Saorview Content Speculation

Elmo

Strange times

http://m.screendaily.com/5037591.article

The IFB is also working with the Department of Communications to speed up the creation of an Irish film channel on Saorview, the country’s first free-to-air digital TV service, which launched last year.

glimmerman123

From the 18th February RTEjr will start broadcasting at the weekends according to Saorview on twitter. Good to see some movement on this front.

Elmo

glimmerman123 wrote: »

From the 18th February RTEjr will start broadcasting at the weekends according to Saorview on twitter. Good to see some movement on this front.

Wonder if the RTÉ Guide might provided listings for the channel, or even Aertel. Or that RTÉ Two might cross-promote the channel with TRTÉ????

Sam Russell

Elmo wrote: »

Wonder if the RTÉ Guide might provided listings for the channel, or even Aertel. Or that RTÉ Two might cross-promote the channel with TRTÉ????

Is the RTE Guide even aware of the existence of Saorview?

Elmo

Sam Russell wrote: »

Is the RTE Guide even aware of the existence of Saorview?

In fairness to RTÉ Publishing the do put the Saorview numbers on RTÉ 1, 2, TV3, TG4 and 3e in the RTÉ Guide and on Aertel. However it took them ~15years to put TG4 and TV3 on pages 173 and 174.

Sam Russell

Elmo wrote: »

In fairness to RTÉ Publishing the do put the Saorview numbers on RTÉ 1, 2, TV3, TG4 and 3e in the RTÉ Guide and on Aertel. However it took them ~15years to put TG4 and TV3 on pages 173 and 174.

I do not get the RTE Guide, but when I have seen it I have not noticed any listing for RTE News Now or RTE Jr.

It would cost them nothing to devote a full page to Saorview giving FAQ and general info. It would counteract all the BS coming from the likes of Sky and UPC, and inform people with real info. They could change the emphasis each week - doing aerials one week, iDTVs another week, and STBs another week. They could even discuss FTA and overspill.

But as I've said in other threads, RTE do not want to consider Saorview until after ASO as they have been prevented from benefiting from the extra two channels they have to pay for but not allowed any extra revenue from thanks to the last FF minister. They were also required to fire up mux2, but that has been forgotten.

glimmerman123

I suppose in one way it makes sense not to fire up mux 2 at the moment as they have no new channels to put on it. I wonder if there is any consultation going on at the moment between the proposed new channel providers and RTE NL or if the Minister for Communications has approved any of the proposed channels for launch this year?

Elmo

Sam Russell wrote: »

But as I've said in other threads, RTE do not want to consider Saorview until after ASO as they have been prevented from benefiting from the extra two channels they have to pay for but not allowed any extra revenue from thanks to the last FF minister. They were also required to fire up mux2, but that has been forgotten.

The only channel RTÉ considered to be money making was RTÉ Plus (Okay I'll say RTÉ Three :rolleyes: ). RTÉjr was never going to have advertising as it RTÉ have had a no advertising policy since the mid-1990s in relation to pre-school programming.

Mux2: the BAI asked for this to be reviewed in their expression of interest report.

EasyFM state on their website they will be available later on this year http://www.easyfm.ie/programmes_2.html, their website doesn't fill me with confidence.

glimmerman123

Elmo wrote: »

The only channel RTÉ considered to be money making was RTÉ Plus (Okay I'll say RTÉ Three :rolleyes: ). RTÉjr was never going to have advertising as it RTÉ have had a no advertising policy since the mid-1990s in relation to pre-school programming.

Mux2: the BAI asked for this to be reviewed in their expression of interest report.

EasyFM state on their website they will be available later on this year http://www.easyfm.ie/programmes_2.html, their website doesn't fill me with confidence.

The IFB are also trying to speed up the launch of the film channel for Saorview while working with the Department of Communications.It will be interesting to see if any progress will be made on this sometime soon. Easy FM can't see them making it on to the platform. They did mentioned around the middle of 2012 but as you say their website doesn't inspire much confidence. Aer TV have nothing on their website about launching on Saorview either. The whole thing is a bit of a disaster at the moment.

Elmo

glimmerman123 wrote: »

The IFB are also trying to speed up the launch of the film channel for Saorview while working with the Department of Communications.It will be interesting to see if any progress will be made on this sometime soon. Easy FM can't see them making it on to the platform. They did mentioned around the middle of 2012 but as you say their website doesn't inspire much confidence. Aer TV have nothing on their website about launching on Saorview either. The whole thing is a bit of a disaster at the moment.

You can see my posts above the IFB, I just don't see it happening.

AerTV did not provide an Expression of Interest they're looking at a different platform, with a view to launching 10 new TV channels.

glimmerman123

Elmo wrote: »

You can see my posts above the IFB, I just don't see it happening.

AerTV did not provide an Expression of Interest they're looking at a different platform, with a view to launching 10 new TV channels.

Apologies so is Aer TV going to launch their new channels on the web? I suppose it would be a lot less expensive than trying to launch on Saorview.

Elmo

glimmerman123 wrote: »

Apologies so is Aer TV going to launch their new channels on the web? I suppose it would be a lot less expensive than trying to launch on Saorview.

Yeah they are owned by Magnet. AerTV Music is live ATM. And from AFAIK AerTV and the IFB will work together towards a film channel on that platform, according to another poster a few posts back.

They would be better with an on demand service.

There CEO wrote an article in the Sunday Business Post a few weeks back.

Sam Russell

Elmo wrote: »

The only channel RTÉ considered to be money making was RTÉ Plus (Okay I'll say RTÉ Three :rolleyes: ). RTÉjr was never going to have advertising as it RTÉ have had a no advertising policy since the mid-1990s in relation to pre-school programming.

Mux2: the BAI asked for this to be reviewed in their expression of interest report.

They were prohibited from advertising on RTE NN which had the effect of killing the channel as there are no journos available to provide any material, and all they have are repeats and simulcasts. They have chosen to continue the ugly web format that is unecessary as they can use MHEG5 to degrade the normal appearance of the news to the web-based, current one by adding those awful ticker tape thingies and the side bars for those that would like them.

RTE 3/PLUS would allow them freedom to show a decent mix of repeats, delayed material, archive and foreign language sourced programmes. It could also be used to launch 'alternative' material. At the moment, they are forced to show a blank screen instead of a delayed Fair City - their own programme. It emphasises the farce they have been forced into by vested interests; weak politicians; and misguided civil servants.

As a consequence of all these shenanigans, Soarview is on hold until ASO, more than four years after it started broadcasting in August 2008.

Of course, no one is to blame.

Elmo

I agree btw. It didn't "official" start broadcasting until sometime in Spring 2011.

There are no misguided Civil Servants just uninterested ones. The ministers are purely press officers for the departments.

No interactivity on Saorview but shhhh tell no one!

glimmerman123

So it looks like if RTE ONE+1 ever evolves into RTE Plus it's not going to be allowed acquire new material from the USA or other broadcasters because it might have an unfair advantage over TV3. If TV3 are that worried about RTE Plus having an advantage over them maybe they should put more of their resources into improving 3e and investing in more home produced dramas and documentaries.

glimmerman123

glimmerman123 wrote: »

So it looks like if RTE ONE+1 ever evolves into RTE Plus it's not going to be allowed acquire new material from the USA or other broadcasters because it might have an unfair advantage over TV3. If TV3 are that worried about RTE Plus having an advantage over them maybe they should put more of their resources into improving 3e and investing in more home produced dramas and documentaries.

No chance of that. They killed virtually all of Channel 6's home grown programming when they took it over.

Elmo

glimmerman123 wrote: »

So it looks like if RTE ONE+1 ever evolves into RTE Plus it's not going to be allowed acquire new material from the USA or other broadcasters because it might have an unfair advantage over TV3. If TV3 are that worried about RTE Plus having an advantage over them maybe they should put more of their resources into improving 3e and investing in more home produced dramas and documentaries.

It is a bizzare worry from TV3 that RTÉ Plus would become a high viewing channel. Any new RTÉ service like any new service can expect 0.5% to 1.5% of an audience, and that is being generous.

RTÉ PLUS sample schedule

Saturday:
19:00 Arts Lives
20:00 The View
20:30 Short Screen
21:00 Irish Film
23:00 Art House Film
Sunday
15:00 Live Sport
19:00 Lifestyle Slot (The Restaurant)
19:30 Archive Slot (Reeling in the Years)
20:00 Dirty Old Town
21:00 The Good Wife (Premiere)
22:00 Desperate Housewives (Repeat)
23:00 The Panel
00:00 Late Night Movie
Monday
19:00 Lifestyle Slot (Room to Improve)
19:30 Archive Slot (Disasters)
20:00 Ireland's Greatest
21:00 Entourage (Premiere)
22:00 Parenthood (Premiere)
23:00 The Late Late Show
Tuesday
19:00 Lifestyle Slot (My Showhouse)
19:30 Archive Slot (Rescue)
20:00 The Limits of Liberty
21:00 Private Practice(Premiere)
22:00 The Mentalist(Premiere)
23:00 The Saturday Night Show
00:00 Late Night Movie
Wednesday
19:00 Lifestyle Slot (Room to Improve)
19:30 Archive Slot (On the Street Where you live)
20:00 Who do you think you are?
21:00 Mad Men (Premiere)
22:00 Shameless(Premiere)
23:00 Late Night Movie
Thursday
19:00 Lifestyle Slot (My Showhouse)
19:30 Archive Slot (Hands)
20:00 Single-Handed
21:00 NCIS(Premiere)
22:00 Medium(Premiere)
23:00 Operation Transformation
00:00 Late Night Movie
Friday
19:00 Lifestyle Slot (Room to Improve)
19:30 Archive Slot (Reeling in the Years)
20:00 The Meaning of Life
21:00 CSI Miami (Premiere)
22:00 Grey's Anatomy (Repeat)
23:00 The Panel
00:00 Late Night Movie

Basically made up of RTÉ One and Two Repeats, Late Night RTÉ One and Two and Film. All things RTÉ currently own.

Sam Russell

Elmo wrote: »

It is a bizzare worry from TV3 that RTÉ Plus would become a high viewing channel. Any new RTÉ service like any new service can expect 0.5% to 1.5% of an audience, and that is being generous.


Basically made up of RTÉ One and Two Repeats, Late Night RTÉ One and Two and Film. All things RTÉ currently own.

When TG4 started, it was predicted to be hopeless with no viewers. Well, it isn't, and it has viewers. TV3 has decided that the way to fortune is to import low cost/ low rent stuff from wherever and fill the void with low rent adverts. Result - no viewers. The only time they have viewers is when they have quality programmes.

RTE 3/Plus would be a great idea that could stand on its own, using RTE archives as a gold mine. Look how successful Reeling back the years has been. A bit of creativity and drive would work wonders, but it would need freedom and a small amount of funding, not shackles.

Elmo

Sam Russell wrote: »

When TG4 started, it was predicted to be hopeless with no viewers. Well, it isn't, and it has viewers. TV3 has decided that the way to fortune is to import low cost/ low rent stuff from wherever and fill the void with low rent adverts. Result - no viewers. The only time they have viewers is when they have quality programmes.

Well I think that is a bit over the top. TV3 would have been happy with 7% audience share with CanWest on board, that has changed to an extend. TV3 is help greatly by their ITV programming. I amn't a big fan of TV3 but they do provide some choice, even if it is the choice that RTÉ One provided in the 1990s. (I give it and I take it away )

watty

Before Digital 75% of people had ITV. TV3 on Analogue only broadcast to less than 80% of people.

So how much choice has TV3 added? With the last leveraged buy out they are now broke and less capable than ever.

Elmo

watty wrote: »

Before Digital 75% of people had ITV. TV3 on Analogue only broadcast to less than 80% of people.

So how much choice has TV3 added? With the last leveraged buy out they are now broke and less capable than ever.

I can see how frustrating it must be for people who like TV3. I am not going to argue the point. Clearly TV3 only barely replaces ITV, while seeming to ignore what little quality ITV produces. They do employ people.

Sam Russell

If one can receive ITV and all its channels (ITV1,ITV2,ITV3,ITV4) and the rest of the UK channels (I get then from Freesat), there is very little on TV3 that I cannot get from there. What is available from them, I would judge to be only worthy of the cable type, low rent, low content, poor quality, tat.

If you look at who advertises, you can judge what the advertisers think of the likely viewers. A programme that is interupted by adverts for hard of hearing, denture fixative, laxative type adverts is likely to apeal to the inhabitants of nursing homes. While the programmes that advertise horoscopes, chat lines, subsciption text services and the like are for a more gullible audience. TV3 is full of these types of adverts. That says a lot about their programme quality.

Elmo

No offence but we are going off topic.

Just to get back on topic: -

Current Saorview Content:-

RTÉ 1
RTÉ 2 HD
TV3
TG4
RTÉ News Now
3e
RTÉjr
RTÉ 1 +1

+All 10 RTÉ Radio Stations

Speculation:-

Cula4 (We assume even though it was not mentioned in the EoI report)
TG4+1 (Part time like RTÉ One +1 but excluding Imports)
TV3+1 (Full Time Channel)
3Kids (Similar in style to TRTÉ)
3Classics (Similar in style to RTÉ Plus)
Chillie Hits (A music channel)
Irish TV (A music channel)
Oireachtas Television (Currently in consultations)
Irish Film Board (Currently in discussions according to their CEO)
Community TV (The most likely to appear)

3 new radio stations Radio RiRa (Irish Language/Pop Music), EasyFM (Country Music) and 80's Hits (similar to the Mocha station on DAB, which was also produced by Digital Radio Ireland Ltd.)

Dept and BAI think these will all happen in 2013 or late 2012. But they have yet to announce any more information on them. I expect to hear of a new licencing round for the DTT commercial muxes before hearing about any of these channels.

Sam Russell

No mention of RTE 3/RTE Plus?

Elmo

Sam Russell wrote: »

No mention of RTE 3/RTE Plus?

Well if you want to, but RTÉ aren't rushing to resubmit their plans for such a station. I mean if they want it they would need to remove allot of the Lifestyle programming and make it more serious and high end IMO.

Machinehead

The problems regarding daytime programming are not unique to this side of the Irish Sea. The BBC & RTÉ must have reams of archive cultural/informative material that could sustain a stand alone a daytime documentary schedule other than the constant drivel of lifestyle output across most networks. BBC have gone down the road of BBC4, which unfortunately only begins at 7pm. The daytime option they have left to the pay UKTV channels eg Yesterday. RTÉ could easily run the +1 of RTÉ One on mux 1 & run a 12 hour channel (say RTÉ Gold) from 7am to 7pm made up of it's own archived output on mux 2.

Elmo

Machinehead wrote: »

The problems regarding daytime programming are not unique to this side of the Irish Sea. The BBC & RTÉ must have reams of archive cultural/informative material that could sustain a stand alone a daytime documentary schedule other than the constant drivel of lifestyle output across most networks. BBC have gone down the road of BBC4, which unfortunately only begins at 7pm. The daytime option they have left to the pay UKTV channels eg Yesterday. RTÉ could easily run the +1 of RTÉ One on mux 1 & run a 12 hour channel (say RTÉ Gold) from 7am to 7pm made up of it's own archived output on mux 2.

BBC are change their mind in relation to daytime on BBC 2. They have announced that more archived and higher end programming will air on that channel, but unfortunately they have reduced the budget of BBC 4, meaning more prime time repeats on that channel.

BBC 4 timeshares with CBeebies.

There is no need for +1 services.

Machinehead

[Quote=BBC are change their mind in relation to daytime on BBC 2. They have announced that more archived and higher end programming will air on that channel, but unfortunately they have reduced the budget of BBC 4, meaning more prime time repeats on that channel.

BBC 4 timeshares with CBeebies.

There is no need for +1 services.[/Quote]

Yes BBC HD & BBC Two to merge to create BBC Two HD. This leaves BBC with a total of 6 channels, which across the whole network (plus the red botton services) which gives them plenty of scope for repeats. On the other hand RTÉ is currently working with 3. The +1 option is really their only one until they get the go ahead for RTÉ Plus showing the best of the current weeks programming, but I still think that a channel given to older archived programs would be a great addition to RTÉ's daytime output.

Elmo

Machinehead wrote: »

Yes BBC HD & BBC Two to merge to create BBC Two HD. This leaves BBC with a total of 6 channels, which across the whole network (plus the red botton services) which gives them plenty of scope for repeats. On the other hand RTÉ is currently working with 3. The +1 option is really their only one until they get the go ahead for RTÉ Plus showing the best of the current weeks programming, but I still think that a channel given to older archived programs would be a great addition to RTÉ's daytime output.

RTÉ Plus/Three is not happening. RTÉ Two's daytime schedule will be clear of RTÉjr from Oct 25th.

Sam Russell

.... also RTE have RTE News Now (their fourth channel) which could be put to use to provide much more documentary and news based content, not just repeats and simulcasts (with iritating additions) as at the moment. They have started showing the OTV stuff from time to time. They showed Kenny et al re-announcing the jobs initiative (a different type of repeat).

RTE need to get going on the RTE 3/RTE Plus thing in time for the third Saorview launch on 24th October 2012. Perhaps Rabbitte will do the honours again.