channels are not) spring to mind straight away, it is only the larger countries like the UK, Germany, Italy and France that can get away with FTA broadcasting

Indeed, but the aforementioned smaller countries all have an affordable FTV encryption system. RTE on satelite is available only through Sky for 20 odd euros a month.

SkepticOne

Lennoxschips wrote: »

It's kind of like how some guy called Jack once sold his horse for some magic beans.

That contract was a six year contract and it was signed in May 2002. No idea what the latest developments are.

That's how I feel about it. It could be argued that RTE are benefiting more from the deal than Sky through increased advertising, but it is a shame to see the national broadcaster assisting a monopolistic entity like Sky gain a foothold here. RTE and other European broadcasters should develop an open encryption and epg standard.

watty

Sky should be paying RTE, As they pay BBC for Ireland.

scruffy66

watty wrote: »

Only if you like 2000 Euro licence fees.

Cheaper for RTE to organise a FTV card scheme like UK used to have for all terresstrial channels. FTA RTE on satellite is not feasible. Been lots of threads on it.

Maybe in 10 years time on multiple Ka Band spot beams, but not on Ku.

I have no problem with RTE being packaged with SKY or NTL ,but i do think
RTE'S should have the irish channels replicated on the same satellite but
on a different transponder and available to irish TV license fee holders through a cam and card that would work in a free to air box.I don't think this would be as expensive as some of you are making it out to be .Cams and cards and satellites already exist,the technology already exists,it just needs the will ,have ye seen some of the crap on satellite ,how do they afford it ,
if its about money, its about the amount of money SKY & NTL would lose
if RTE had the balls to be a broadcaster like the BBC and not just a
program maker , if its even that

Lennoxschips

scruffy66 wrote: »

I have no problem with RTE being packaged with SKY or NTL ,but i do think
RTE'S should have the irish channels replicated on the same satellite but
on a different transponder and available to irish TV license fee holders through a cam and card that would work in a free to air box.I don't think this would be as expensive as some of you are making it out to be .Cams and cards and satellites already exist,the technology already exists,it just needs the will ,have ye seen some of the crap on satellite ,how do they afford it ,
if its about money, its about the amount of money SKY & NTL would lose
if RTE had the balls to be a broadcaster like the BBC and not just a
program maker , if its even that

Well that's just it, the whole finance argument goes out the window when you see some of the crap on satellite that can afford to pay their bills. And when you think that RTE have their own uplinking infrastructure...

The broadcast rights thing is a bit of a non-starter too. If RTE were a bit creative they could be FTA and then switch on encryption for the U.S. imports.

But RTE are showing absolutely no interest in all at negotiating a better deal with Sky. It's almost as though there's brown envelopes involved.

SkepticOne

They should have never entered into the deal in the first but now that it is done, I can't see RTE changing the situation. Sky now have hundreds ofplace thousands of customers that expect to get RTE as part of the Sky package. Whereas at the beginning RTE would have been in the dominant position, now Sky have the power.

Reyman

If you want to get RTE can you not just use a separate aerial and connect it into the back of the set parallel to the FTA input ? Or do you have to unplug the FTA input every time you want to watch RTE?

Tony

Reyman wrote: »

If you want to get RTE can you not just use a separate aerial and connect it into the back of the set parallel to the FTA input ?

Correct, usually you use a scart for the satellite so only a TV channel change is needed to switch from one source to the other

Lennoxschips

SkepticOne wrote: »

They should have never entered into the deal in the first but now that it is done, I can't see RTE changing the situation. Sky now have hundreds ofplace thousands of customers that expect to get RTE as part of the Sky package. Whereas at the beginning RTE would have been in the dominant position, now Sky have the power.

Do they? There would be many irate Murdoch customers in Ireland if RTE were to disappear from 101 and 102.

BBC and ITV both went FTA and they're still on 101 to 103 in the UK. Sky aren't stupid.

The Irish economy is going down a bit, and for many people the Sky bill is one of the first luxuries that will be trimmed. RTE could market an FTV box for 40 euro a pop (one month's worth of Sky) with BBC, ITV, CNN thrown in. A lot of people would be delighted with that.

watty

They couldn't

More Music

Why can't they can just encrypt certain programmes like C4 do when there's a rights issue involved? UK viewers would get to watch the stuff RTE produce and any American stuff gets blocked. Fraiser "Is not available" in Ireland on C4.

It might also be a solution to the RTE International problem. No need to setup a seperate channel - no extra costs or rights issues.

byte

Surely then, there'd be people complaining that they're not getting all their RTE programming, yet pay their licence. Another outcry situation, IMO.

Mossy Monk

More Music wrote: »

Why can't they can just encrypt certain programmes like C4 do when there's a rights issue involved? UK viewers would get to watch the stuff RTE produce and any American stuff gets blocked. Fraiser "Is not available" in Ireland on C4.

Two problems with this. This thread is about FTA RTÉ yet you want to encrypt during imported programming?

If that is not the case and you want RTÉ to go FTA but not show any imported programming, while showing a programme not available caption instead then you cannot compare the idea to what Channel 4 do over here as viewers in the UK can see all Channel 4 programming. What that would do is deny viewers who pay a licence from viewing all programming via satellite.

kylemore

The RTE knockers might like to have a look at this http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitaltv/a98977/irish-channel-named-rt-international.html
Kylemore

Mayo Exile

Originally posted by watty: They couldn't

Then surely an FTV card on its own then. Due to terrain problems etc. if you can only get RTE/TV3 through Sky then you are forced to pay twice (tv license + sky fee) for the one product! Wrong!

Another irony of this is that TV3 have live exclusive rights to the Connacht Football Final on July 13th. Strange isn't it that TV3 will be broadcasting to an audience located where TV3 terrestrial coverage is the worst and many can't/won't/or are not able to put up a dish to see it!!

BowWow

Sunday Business Post

New RTE channel will focus on free-to-air system

22 June 2008 By Adam Maguire

RTE’s plans to launch a channel for the Irish diaspora may draw more attention to free-to-air (FTA) satellite systems, which give householders access to many of their favourite TV channels without the monthly bill.
FTA satellite is not new to Ireland, but has previously been seen as the sole preserve of technology hobbyists.
The content available to those who did have a system was traditionally limited also, with most of the channels available coming from mainland Europe.
However, the increased availability of cheap FTA systems in mainstream shops, combined with the move by British channels onto the platform over the past few years, has made FTA satellite more attractive here.
From March 17, 2009, the platform will also carry its first proper Irish channel – RTE International - which is to be the broadcaster’s service for the Irish diaspora.
‘‘There are no final plans, but if you were to take the home-produced content from RTE 1 and 2 and combine it, you’d get a fair idea of what ‘International’ will look like,” said a spokesperson for RTE.
‘‘We’re trying to make the service as rounded as possible and get a wide range of programming.”
The new RTE channel will be broadcast from the same satellite as British FTA channels produced by the BBC, ITV and Channel 4. These signals can be received anywhere in Britain and Ireland, as well as mainland Europe.
In order to view the programming, all a person needs is a satellite and digital receiver which can be purchased for as little as €80, but which may cost somewhat more to install if done professionally.
Despite RTE’s plans to use the free platform for its new international channel and the increased use of FTA satellite in Ireland, the chances of RTE One and Two also going onto FTA satellite are still quite low for now, however. The issue, they say, is programming rights.
‘‘The rights agreements we sign for purchased programming tend to cover Ireland only - that’s particularly true with sports content,” said the RTE spokesperson.
‘‘We have to block out GAA matches in Northern Ireland, for example, as Setanta have the British rights and we don’t. There’s no way for us to broadcast FTA on satellite without broadcasting in other countries too.”
RTE said it was constantly reviewing its options and as part of its universal service obligation, it was aiming to be ‘platform neutral’ wherever possible.

Mossy Monk

I thought that RTÉ had the GAA rights for whole of Ireland. Oh well.

watty

A FTV card would cost viewers almost as much as Sky sub. Unless they had their own platform.

Unless EU regulates Sky Prices it's not going to happen.

Tony

I'm not sure the costs have been fully explored Watty. Conax + 1 transponder is surely do able, its just a question as to whether RTE viewers wish to pay for this or not.

watty wrote: »

A FTV card would cost viewers almost as much as Sky sub. Unless they had their own platform.

Unless EU regulates Sky Prices it's not going to happen.

Sam Kade

So if a person gets free to air and doesn't bother with rte channels, does that mean that they don't have to pay the license fee?

BeerNut

Sam Kade wrote: »

So if a person gets free to air and doesn't bother with rte channels, does that mean that they don't have to pay the license fee?

No. The government doesn't trust you not to be using a coat hanger aerial to sneak occasional glimpses of Ryan Tubridy.