TV3 and Vincent Browne.

endakenny

It's disgraceful that the Monday edition of Tonight with Vincent Browne has been shelved to make way for I'm a Celeb... and the Apprentice. TV3 could have moved the Apprentice to Tuesday or Wednesday. TV3 does not take current affairs seriously. It's news service is bog-standard.

icdg

endakenny wrote: »

It's disgraceful that the Monday edition of Tonight with Vincent Browne has been shelved to make way for I'm a Celeb... and the Apprentice. TV3 could have moved the Apprentice to Tuesday or Wednesday. TV3 does not take current affairs seriously. It's news service is bog-standard.

They've culled their news output massively in the last few years, there is now just one half hour straight news bulettin Monday-Friday, whereas up until two years ago there was 1 1/2 hours of news. There are only summaries between Friday 6:00pm and Monday 5:30pm.

Tonight with Vincent Browne is one of the best things they've ever done News and Current Affairs wise, even though it is essentially a TV version of his long running radio show of the same name (which aired originally on 98FM and then had a much longer run on RTÉ Radio 1). Its a brillant show to watch, even though it would not win awards for imparitality and balance (it is very much shaped by Browne's personality and views, in a Fox News sort of way - although he would hate the comparision).

Other than that there's Midweek, which is essentially a "newsmagazine" in the US style, more akin to Dateline NBC or 20/20 than Prime Time or Panorama. Indeed TV3's very first current affairs programme was 20/20 itself, with the ABC presentation stripped out and redone by a TV3 presenter (Grainne Seoige IIRC), and one Irish report in each show. Very lazy.

weatherguy

TV3 never takes news seriously. It is cheap, tabloid television, except it doesn't have the budget that the tabloid press have to spend on news stories.
You only have to watch and compares the news reports from their journalists with the same reports from the far more professional journalists on RTE.
It was disgraceful the way they broke the Brian Lenihan cancer story on St Stephen's Day on their 5.30pm news bulletin last year. Everyone knew he had cancer but journalists and news organisations weren't planning to break that story until after Xmas. But TV3 decided to get a 'scoop'. Bad taste. Plus the fact the Prof. John Crown went on the outline to the small number of viewers who watch the 5.30pm news what Pancreatic cancer is and what the survival chances are. I thought what a responsible piece of news management there. How did Mr Lenihan's family and friends and the hundreds of other families react when they heard what the survival chances are?
But in general, the VB show is entertaining. Unfortunately, he doesn't get his facts right and he treats some guests like school children.
That midweek show is a load of bull. Boring crap that doesn't cost anything to produce. And why is it that they haven't asked one of the journalism staff there to present the show while CP is on maternity leave, rather than Sara Carey?
If the management at TV3 doesn't take its news service seriously by investing proper resources into it, why should the viewers?

whydoibother?

I enjoy VB a lot more when he doesn't have politicians on it. It's worth watching only when he has unbiased experts discussing an issue. I can't bear the cheap shots and predictable party-line towing that often goes on when he has politicians. I know there is a risk of this in all political discussion shows involving politicians, but his style of interviewing does seem to encourage it.

Elmo

In fairness to TV3 .... What? lol

No but seriously in fairness to them, they have provided VB Tonight for the last 3 years which isn't bad for a channel that often gets rid of TV shows after the first season. The show itself is cheap and as pointed out is just Radio on TV, but still entertaining at times. Hopeful with their new Studio they might get an actual set, unlike the current ugly blue screens used by every TV3 programme bar Ireland AM and MidWeek.

As for MidWeek it isn't a great successor to either Agenda or The Political Party. It is a little to light for my liking and it relies heavily on Tabloid journalism. It's only saving grace is its presenter, Collette Fitzpatrick who is wasted on the show IMO. Sarah Carey is finding it difficult to present. RTÉ and TV3 should watch Collette Fitzpatrick, she would be a good successor to either Pat Kenny on the Frontline or Vincent Browne on Tonight.

In relation to the Brian Lehan announcement, TV3 didn't do much on any of the announcements made by the Government over the last number week (I know they provided live coverage of the 4 year plan and a VB special but outside of that very little). Yet his cancer was of national importance. Any one expect a normal edition of TV3's St. Stephen's Day 5:30 news this year????

As for the VB schedule changes they could put the show out live on 3e or put IACGMOH on 3e, after all it is now free to 90% of the population.

lenovoguy

TV3 has totally repositioned itself as the channel for lowest-common-denominator content like XFactor, I'm a Celebrity, Apprentice and all the other nauseating "reality tv" tosh out there. Vincent Browne is alright at times but at others he's just bloodthirsty for soundbites, as he was with govt ministers on the show recently, trying to roar them into submission and admit the govt have messed up. That doesn't add anything to the debate.

craoltoir

And 3e is even worse.

Onthe3rdDay

lenovoguy wrote: »

TV3 has totally repositioned itself as the channel for lowest-common-denominator content

When did tv3 not aim for lowest common denominator content? By their very low standards they've actually improved over the last year or so.

Digifriendly

This is a channel I can pick up here in NI via an aerial and I can safely say in the last year I have watched one full programme. Only thing I tend to dip into from time to time are news programmes when they're showing clips of sport that have been exclusively live on Sky and their CL coverage which I only very occasionally watch but that's about it.

mcwhirter

Tv3 is a commercial tv company. Ratings count, VB gets the least out of celebrity and apprentice.

Butch Cassidy

If people want TV3 to provide better quality news broadcasts then lobby politicians to give them some licence fee money. I'm sure they could be mandated to use the funds to actually provide some quality news/current affairs rather than pocket it.

It's bizarre that 12 years on TV3 still feels kinda "new" and sorta temporary. ITV and Channel 4 produce decent-ish news broadcasts but the margins they make from advertising is obviously different.

Either give TV3 some licence fee or abolish it and let the market "correct itself".


I thought they did a fairly decent job in the last few weeks anyway - they had a 3hr budget special and aired a VB special on a Sunday night on short notice.

Elmo

Butch Cassidy wrote: »

If people want TV3 to provide better quality news broadcasts then lobby politicians to give them some licence fee money. I'm sure they could be mandated to use the funds to actually provide some quality news/current affairs rather than pocket it.

It's bizarre that 12 years on TV3 still feels kinda "new" and sorta temporary. ITV and Channel 4 produce decent-ish news broadcasts but the margins they make from advertising is obviously different.

Either give TV3 some licence fee or abolish it and let the market "correct itself".

I thought they did a fairly decent job in the last few weeks anyway - they had a 3hr budget special and aired a VB special on a Sunday night on short notice.

TV3 is a private company. The do receive some Licence fee funding from the sound and vision fund that amounted to 3million in 2008. While Tullamore SARL (a holding company) have loans of 166million due to the over the top price pay to ITV and Canwest for the channel in 2006. When TV3 start to support RTÉ performing groups and other projects such as DTT then I would suggest they get some more licence fee but they don't and won't. And they would pocket it.

Also TV3 news is about providing choice, to throw their cheap and cheerful in-studio programmes a lifeline (when they don't need it) would not do anything for other TV productions (outside news and sport).

TV3 doesn't feel kind of new or contemporary, it was old fashioned by the end of 1998.

Sam Russell

Elmo wrote: »

TV3 doesn't feel kind of new or contemporary, it was old fashioned by the end of 1998.

I think what was meant was inexperienced, creaky and amateurish, even child-like. If you are looking for deep insight into political matters, you would not look for it in a red-top tabloid newspaper. If I was looking for top-rate television, I think I would not be searching TV3 schedules looking for it.