Should We Privatise RTE?

RockinRolla

Let's face it, it's a mess.

Just watching 6.1 there - wow, I mean...wow. In other countries, they put sexy girls on TV, not boring old Seanie who's lost his hat down some rabbit hole in the back-arse of Roscommon, the poor d'vil.

They're also losing the ratings war. Most Irish people tune into Sky Digitals stations anyway and this license fee is a sham. If I don't watch RTE, if my family don't watch RTE and if I don't ever intend to watch anything remotely RTE - why MUST I pay RTE?! It seems like a direct unforgivable intrusion into free choice by our Government. If New Zealand can do without a national broadcaster, then so can Ireland.

If the RTE was privatised, it then becomes answerable to it's audience. You would see things on it that interested YOU! As things stand, they're putting out crap that they think interests you and they don't even report on national emergencies in the public interest such as the political farce a few weeks ago.

I say get rid of the monkeys now. I want to see some quality production, innovation and programming - not Sharon Ni whatever being told to wear grannies overall in case some old skat took it the wrong way in conservative old Ireland.

Coriolanus

It'd just turn into tv3(2).

As bad as it is its not that bad.

ScumLord

RockinRolla wrote: »

If the RTE was privatised, it then becomes answerable to it's audience. You would see things on it that interested YOU!

There's very little on sky that interests me, it's tv to the lowest common denominator.

RTE just needs new blood.

General General

Nudie Father Jack!

hotmail.com

This could be an election issue - abolish RTE.

CrazyRabbit

To be honest, I wouldn't miss 90% of TV stations. Soooo much crap on them.

I'd like just one TV channel that shows only want I want to watch and when I want to watch it.

Coriolanus

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

To be honest, I wouldn't miss 90% of TV stations. Soooo much crap on them.

I'd like just one TV channel that shows only want I want to watch and when I want to watch it.

playboy do tv.

RockinRolla

With RTE privatised, we'd have RTEmovies, RTEsport, RTEcomedy, RTEdrama.

So, you wouldn't have to watch all that soap crap thats on these days.

Cheap Thrills!

Can we not just get rid of it.

No-one would notice.

minidazzler

If by privatise you mean burn it to the ground with all their "stars" inside. Then Yes, yes we should.

RockinRolla

minidazzler wrote: »

If by privatise you mean burn it to the ground with all their "stars" inside. Then Yes, yes we should.

Well, the first one to be sacked is that Fianna Fail conservative fcuk, Turbidy.
His replacement on the Late Late would have to be some absolute loon. Crazy people on TV is always entertaining.

dr.bollocko

Moved from After Hours.

minidazzler

RockinRolla wrote: »

Well, the first one to be sacked is that Fianna Fail conservative fcuk, Turbidy.
His replacement on the Late Late would have to be some absolute loon. Crazy people on TV is always entertaining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dib2-HBsF08

HIM!

But Tubridy isn't being fired, I meant set the place ablaze with them inside.

marcsignal

minidazzler wrote: »

If by privatise you mean burn it to the ground with all their "stars" inside. Then Yes, yes we should.

if we could also shove in everyone associated with Xpose on TV3, and maybe get Al Jazeera to film it live, that would make this recession worth living through :pac:

.

meo75

I wish they would split RTE into several channels. I'd actually be willing to pay more for that if we got good tv.
We could have
RTE Movies: With modern movies! Not the big big movie from 1996!
RTE Youth: With stuff like 90210 & Gossip Girl
RTE Drama: CSI NY & Soaps etc
RTE Entertainment: X Factor but NOT the all ireland talent show!
RTE News: 24 hour news like sky and cnn
RTE Music: With charts shows etc

**edit**
Seems like RockinRolla beat me to it!

Kunle

The answer to the question is some of it, RTE TWO and 2FM should be sold .

Syferus

meo75 wrote: »

I wish they would split RTE into several channels. I'd actually be willing to pay more for that if we got good tv.
We could have
RTE Movies: With modern movies! Not the big big movie from 1996!
RTE Youth: With stuff like 90210 & Gossip Girl
RTE Drama: CSI NY & Soaps etc
RTE Entertainment: X Factor but NOT the all ireland talent show!
RTE News: 24 hour news like sky and cnn
RTE Music: With charts shows etc

**edit**
Seems like RockinRolla beat me to it!

I look forward to the €1000 license fee increase or the discovery of about 50 million Irish citzens down a well to increase the captive market, because that's a model no national terrestrial broadcaster in the world could support. Not only would the amount of programming that would be needed to fill that much real estate mean the amount spent on purchasing shows would rise hugely but it'd shatter any appeal to advertisers as you'd have turned one audience in a half a dozen jagged pills.

AnonoBoy

I thought I read recently that they were going to launch an RTE +1 and an RTE News channel soon enough.

Link

goose2005

Nevore wrote: »

It'd just turn into tv3(2).

As bad as it is its not that bad.

But TV3 is free. It costs you nothing, so why complain? You'll pay thousands over your lifetime for the privilege of watching RTE "celebs" interviewing each other.

diarmuid05

1 Channel - RTE Sport - Scrap everything else

CptSternn

The new McCarthy report says it should be privatised, so it's no longer just a hypothetical we are talking about here online, but an avenue the government are actually looking into.

The two issues I have are this -

1. If it is privatised, will we still have to pay for TV licensing?

2. Will the government retain some control over programming? I ask this because the #1 business who will more than likely be buying it if it goes private is Rupert Murdoch. That means RTE news will become faux news (fox), a right-wing propaganda channel.

I support it going private if we no longer have to pay licensing fees and if the integrity of the channels can be protected sure.

Being forced by law to pay for channels no one watches and that still contain adverts seems a bit daft and needs to be revisited. I however don't want our channels being turned into a soapbox for foreign governments with their own agenda at the same time though.

copacetic

CptSternn wrote: »

The new McCarthy report says it should be privatised

No, it doesn't. It says RTE NL, the network/distribution business should possibly be but nothing else.

Rubik.

CptSternn wrote: »

The new McCarthy report says it should be privatised, so it's no longer just a hypothetical we are talking about here online, but an avenue the government are actually looking into.

It doesn't, it recommends a substantial increase in the amount of the licence fee given to private broadcasters in an effort to increase competition. At present RTE gets 93% and the rest get a share of the remaining 7%.

iguana

Tbh, I think TG4 is by far and away the best channel in this country. I'm about as far from a gaeilgeoir as you can get but I do admire TG4. It produces great documentaries, pushes the boat out with the drama it produces and spends it's import budget well. I'd be happy to see TG4 get the whole license fee. Maybe give them a second channel so they can have one English, one Irish. And let RTE live or die on it's own merits.

goose2005 wrote: »

But TV3 is free. It costs you nothing,

Not any more. TV3 was granted a portion of the license fee a few years ago.

Minstrel27

CptSternn wrote: »

2. Will the government retain some control over programming? I ask this because the #1 business who will more than likely be buying it if it goes private is Rupert Murdoch. That means RTE news will become faux news (fox), a right-wing propaganda channel.

Why would Rupert Murdoch care about a channel received only on a small island at the edge of Europe? Rupert cares only about money and gets plenty of that from here already through Sky subscriptions and newspapers.

Richard Dower

I think more people have Sky then RTE....which is full of adverts despite getting licence money, it ain't no BBC!

Jayob10

I am not a fan of RTE at all to be honest with the exception of some of their sport and current affairs programmes.

Have to laugh at some peoples lack of a grasp on reality though. We are a small pond, with no ability to pay GENUINELY talented people big money hence they will leave for foreign shores if they turn out to be anyway half decent. Wages at RTE will get smaller and programme output will be limited.

The real talent needs to start at executive level. When the quality in the boardroom improves, then the quality output on tv will increase.

You do not need huge money to commission good shows. RTE enjoy a monopoly on the island and I would love to see a revamped RTE as there is so much potential.

One major gripe I have with RTE is the unwillingness to cut from tradition. The same old shows are still the flagships of the station. Homegrown shows that are non current affairs or sport, are usually lowest common denominator stuff.

I love interviews. But we need to be realistic in that we will never attract top guests. However a real maverick interviewer will extract great exchanges from mediocre guests.

Rte has been like a political party over the years, the same faces reshuffled and a feeling that genuine young talent (with no connections) will never sit at the top table.

Id love to see a new head of RTE slash wages by up to 50% at top level. Tell the Finucane's, Duffys, Kenny's, Tubridy's et al that they can take their new deal or leave it. Start cultivating hungry talented young talent.

No other station in their right mind would offer any of the above names 500k, not a chance. If they are pissed off let them go to TV3 on a quarter of what they were on.

Start building a new generation, but its important that the guys upstairs know their stuff. Their lack of judgement over the years has been startling and thats the real problem.

SuperInfinity

No, because then it would turn into absolute ****.

How would taking a huge amount of money from it make it better? (rhetorical question, no need to answer).

voter1983

I think RTE should definately be sold. What benefit is it to the state? From what I can see it is merely a vehicle for a select number of overpaid "stars" to massage their egos. If as they say they are worth their giant wage cheques then they will cope fine in the free market. I fail to see why they should be subsidised by the people of the state through the television licence.

RTE as an organisation should have little to fear from privatisation if they truely believe they are as good as they claim. If they aren't as good as they claim then why should the state be subsidising a sub standard organisation.

The good times are gone. Can we really afford this luxury?

Liam Byrne

RockinRolla wrote: »

With RTE privatised, we'd have RTEmovies, RTEsport, RTEcomedy, RTEdrama.

So, you wouldn't have to watch all that soap crap thats on these days.

You mean like the comedy "channels" on satellite that show the same shows at the same times every night of the week ?

Or the even worse ones that show absolute stage contrived rubbish and label it "reality" TV ?

RTE TV isn't great, but they're miles ahead of most of the offerings on satellite.

don ramo

i pay my taxes to help maintain the infrastructure of this country, which is falling apart at the seams, so if theres a way to to maintain or improve our quality of life on this rock, then channel the RTE budget into those areas, i haven't sat down and proactivly watched anything on RTE outside of soccer and rugby in 5 years, id rather pay an extra 2% tax on my wages to help sort our health system than give tuberdy and his gang that license fee,

it really is halarious that not only does RTE get a licensing fee, but also is allowed show hours and hours of ads aswell, and somehow looses money, WTF:mad:

CptSternn

don ramo wrote: »

it really is halarious that not only does RTE get a licensing fee, but also is allowed show hours and hours of ads aswell, and somehow looses money, WTF:mad:

+1

My thoughts exactly. It's like Donald Trump whose casino went bankrupt.

Makes you wonder who is running it and what the hell are they doing?

eco2live

CptSternn wrote: »

+1

My thoughts exactly. It's like Donald Trump whose casino went bankrupt.

Makes you wonder who is running it and what the hell are they doing?

Whats worse is that most of the adds are for:

Bord Gais
An Post
ESB

and other state bodies. We are paying for the ****ing adds and the licence.:(

Only a state body in Ireland can lose money in a corrupt fixed marketplace. One so bad that nobody wanted in on our digital system. I wonder why?

Anything in this country that is run by the state sucks balls. Overpaid incompetence and broken systems.

Mr McBoatface

CptSternn wrote: »

Makes you wonder who is running it and what the hell are they doing?

I agree totally that some of the so called stars are very much overpaid and it would not be any loss to see their wages cut. I'd actually go as far as to suggest some presenters be given the axe, my vote is - Tubridy, Finucane and Kenny to go. Followed this by cuts across the board of the remainder of the *stars*. However the vast majority of RTE & RTE_NL workers are very good at what they do and shouldn't be lumped in with the overpaid "stars"

As I understand it the major reason why RTE finance are in the toilet is because of the cost associated with the mandatory switch to Digital. They have recently invested 70 million Euro in the new infrastructure required for this switch. They had no additional revenue to support the switch unlike other European national broadcasters. Selling RTE_NL(RTE networks) after such a large investment would truly be a waste of TAX payers money. When Analogue is turned off the spectrum space no longer in use can be leased and used for other digital service like broadband (the so called "digital dividend", worth a google if you're a tech-head ). This will actually generate lots of income for the state.

RTE_NL currently rent spaces on their masts so I would assume(I may be wrong)that the new broadband services that can become available as a result of the digital dividend they will try to use existing RTE_NL transmission sites before building their own. They would be charge by RTE for using them, generating revenue for the RTE.

The actual cost of broadcasting will be significantly reduced at the end of 2012 when the old analogue system is turned off completely. Currently they are broadcasting analogue and digital at the same time and this is very expensive. The cost of broadcasting one channel in Analogue is about the same as broadcasting one digital mux. Currently I think there are 7 digital TV channel and 10 digital radio channels on 1 digital mux. The plan is to have a few more channels added and HD content across 2 digital muxes, so when the 4 current analogue channels are no longer being broadcast the will be an approx 2/3rd reduction in actual cost of broadcasting.

There is light at the end of the tunnel for RTE, they just are unfortunate to be going through the process of the digital switch-over at a time of deep recession. This is not really their fault as they where in a position to introduce the digital service at a much earlier stage and probably would have done so if not for political interference and the seemingly never ending interference of the B.A.I. who had a ridicules vision of a pay digital DTT service and wanted it to launch along side the Free To Air service from RTE at the same time. The pay DTT dream of the BAI was rehashed 3 times before it fully collapsed, the delay this caused has obviously affected the launch of digital TV in Ireland and added to RTE's budget woes.

Mr McBoatface

eco2live wrote: »

Only a state body in Ireland can lose money in a corrupt fixed marketplace. One so bad that nobody wanted in on our digital system. I wonder why?

It was the BAI and not RTE who pushed the Pay Digital TV system. There licence was awarded twice and there was a 3rd interested party and all failed or pulled out because worldwide Pay DTT as a model does not work. It failed in the UK and just about every where else it was tried. The selection of pay channel was very limited and was very bad value when compared to UPC and SKY's offerings. Currently there is about 70% pay TV penetration in Ireland and those customer would not have switched to Pay DTT. FREE-TO-AIR UK satellite and Saorview actually offers much more selection than the proposed pay DTT services by the 3 interested parties.

See what Boxer who where the first group awarded the pay DTT service licence by the BAI where offering, now ask yourself would you pay for that or go to UPC or SKY. Pay DTT was doomed before it began and that has nothing to do with the quality of FREE-TO-AIR service of provided by RTE and RTE_NL. The privately owned DTT providers wanted public money to be used to build their infrastructure but RTE and RTE_NL actually saved the tax payer money by insisting the pay DTT providers pay for their own broadcasting equipment.

don ramo

you say theres light at the end of the tunnel, but the same people will be at the helm, has RTE turned a profit over the past decade, any properly run company should easily make a profit, never mind a company that has the market cornered, with two massive revenue streams filtering into it, recession is not a factor, we the people of ireland are still paying our license fee which is higher than ever, so how do they still manage to loose money,

was it last year or the year before that they splashed out E1.3 million on a new news studio, im not argueing that the studio is ***, but i honestly cant see E1.3 million worth of work, they installed a new table and 3 big tvs, did the thing cost E1.2 mill to varnish or something,

Mr McBoatface

don ramo wrote: »

you say theres light at the end of the tunnel, but the same people will be at the helm, has RTE turned a profit over the past decade

Yes as far as I know they done so every year up until 2009 or 2010 for example 2007 the made 26.4 million profit. http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/rte-celebrates-45pc-profit-rise-thanks-to-boom-in-tv-revenue-1413467.html

don ramo wrote: »

any properly run company should easily make a profit, never mind a company that has the market cornered, with two massive revenue streams filtering into it, recession is not a factor, we the people of ireland are still paying our license fee which is higher than ever, so how do they still manage to loose money,

I know my post was a little long but did you bother to read the part about the 70 million in investment in new technology and broadcasting equipment required for switch to digital .

Also since the launch of Saorview over a year ago they have higher than normal broadcasting cost because they legally have broadcast Analogue and Digital until the Analogue signal is turned off at the end of 2012. The broadcasting cost will be reduced by 2/3 approx when analogue is turned off. I'd be all for selling RTE's Donnybrook headquarters and moving RTE headquarters to the Midland and getting rid of the overpaid "stars".

Not related to RTE but while we are on the subject of TV and revenue for the state, I find it hard to believe that McCarthy didn't mention that approximately 500 million leave Ireland thanks to BSKYB. Despite having an Irish operation and selling products and providing a service in Ireland they pay no VAT to the Irish exchequer. Approximately 100 million Euro annually goes to the UK exchequer from Irish TV customers!!. The VAT Irish customers pay for a service provided in Ireland should go to the Irish exchequer.

Blisterman

As an alternative, I'd propose keeping the licence fee, privatising RTE 2, and making RTE 1 show 100% Irish produced programs. It's ridiculous that licence payers money gets spent on importing shows, which can already be watched online and on other channels.

If a body is going to recieve taxpayers money, it should be providing a public service. In this case, nurturing homegrown talent. There should also be a salary cap, as there is no way in hell presenters like Ryan Tubardy are worth that kind of money. British TV presenters with 10 times the audience don't receive that much money.

If RTE did make some shows of any quality, then they could potentially earn quite a bit from DVD revenue and syndication fees.

rednik

Just close it down.

goose2005

I liked an idea I read somewhere, that you have to pay the licence fee but can choose who gets it, e.g. RTE Current Affairs, RTE entertainment, RTE kids, Radio 1, 2fm, lyric, Tg4. Then again, the Irish establishment really dislikes direct citizen involvement in anything.

Dionysus

Yes, privatise everything and then hopefully Denis O'Brien, Tony O'Reilly or Rupert Murdoch will buy it up and then we'll have such a great high quality TV and radio station.

It will be so much better in private ownership. What benighted nonsense!

These private businessmen will not try and influence the government of the day unlike the 2007 election when the Taoiseach and Minister for Finance of the day went to O'Reilly's house in Fitzwilliam Square and cut a deal with him in exchange for his newspapers' support for Fianna Fáil in that election.

Oh no, privatise everything and RTÉ will be so much better then. Mar dhea.

Dj Stiggie

To be fair, RTÉ has made some really good choices with regards to foreign programs. Lost was aired on RTÉ before C4/Sky1 and it always had a much better time slot than them.

But pettiness such as buying the rights to Mad Men and airing it at midnight just so TV3 couldn't show it is ridiculous. Its a high quality show that would get a large following. Why buy it if you don't want an audience?

Stars however are grossly over-paid, and inability to recognise talent such as Graham Norton (who I'm not a huge fan of, but I can see his appeal) and Father Ted were huge, albeit past, mistakes. And the only reason I can see for it is that they wouldn't appeal to the folks at RTÉ who assume they wouldn't appeal to Irish people.

Most of their programs are shít and there really has to be major changes there, but current affairs shows like Primetime are really good.

Sports coverage, such as the World Cup is unbeatable, but that's mainly because they need time-slot fillers due to a lack of original programing.

I don't think it should be privatised but it definitely needs to be held more accountable to its audience. And there definitely needs to be a programing change. Obviously it can't compete with the BBC, but even following a model of high quality current affairs programing with a good mix of decent entertainment is what RTÉ needs.

And as one poster earlier mentioned, TG4 is infinitely better with their good mix of Irish and English shows. Also small things such as showing South Park in Irish is so creatively inspiring if the execs who are running RTÉ were running TG4, the guy who came up with that idea would have been sacked for suggesting it. (And by creatively inspiring, by Irish standards it is, which is really sad)

Shakyfan

It wouldn't make any difference - you'd still get the same old whingers on here complaining........

Watch Ryder

Although I voted yes close it down I fear that you'll just end up with low-level tv that cater's to the lowest common denominator, ie reality tv which is full of desperate wannabe's and fools.

You need something seriously fresh and ground-breaking on Ireland's TV waves to get Irish people:

A) Feeling good about themselve's again.

Woken up and independently dialed-in to their true potential...

mikom

Shakyfan wrote: »

It wouldn't make any difference - you'd still get the same old whingers on here complaining........

And the same old whingers complaining about the whingers..............

To take the words of a Shaky cover.

Ain't a-gonna need this house no longer
Ain't a-gonna need this house no more
Ain't got time to fix the shingles
Ain't got time to fix the floor
Ain't got time to oil the hinges
Nor to mend the windowpane
Ain't a-gonna need this house no longer
He's a-gettin' ready to meet the saints

JonathanAnon

eco2live wrote: »

Whats worse is that most of the adds are for:
Bord Gais, An Post, ESB

Well I think there is a serious issue about the fact that Semi States like ESB will justify their high wages by the fact that they make profit for the state... But they run a monopoly (well until recently anway), and as such they are guaranteed a huge customer base for their product... ESB bills increased hugely last year, and around the same time that ESB staff were getting a pay increase, when everybody else was getting pay cuts.. And they were already well paid.. Electricity is a necessity for every house for lighting and heating, and I think the government should have stepped in to make sure that the priority for the ESB hierarchy was to keep the cost of electricity, as opposed to stuffing cash in to their own pockets..