Naughty RTE?

ejmaztec

Looks like it's pistols at dawn!

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/rte-blowing-fortune-on-us-telly-imports-1479373.html

RTE, which looks set to miss its financial targets by as much as €25m this year, is spending a fortune on expensive imported series which are being broadcast in the dead of night or "warehoused" to prevent them going to rival stations.

The national broadcaster, which has a revenue well in excess of €400m, including €200m from the taxpayer through the licence fee, has a programme inventory packed with US series, which many stations across Europe broadcast at prime time.

Now TV3 are understood to be monitoring how RTE is using its licence fee financial muscle to outbid the smaller commercial channels, such as themselves, Channel 6 and TG4, for a large number of blue chip programmes, which they are then showing in the early hours of the morning.

Some of the series which RTE television are broadcasting between midnight and 5am in the morning cost as much as €100,000 per series to buy in, industry sources claim. And distributors have told the Sunday Independent that RTE could be spending more than €1m per quarter on its post-midnight schedule.

It comes at a time when RTE have told the Department of Communications that revenues could be off target by up to €25m, after TV and radio advertising growth slumped during the summer. Television advertising has been particularly hard hit by the economic downturn, and radio advertising is also off target -- though to a lesser extent.

At the same time, RTE1 and RTE 2 television schedules are packed with imported US, Canadian and Australian series.

They include ABC's popular Dirty Sexy Money, shown at 12.30 am on Friday mornings on RTE, and Medium, the drama series inspired by the real-life story of research medium Allison DuBois and starring Emmy winner Patricia Arquette.

Da Vinci's Inquest, a crime drama critically acclaimed as the best television series in Canada after winning the Gemini Award for Best Dramatic Series for five of its first six seasons, is broadcast even later on RTE 1, at 5.45 am.

Other imported RTE series being shown during the night include: Intelligence (2.40am); City Homicide (2.15am); The Dead Zone (2.45am); Traveller (3.20am); The Secret Life of Us (2.55am); Daybreak (3.05am); In Plain Sight (4.25am) and What about Brian (4.05am). Other shows being shown in the "dead zone" include Eli Stone, which is shown at 2.20 am, and Whistler, a Canadian television drama centring on the aftermath of the mysterious death of a local snowboard legend, which RTE broadcasts after 2am.

The licence fee is now €160 and the national broadcaster posted net profits of €26.4m for 2007 -- an increase of 45 per cent on the 2006 figure of €17.9m.

RTE was also boosted by the number of new homes, which pushed up revenue from the licence fee to €195m, and there were commercial earnings of €245m.

TV 3 chief executive David McRedmond is on record as saying that legislators needed to take more action to ring-fence RTE's licence fee income so that it was used only for public service broadcasting projects. He also accused RTE of stockpiling US imports and making it difficult for commercial rivals like TV3, who survive on advertising revenue alone, to buy material.

''However, we try not to whine, and we do want to show what we can do with the resources we have," he said in an interview.

''We take a very real contemporary view of Ireland, and that is a clear point of difference for us. We need to make sure we maintain that," Mr McRedmond added.

However, it is understood that TV3 was infuriated when RTE used the launch of new programmes to show a video lampooning their independent competitor.

And there is also anger that RTE have allegedly copied programme ideas from their smaller competitor.

- JEROME REILLY

mike65

"Blue chip" is hardly appropriate for standard US network output but as its TV3/TG4/C6 bread and butter I guess this is important. RTE are exactly the kind of organisation that would use tax payers money to rig the market.

Mike.

lostexpectation

im glad the indo noticed this bizarre pattern of putting these programs on in the middle of the night, will somebody from rte please explain this.

EamonnKeane

So that's why I used have to set my VCR for 2.30 a.m. to get That 70s Show.

ejmaztec

EamonnKeane wrote: »

So that's why I used have to set my VCR for 2.30 a.m. to get That 70s Show.

Or 2.55 a.m., when they actually got round to starting it after losing 25 minutes pissing around with the schedule the day before. :mad:

irishcsifan

lostexpectation wrote: »

im glad the indo noticed this bizarre pattern of putting these programs on in the middle of the night, will somebody from rte please explain this.

i don't think they will. i don't think they even care

lostexpectation

if you've bought them why not show em at good times?

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Because the prime time is filled up with better shows like Fair City and the Late Late.

Mailman

11:30pm for Mad Men is just daft scheduling.
Maybe they're angling for an RTE3 digital channel when DTT comes along and want to hold down content until it arrives.

Shryke

Maybe they're acting the ****.

The Sparrow

As far as I know the excuse from RTE is that to buy big prime time shows like Prison Break, Lost or Desperate Housewives you have to enter into agreements with distributors to take a package which includes other shows. So RTE do just that to get the prime time shows but they also find themselves having other shows in the package that they have no prime time slot for. So they fit them in wherever they can.

I have no idea whether this is true or not but it is what I have been told.

lostexpectation

but they put on repeats at times they could put on these shows.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

It'd probably be better if RTÉ did bring in a new station, in order to show some of these TV series at decent hours. They even show things like 24 and The Sopranos which are huge shows in the states at ridiculous times. Apart from Lost, Prison Break and Desperate Housewives, do RTÉ show any big time American shows during prime time?

Full_Circle

CaptainNegative wrote: »

Apart from Lost, Prison Break and Desperate Housewives, do RTÉ show any big time American shows during prime time?

I think they also have shows like CSI (every single bloody incarnation of it) and Greys Anatomy/Private Practice on when those three shows are finished.

I didnt even realise that RTE showed many of the programmes listed in the opening post. I'll have to check the paper a little more carefully from now on!
But I dont really buy the excuse that all these shows come as a package and they are forced to show them after mid-night cause no other time is available. And do they really expect everyone who wants to watch these shows to tape them when they are on at such a god-awful hour??

DublinWriter

I think the bigger picture is that the 18-35 demographic are turning away from television, not just in Ireland, but in most of the first world, and are using the Internet as their prime source of entertainment.

That, combined with the bureaucratic and highly unionised structure of RTE means you and I will be picking up the tab for any shortfalls via licence fee increases just as long as the current Minister for whatever feels that he/she has the power to pick up the phone and have a 'frank exchange of views' with the Director General of RTE.

Tristram

Been going on for years. Farcical.

lostexpectation

so top emmy show mad men on at 12.10 on rte2? is that the only time its on?

elurhs

Putting good programmes on at unreasonable hours is RTE's greatest talent.

Mad Men did win an Emmy for best drama, but it is a dense, dark programme, and the audience wouldn't be there for it in primetime. I can't see the majority of the Gray's Anatomy/Prison Break viewers sticking with it. In fairness, a lot of those American shows are tat (Medium, ffs) but there are the odd good ones. Two examples I can think of are Veronica Mars and Friday Night Lights, two really good programmes with fairly wide appeal that were stuck on at 2.30 am.

Nerin

I'd say they had complaints. Joe duffy kept swinging the conversation today around about rte being cheap and sky being the badguys. On a segment about pubs and diageo. So transparent.

lostexpectation

elurhs wrote: »

Putting good programmes on at unreasonable hours is RTE's greatest talent.

Mad Men did win an Emmy for best drama, but it is a dense, dark programme, and the audience wouldn't be there for it in primetime. I can't see the majority of the Gray's Anatomy/Prison Break viewers sticking with it. In fairness, a lot of those American shows are tat (Medium, ffs) but there are the odd good ones. Two examples I can think of are Veronica Mars and Friday Night Lights, two really good programmes with fairly wide appeal that were stuck on at 2.30 am.

mad men isn't going to create hysteria in the nation if its shown at 10 or 11, past 12 is just ridiculous on a week night people have to go to work.

you can't tell me the production values etc put into mad men that it isn't prime time material, a lot of these shows are from the cable networks like hbo who've put tv on whole new level (of spending)

medium is really good.

elurhs

I don't dispute the quality of Mad Men, it is indeed another top notch show from a US cable channel. I've watched it so far on RTE as I missed it on the Beeb. The point I am making is that the same mass audience isn't there for it as more mainstream programmes. The fault isn't with the programme, it's with the audience! Intelligent TV does not attract many viewers over here, look at The West Wing, Six Feet Under, etc. Neither of them attracted major viewership when shown on RTE, even though they deserved to.

As for Medium, no offence, I just don't like it.

zuroph

rte explained this on today fm yesterday, and rather effectively too. these shows are relatively cheap in comparison to local programming, and are bought as part of a package. if they air them at late times, they can justify advertisement charges at this time, make a profit from the programmes, and fund local programming. the shows simply do not have an expected viewership large enough for primetime, as noted by the flop of several of the shows on primetime itv slots, and their move to later slots.

BroomBurner

zuroph wrote: »

rte explained this on today fm yesterday, and rather effectively too. these shows are relatively cheap in comparison to local programming, and are bought as part of a package. if they air them at late times, they can justify advertisement charges at this time, make a profit from the programmes, and fund local programming. the shows simply do not have an expected viewership large enough for primetime, as noted by the flop of several of the shows on primetime itv slots, and their move to later slots.

I don't know, Zuroph, that sounds a bit like a made up excuse in light of news reports that RTE is facing financial problems due to a lack of advertising funding. Maybe if they showed these programmes at decent times, they would make more revenue out of the advertising for them and then they wouldn't be in this mess.

Wouldn't be surprised if the tv licence went up in the next couple of months.

sweetie

anyone ever hear of a dvd recorder. We should be thankful they show them at all.

lostexpectation

as i said madmen isn't that scary nor that intelligent. although looking at whats on at 9 yesterday and the day before its csi. + more csi.

no show(made for primetime elswhere) has such low ratings that it gets put on a 2.00 oclock at night. no show.

they seem to creating a situation for low ratings...?

no new show should get bumped for repeats.

i don't expect them to put on on primetime but before 12.
i thought rte wasn't dependent on advertising, especially if it can afford to buy shows they know nobody will watch, which they plan for nobody to watch.

"if they air them at late times, they can justify advertisement charges at this time"

rte job is not to make tv more ****.
rte needs more channels

Elmo

I would not mind what David McRedmond has to say about RTE buying in imports. But I do agree they are stupid to be buying so many shows that they don't show during prime time.

This issue has been raised time and time again on boards, its old news on boards.ie

I can't see TV3 wanting Mad Men, it really wouldn't suit their channel.

Look at the BBC they show it on BBC4 do you think it will get any viewers on that channel?

But RTE could have put Mad Men on at 9 on RTE TWO before Raw lets face it the quick change to CSI Miami for the opening night of The Apprentice they could have put something different on.

The best drama's from the US have been badly treated by RTE, TV3 and TG4.

The Wire, Oz, Mad Men, Dexter etc <<<<< TV3 wouldn't buy these shows, C6 took a major risk with Dexter and The Wire, I cann't see them keeping them when TV3 take over fully.

RTE spend 20,000,000 on Imports = 2,000 per hour, TV3 are charged the same price.

TV3 stop giving out and start making some television.

Dodge

Imports are the cheapest form of TV. If they're going to put anything late at night its going to be them (and old movies of course)

Our man in Havana

Or infomercials.

Elmo

Or infomercials.

QuizMania

Our man in Havana

Elmo wrote: »

QuizMania

Is that what ITV1 do overnight?

Elmo

Is that what ITV1 do overnight?

Yeah, and classic TV that and telly bingo!

CastorTroy

Sorry for bringing back this thread, but was looking for somewhere to post this and this thread seemed to suit.

For these late night shows, are RTE editing them? I Sky+ The Dead Zone and have started with Eli Stone as well. But I notice the shows tend to be late in starting a lot. Sometime they end up running on to the next slot, which means I usually tape that show as well.

Anyway, I digress. I also notice that I could fast forward to the beginning of the show I taped, which could be about 5 mins into the recording. I check how long is left in the recording and it says something like 40 mins. Yet then the epsiode finishes with 1 min left in the recording. How is this possible considering there are also ad breaks and as far as I know, both The Dead Zone and Eli Stone run at least 40 mins without ads or end credits?

Degsy

They should show OZ.Right from the beginning.It pisses all over Prison Break or anything else made since then.

Elmo

They should show OZ.Right from the beginning.It pisses all over Prison Break or anything else made since then

I didn't know RTE had bought OZ, TG4 had a few years ago and they felt it was best put on after 11 for some of the scenes.

Anyway, I digress. I also notice that I could fast forward to the beginning of the show I taped, which could be about 5 mins into the recording. I check how long is left in the recording and it says something like 40 mins. Yet then the epsiode finishes with 1 min left in the recording. How is this possible considering there are also ad breaks and as far as I know, both The Dead Zone and Eli Stone run at least 40 mins without ads or end credits?

I haven't watched or recorded anything at that time of night on RTE but when I did they tended to show only one add and generally it was an RTE add. So they should only run for 40-45 mins that late at night.

Mossy Monk

Degsy wrote: »

They should show OZ.Right from the beginning.It pisses all over Prison Break or anything else made since then.

Which in turn would be shown late and have people moaning about it.

Degsy

Mossy Monk wrote: »

Which in turn would be shown late and have people moaning about it.

Well then they should show "Ryantown" or something.

Elmo

Well then they should show "Ryantown" or something.

I am sure they have better shows that they could be showing from their archive late at night.

They used to show Wanderly Wagon at 5am.

MisterAnarchy

Was watching RTE 2 tonight and they had some very good US shows on ,some of them far better than the garbage that they show at primetime.

MOH

CastorTroy wrote: »

Sorry for bringing back this thread, but was looking for somewhere to post this and this thread seemed to suit.

For these late night shows, are RTE editing them? I Sky+ The Dead Zone and have started with Eli Stone as well. But I notice the shows tend to be late in starting a lot. Sometime they end up running on to the next slot, which means I usually tape that show as well.

Anyway, I digress. I also notice that I could fast forward to the beginning of the show I taped, which could be about 5 mins into the recording. I check how long is left in the recording and it says something like 40 mins. Yet then the epsiode finishes with 1 min left in the recording. How is this possible considering there are also ad breaks and as far as I know, both The Dead Zone and Eli Stone run at least 40 mins without ads or end credits?

I've given up watching or recording anything on RTE if it's on somewhere else, even if it's a coupl eof days later. They're incapable of keeping to schedule. I think the best example was when they had large ads in the Metro and elsewhere last season (or the one before) saying "See Lost first on RTE, tonight 10pm" - when in fact they had it scheduled for 9:55. Programs regularly start 5 minutes early/late meaning you miss the start or end.
Sly might have a shedload of ads, but you're virtually guaranteed the programs are on time, so you don't have to record the slot before/after to make sure you get the whole thing.

Elmo

I've given up watching or recording anything on RTE if it's on somewhere else, even if it's a coupl eof days later. They're incapable of keeping to schedule. I think the best example was when they had large ads in the Metro and elsewhere last season (or the one before) saying "See Lost first on RTE, tonight 10pm" - when in fact they had it scheduled for 9:55. Programs regularly start 5 minutes early/late meaning you miss the start or end.
Sly might have a shedload of ads, but you're virtually guaranteed the programs are on time, so you don't have to record the slot before/after to make sure you get the whole thing.

Yes RTE do that but that isn't what TV3 are giving out about.