How many hours of RTE programming do you watch?

mike65

As the state broadcaster prepares to reform or die it seems time to get an idea how much they'd be missed by the boards cohort (who while not representative of the whole population now are the bulk of viewers of tomorrow).

When selecting your option exclude simulcast programming like the Eurovison song contest/Champions League footie on Tuesday/Eastenders as its readily availible elsewhere to almost everyone at this stage.

Yes you may well prefer Billo and the boys but you'd put up with the others if you had no choice.

Fighting Irish

The only thing i'd watch on RTE is Crimecall but i haven't seen that in ages.
I rarely watch TV at all though, if i can't download it i probably won't watch it.

Basq

Personally, I'm going to have to go with a big fat zero hours.

Girlfriend watches that 'Brides of Franc' muck.. but I watch absolutely nothing on RTÉ.

To be honest, there hasn't been anything worth watching in years on it in my personal opinion.

Aidric

basquille wrote: »

To be honest, there hasn't been anything worth watching in years on it in my personal opinion.

News?

SoupyNorman

News, Prime Time, Questions and Answers and I flick over to see who is on the Late Late and then flick away just as quick...suppose Giles and Dunphys spats also.

The station is run by imbeciles.

DirkVoodoo

Crappy cheap rip-offs of better shows, probably featuring Brendan O'Connor or Lucy Kennedy, a two terminator feature in readiness for the launch of Salvation, featuring Terminator 3 and not Terminator 1(seriously?) and the God awful Fair City. The football coverage has become embarassing. I'm not a fan of sky sports and Andy Gray (how many times do I need to be told how amazing the premiership is compared to other leagues? Commercially the most successful, but not the best football) but John Giles and Bill are past it, Dunphy just tries too hard to wind people up and George Hamilton should not be allowed commentate on a match...ever.

National pride aside, I would be quite happy to pocket my TV license money, say goodbye to RTE and carry on watching Sky like I always do.

If they hike up fees instead of collectively taking a 10% (or more) paycut, I will be most unhappy.

amacachi

Less than an hour a week, and their Radio service is crap, along with their website, so I'd love to know what I'm paying for.

SoupyNorman

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

a two terminator feature in readiness for the launch of Salvation, featuring Terminator 3 and not Terminator 1(seriously?).

big +1 here, what is the deal with the lack of some Terminator 1? Terminator 3 is a pile of ****e.

I must disagree on your views of the soccer coverage as Dunphy, Giles, Bill +wildcard provide great entertainment. BBC and Sky commentate on soccer like they were giving mass.

Put it this way, like Gay Byrne the three guys will be missed when they are gone.

jill_valentine

I don't miss Gay Byrne...

Nevermind how many hours, I'm honestly struggling to remember the last thing I watched on RTE.

I used to watch Dan & Becs. And Reeling in the Years. And that's pretty much all I can think of.

120_Minutes

what do i watch on rte? sweet f all.

Prime Time & Questions and Answers, thats it for me, thank god for Sky.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Apart from Terminator 2 last Friday night, I haven't watched anything on RTÉ in about 2 and a half years. Anything half-decent they have has usually aired on another station sooner and/or at a reasonable hour.

Krieg

Less than an hour a week, the only thing I watch is 6.1 and thats only if i happen to be sitting on the couch in front of the tv at 6pm.

Mossy Monk

Put me in the 4-6 hours category. I watch the news, Prime Time, Q&A, GAA and soccer

JohnK

basquille wrote: »

To be honest, there hasn't been anything worth watching in years on it in my personal opinion.

I dont think I've watched more than an hour in the last month. But to be fair they do sometimes have good (read imported) shows yet for some reason known only to them they put them on at stupid hours. I'll never understand why I had to tune in at 11pm & midnight for the likes of Boston Legal or Stargate just to name two.

Elmo

Probably more then most other channels but their are so many that I watch less and less of the others. If I am looking for news/current affairs I will switch to RTÉ.

I find that they like TV3 really don't listen to their audience or do anything different.

RTE ONE and TWO are supposed to be complimentry channels yet between 7 - 9 on a Thursday they have being showing 90210 and Ugly Betty against Eastenders and Fair City how is that complimentry??????

I think they do some good documentries after 9 on RTE ONE but rarely get around to watching them, they should be repeated on RTE TWO between 7 and 9 since that is their section for Documentries (I would rather a repeat of Arts Lives or Ture Lives or even Prime Time Investigates than another badly dubbed cheap documentry from Europe either about WW2 or Apes).

Anyway they aren't losing their audience share, this lose in money is a knock on effect of the current economic crisis, TV3 will also feel this in their books.

ScumLord

It's gotten to the stage that RTEs scheduling is so bad I won't even bother watching shows I like. I've taken to downloading everything, I don't care if they crash and burn it means I won't get bullied into buying a licence to watch ****e dry which is always good.

igglou

Grey's Anatomy, PrimeTime and Questions & Answers for me and thats it. Far too many repeats.

keefg

The only thing I've watched on RTE since Reeling in the Years is the new Traffic Blues show that was on last Sunday.

Can't think of anything else I'd watch on any of the tv channels and the radio stations aren't much better.

The only real losers (if RTE collapsed) would be the staff. I'm not talking about the overpaid eejits in front of the camera that we all know (and moan about) but all the technical & admin staff. That's a lot of people I wouldn't like to see out of a job.

TvWatcher

Nine News, Prime Time + Prime Time Investigates, Q&A, Hidden History and Arts Lives documentaries (Tuesdays 10.15), my kids watch THE DEN for an hour a day, I listen to Morning Ireland every morning ... will be following their Election coverage on Saturday; someone in my house is glued all day Sundays to the GAA.

It's a big part of my week and my family's week; for news, irish documentary, sport and Irish kids programmes, it's important to me. If those things don't matter to you and all you want are US imports then I suppose you wouldn't miss it.

I also find the live news section on www.rte.ie/player a fantastic resource as it means you can catch the latest news anytime. Very handy if you're sitting in your sunny garden at 9pm polishing off the last of the pinot grigio and can't be arsed to go inside and watch the telly ...

ScumLord

keefg wrote: »

I'm not talking about the overpaid eejits in front of the camera that we all know (and moan about) but all the technical & admin staff. That's a lot of people I wouldn't like to see out of a job.

Why? RTEs production values are generally pretty bad across the board. There's no effort/risk or creativity put into anything RTE do. They try to copy shows from other countries and make a complete balls of doing it. They seem to avoid Irishness instead glorifying trendy Euro Dublin.

Kool&TheGang

I am currently watching re-runs of Catchphrase on some whacky channel to maintain my brain as RTE fills the airwaves with dead duck shows.

(30mins of Catchphrase is plenty....!)

It's back to books for me...the local library is the future

Elmo

ScumLord wrote: »

Why? RTEs production values are generally pretty bad across the board. There's no effort/risk or creativity put into anything RTE do. They try to copy shows from other countries and make a complete balls of doing it. They seem to avoid Irishness instead glorifying trendy Euro Dublin.

I wouldn't say this is aways the case, but I would suggest that RTÉ make better TV when they aren't trying to imitate the much more resourced UK channels. They have limited resources to take risks as pointed out by TvWatcher they have to provide News, Current Affairs, Sports, Children's TV and some minority programming.

The licence fee is committed to providing 20% to Independent Producers (they currently give far more than that out to Independent productions) and 5% to the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland's Broadcast fund known as the Sound and Vision Fund. They also provide Nuacht to TG4, and some other entertainment shows.

Ginny

Greys, Medium, Criminal Minds, CSI LV, but I can watch them all on different stations if i have to i.e: when RTE mess their scheduling around.

Elmo

Ginny wrote: »

Greys, Medium, Criminal Minds, CSI LV, but I can watch them all on different stations if i have to i.e: when RTE mess their scheduling around.

Greys seems to be fine they rarely move that **** out of prime time and they have it on www.rte.ie/player :mad: CSI LV is settling but has to contend with Soccer, haven't watch CSI in ages.

The BBC are just as bad with Medium rarely get to see it now. RTÉ could at least put Medium on the player.

IIMII

To be honest, I don't watch sky at all really - just old stargate, etc, etc. I think RTÉ could and should improve. But compare RTÉ to TV "Britains got talent" 3 - now that's a complete waste of a station. I like TG4 - great club GAA coverage, and all sorts of other surprising stuff

I can't understand why Mad Men is on so late though - great series

ScumLord

Elmo wrote: »

They have limited resources to take risks as pointed out by TvWatcher they have to provide News, Current Affairs, Sports, Children's TV and some minority programming.

I'd be of the opinion that they have limited resources so should be taking more risks. Youtube has proved you don't need a big budget to entertain people. They're really not taking any risks at all and I don't see how their going to improve the station by just satisfying the older generation. They could easily fill up the night with all kinds of low budget trials and see what comes out of it, instead they fill the night with prime time tele. While their current affairs is relevant it's made by a particular group for a particular group and there's nothing really that spectacular about it other than watching people argue with each other.

I think RTE are completely out of touch with the modern world.

Elmo

ScumLord wrote: »

I'd be of the opinion that they have limited resources so should be taking more risks. Youtube has proved you don't need a big budget to entertain people. They're really not taking any risks at all and I don't see how their going to improve the station by just satisfying the older generation. They could easily fill up the night with all kinds of low budget trials and see what comes out of it, instead they fill the night with prime time tele. While their current affairs is relevant it's made by a particular group for a particular group and there's nothing really that spectacular about it other than watching people argue with each other.

I think RTE are completely out of touch with the modern world.

They have done and all have been shot down over the last 2 years. Project HA HA, Twentysomething, Catherine Lynch and currently Storyland.

However they need to start investing in development rather than throwing small amounts of money at very small projects.

Certainly their is room for the return of The End to give new and up coming presenters and comedian a chance. I don't see why RTÉ couldn't commission Night Shift from Channel 6, I think Michell Dogherty would be a great addition to their arts programming.

But they also need to work on Drama and Comedy in prime time television.

The current head of Drama at RTÉ is very bad at taking risks both RAW and Singlehanded are formats from Britain unlike the very successful risks that RTÉ took with Paths to Freedom, Batchelor's walk, Pure Mule, Love is the Drug and other dramas. And she is just re-commissioning The Clinic which isn't a risk, and Father and Son is a co-production with ITV.

enniscorthy

1 hour a week if they are lucky im a busy man hahahahaha

keefg

ScumLord wrote: »

Why?

You're asking me why I don't want to see production & admin staff at RTE losing their jobs???

Are you serious??

Don't you think this country is in enough sh!te without one of the largest employers laying everyone off?

Or are you happy to see all those people out of work just because you don't like some of the TV shows RTE have produced?

I'd be the first to say RTE need a kick up the ar5e and start making some decent programming but I certainly don't think it should be shut down all together.

Ginny

Elmo wrote: »

Greys seems to be fine they rarely move that **** out of prime time and they have it on www.rte.ie/player :mad: CSI LV is settling but has to contend with Soccer, haven't watch CSI in ages.

The BBC are just as bad with Medium rarely get to see it now. RTÉ could at least put Medium on the player.

They do have greys on the player, but none this week, did they not show it due to the BH?
CSI LV will settle for a bit, then they'll break again mid season for Living to catch up they do this with Criminal minds too, never understand it.
Yeah poor medium gets shafted by RTE and BBC, I just record it in the wee hours now.

Elmo

Ginny wrote: »

They do have greys on the player, but none this week, did they not show it due to the BH?
CSI LV will settle for a bit, then they'll break again mid season for Living to catch up they do this with Criminal minds too, never understand it.
Yeah poor medium gets shafted by RTE and BBC, I just record it in the wee hours now.

Have the caught up with the states? I know when they used to show ER before Christmas by about Feb they had to take breaks since they didn't have anymore episodes. They didn't do it this year for some reason.

ScumLord

keefg wrote: »

You're asking me why I don't want to see production & admin staff at RTE losing their jobs???

Are you serious??

Don't you think this country is in enough sh!te without one of the largest employers laying everyone off?

Or are you happy to see all those people out of work just because you don't like some of the TV shows RTE have produced?

I'd be the first to say RTE need a kick up the ar5e and start making some decent programming but I certainly don't think it should be shut down all together.

The problem with these state companies and anything to do with the state is they can't do the job, it's ridiculous to be paying out so much money to people that just keep letting us down. The problem with Ireland then is that we're so lazy about these things that it will take a disaster to make us get up off our arses and do something about it. So bring on the disaster I say, lets get it over with so we can get something worthwhile done.

Elmo

ScumLord wrote: »

The problem with these state companies and anything to do with the state is they can't do the job, it's ridiculous to be paying out so much money to people that just keep letting us down. The problem with Ireland then is that we're so lazy about these things that it will take a disaster to make us get up off our arses and do something about it. So bring on the disaster I say, lets get it over with so we can get something worthwhile done.

Example ESB International. They seem to be on the ball.

I don't agree that the private sector do any better. Again I just have to look at TV3 to prove that.

Kintarō Hattori

I don't watch much television and when I do I don't watch RTE. For the news I'll watch BBC and check their website. Anything else I might watch would be on Dave, BBC, Discovery etc.

I don't watch RTE and I resent having to pay a television licence.

ScumLord

Elmo wrote: »

Example ESB International. They seem to be on the ball.

I don't agree that the private sector do any better. Again I just have to look at TV3 to prove that.

True the private sector is just as bad or worse, but I'm not forced to use their products. The state shouldn't be acting like them either, their soulless corporations only interested in profit, the state should have higher goals and needs to look after it's people.

Elmo

ScumLord wrote: »

True the private sector is just as bad or worse, but I'm not forced to use their products. The state shouldn't be acting like them either, their soulless corporations only interested in profit, the state should have higher goals and needs to look after it's people.

I don't know why I bother defending them sometimes since no one actually cares. This is my last post on this subject for a while. You will be glad you hear you can start agreeing with everyone again.

RTÉ and the public sector in general unlike the private sector do not send vast amounts of their profits or fees outside the Island of Ireland. Generally RTÉ use both the licence fee and revenue to make TV programmes, unlike TV3 who either buy properties such as Channel 6 (bad move) or send their profits back in dividends to their investors.

And as I have said before I agree in relation to some of there staff who are earning over 200,000 euro.

SoupyNorman

keefg wrote: »

Don't you think this country is in enough sh!te without one of the largest employers laying everyone off?

RTE employ about 2000 so they are not one of the countrys largest employers.

Cutting the worker bees would do noting anyway...heres the top ten earning for 2006 (latest I could find)...so inflate a few percent for last years salaries.

1. Pat Kenny €849,139
2. Gerry Ryan €558,990
3. Marian Finucane €455,190
4. Joe Duffy €367,804
5. Ryan Turbidy €346,667
6. Derek Mooney €242,408
7. Marty Whelan €229,056
8. Miriam O'Callaghan €221,383
9. John Kelly €204,675
10. Bryan Dobson €193,610

About 4million euro right there, in the top ten only. Imagine all the 6 figure and just under the six figure salaries there are also.

The only person who I think actually works for the money is Miriam, shes forever on the telly god bless her and she has 8kids to feed.

It really does make me puke that Marty Whelan gets that kind of money among others. I really fail to see how in gods name Kenny commands nearly €1million. FFS, salaries are supposed to attract the best of the best. Look at england, J Ross goes to the highest bidder, there is competition, whether you like him or not that is not factored into his salary. I reckon if you sacked Kenny tomorrow he'd be up in Stephens Green with a sign round his neck 'Will drop pants for food'

Why should Pat not get the chop job or salary wise, who will 'steal' him? I just cant fathom it. If I took over RTE tomorrow the top top salary would be 100k. Imagine how much cash that'd free up for origional programming, recruiting successful writers and producers...aww thats the dream, but we are currently stuck in the nightmare that is RTE and to add insult to injury my fav RTE show is ending :-(

Elmo

I am just wonder with that, is 200,000 too much. I have suggested 200,000.

But I think the major thing for RTE will be to dramatically reduce their top earners even if that means letting them go, there is no way that any other company would take them, RTE have the upper hand.

Richard Dower

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...i messed up!, i thought the thread was about how much TV per week, not how much RTE per week!!!!

Can i take back my vote please mod?...as i NEVER watch RTE and hate to think they'd deserve a vote in the 10+ hour slot!!

Kiith

Unless there's a decent film on, i dont watch it at all.

lostexpectation

its hard to quantify,i think most of us watch more then we think, i watch the news prime q&A,

ill follow the occasional show like design for life, and occasionally catch some late night us imports.

rednik

The news and football. Watch the football purely for the lads in the studio which easily beats the drones on itv and sky. During the summer The Sunday game and thats it.