BBC Funding Cut (Likely Channel Closures), what about RTE?

thebman

THE BBC is having to play its part in Britain’s austerity programme, and faces six lean years, in which its main source of income, the “licence fee”—an annual levy on television-owning households—will be frozen. The government will also stop providing separate funding for the BBC World Service’s foreign radio broadcasts, and make the BBC pay for S4C, a Welsh-language television service. The modest cost-trimming the BBC has announced so far will be nothing like enough, so its bosses are now drawing up more severe cutbacks.

The funding freeze means that by 2017, savings worth around £750m ($1.2 billion) at today’s prices will have to be found from the BBC’s current annual spending of £3.6 billion on television, radio and online channels aimed at British audiences. Its management has just completed a consultation with the 17,000 staff on how to achieve this. Proposals will shortly be presented to the BBC Trust, the broadcaster’s governing body. The trust has just gained a new chairman, Lord Patten, a Conservative former cabinet minister who was Britain’s last colonial governor of Hong Kong.

http://www.economist.com/node/18775017

So we are in the arms of the IMF and it still puzzles me that RTE funding has not been cut by anything like the amount I would have expected to see given it is a non-essential service compared to the Health service or most other services really.

So when are we going to see RTE being reformed in Ireland if at all? Or is the government afraid to cut RTE in case it would turn on them?

It seems like an odd situation to me. I would have presumed privatising RTE television would have been an easy way to generate some revenue while allowing the government to cut the license fee to put into other areas.

Instead RTE is setting up digital channels, I have no real problem with digital television being introduced but the new channels seem to be a waste of time and money given RTE seem to struggle to fill their existing schedule.

Tora Bora

But, the old RTE reliables are national treasures, to be cherished for ever.

Marian Finucane, Pat Kenny, Joe Duffy, et al .............. then there's the giants of football punditry, Gilsey, Eamo, sitting in the hole, controling the pace of the beautiful game:o

And Gaybo ................. gone but not gone, like your average retired teacher, plus that nice nixer on the Road Safety Authority.

Mr McBoatface

thebman wrote: »

Instead RTE is setting up digital channels, I have no real problem with digital television being introduced but the new channels seem to be a waste of time and money given RTE seem to struggle to fill their existing schedule.

The 70 million euro investment in the new digital network will mean the spectrum used in the old analogue can be freed up and can be used for things like mobile broadband services. It's known as the "digital dividend" and it's happening through out Europe. It mandatory so RTE don't have a choice. However for that 70 million euro investment there will be a projected 500 million euro return, this rate of return is inline with what is being projected across Europe. Once analogue is turned off the running cost of the digital service will be about 1/4 of the running costs of analogue. The new channels RTE1+1 and RTE JNR and RTE News Now which are not really new will not add to the running costs as the right for broadcast and re-recasting have already been bought. 3e is a privately owned channel that is(or will be) paying for carriage like TV3.

RichardAnd

RTE should be torn down. IT's nothing but a closed shop that spewed out second rate television, government ordered spin at a woefully high cost to the taxpayer.

In its stead, we could have a lean national broadcaster or none at all because really, I think we'd do just fine without fair city and the rest of that stations insipid output.

Permabear

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Tim Robbins

Permabear wrote: »

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Even 150k is a lot of money for a lot of them.

If they were told no more than 80K, very few would struggle to get more in the private sector.

Mr McBoatface

Permabear wrote: »

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Between them RTE1 & 2 command approximately 40% of the weekly Irish viewing figure (this figure independently verified). Lot's of the shows reboadcast on RTE are only available via pay TV providers like SKY or UPC, not everybody wants to or indeed can afford to get these services. RTE provides variety for these people. TG4 is an excellent channel and IMO much more than a vanity project.

Permabear wrote: »

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Personally I'd go further in the reductions and sack some of them too.

who the fug

jobyrne30 wrote: »

The 70 million euro investment in the new digital network will mean the spectrum used in the old analogue can be freed up and can be used for things like mobile broadband services. It's known as the "digital dividend" and it's happening through out Europe. It mandatory so RTE don't have a choice. However for that 70 million euro investment there will be a projected 500 million euro return, this rate of return is inline with what is being projected across Europe. Once analogue is turned off the running cost of the digital service will be about 1/4 of the running costs of analogue. The new channels RTE1+1 and RTE JNR and RTE News Now which are not really new will not add to the running costs as the right for broadcast and re-recasting have already been bought. 3e is a privately owned channel that is(or will be) paying for carriage like TV3.

Seeing as I know places in Ireland that can't get a good analogue signal, and am suffering digital in London, I suggest this is just a conspiracy by SKY


BBC is **** by the way, and should be closed

RichardAnd

who the fug wrote: »

Seeing as I know places in Ireland that can't get a good analogue signal, and am suffering digital in London, I suggest this is just a conspiracy by SKY


BBC is **** by the way, and should be closed

The BBC is twenty times the station RTE is. Granted, nonsense like Easter-enders brings down their level of quality but they've produced many fine programs over the years.

who the fug

RichardAnd wrote: »

The BBC is twenty times the station RTE is. Granted, nonsense like Easter-enders brings down their level of quality but they've produced many fine programs over the years.

That is the past, now we just have property and cookery porn 24/7

Mr McBoatface

RichardAnd wrote: »

The BBC is twenty times the station RTE is. Granted, nonsense like Easter-enders brings down their level of quality but they've produced many fine programs over the years.

IMO BBC is an excellent PSB maybe the best PSB in the world, all other PSB are sh*t when comapred to it. IMO It's unfair compare RTE to BBC ... Fiat V Ferrari.

thebman

jobyrne30 wrote: »

The 70 million euro investment in the new digital network will mean the spectrum used in the old analogue can be freed up and can be used for things like mobile broadband services. It's known as the "digital dividend" and it's happening through out Europe. It mandatory so RTE don't have a choice. However for that 70 million euro investment there will be a projected 500 million euro return, this rate of return is inline with what is being projected across Europe. Once analogue is turned off the running cost of the digital service will be about 1/4 of the running costs of analogue. The new channels RTE1+1 and RTE JNR and RTE News Now which are not really new will not add to the running costs as the right for broadcast and re-recasting have already been bought. 3e is a privately owned channel that is(or will be) paying for carriage like TV3.

Which is why I said I have no problem with them going digital.

The other channels will cost us more. You can't add more channels to run at zero extra cost. They have to be maintained which requires extra management to run. There is no way they won't cost us extra money to run even though a lot of the content was already available on RTE1/2.

They are new channels, they just have almost no new content which defeats the purpose of setting them up in the first place as you have to manage more services to provide the same content.

3 and 3e are private and so I see no reason why RTE the tv company (not network) should not be private either. A private company would not pay the extortionate rates to people like Ryan Turbridy or Pat Kenny.

mike65

A private RTE would end up doing what TV3 does, now is that what we want? RTE isn't much good in many respects and obviously the salaries are an offensive joke at this stage but they are also able to do the likes of Prime Time Investigates (should so more to be honest) whereas TV3 runs a mile from that kind of reporting.

RTE produce should all carried on a single TV channel (with a skeleton service for live sport only on RTE 2) and radio channel, with RTE radio 2 sold off, who might buy is hard to judge in the current climate but its not required in terms of public service broadcasting.

Permabear

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Mr McBoatface

thebman wrote: »

Which is why I said I have no problem with them going digital.

The other channels will cost us more. You can't add more channels to run at zero extra cost. They have to be maintained which requires extra management to run. There is no way they won't cost us extra money to run even though a lot of the content was already available on RTE1/2.

The "new" channels will be on the same digital mux as the older channels (expect maybe RTE2 HD which under legislation will eventually have to move to a second digital mux). The cost to run the mux will not be reduced by removing those channels from it, the space is there so it would be a waste not to use it. All of the content of RTE1 +1 and RTE JNR is currently on RTE 1 or 2 and paid for. It cost's feck all to have some graduate TV engineer to load the content of RTE JNR and to automate a time-shift for RTE1+1. The feed from RTE news now is exactly the same feed as that used on the website.

I'd actually prefer RTE1 +1 was not there and that RTE3 channel was there instead. It would shown some of the better late night programs shown on RTE at a more reasonable time. This channel was refuse licensing by the BAI because of objections from TV3 (ITV Ireland) and Sky the non-Irish broadcaster who pretends to have an Irish base and sends 120 million euro of VAT returns from it's Irish customers to the UK exchequer annually.

If you what to trim the fat from Irish broadcasting go after the overpaid stars at RTE, merge the Comreg and BAI Quangos who do more or less the same job. BAI the muppets who refused RTE3 also give setanta sport ireland (a privately owned pay TV station not available free to air) a slice of the TV License each year.

The new channels run at little or no cost add a little variety for those who are not slaves to Sky and UPC, it's a real shame RTE3 isn't there to add so proper variety.

Mr McBoatface

Permabear wrote: »

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You seem to assume that I assume .....:)

Permabear wrote: »

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Whats wrong with The Golden Girls, and John Wayne westerns.... my Parents love it. If you watched Southpark "As Gaeilge" you'd truly understand the genius of TG4:D

Head The Wall

jobyrne30 wrote: »

Between them RTE1 & 2 command approximately 40% of the weekly Irish viewing figure (this figure independently verified). Lot's of the shows reboadcast on RTE are only available via pay TV providers like SKY or UPC, not everybody wants to or indeed can afford to get these services. RTE provides variety for these people. TG4 is an excellent channel and IMO much more than a vanity project.

80% of households have a pay TV. Service

thebman

mike65 wrote: »

A private RTE would end up doing what TV3 does, now is that what we want? RTE isn't much good in many respects and obviously the salaries are an offensive joke at this stage but they are also able to do the likes of Prime Time Investigates (should so more to be honest) whereas TV3 runs a mile from that kind of reporting.

There is no real evidence that this would be the case if RTE didn't exist. People just like to claim this that favor a state broadcaster TBH.

Since Prime Time Investigates exists and gets good ratings, I see no reason why a private operator wouldn't do this type of show if RTE weren't already doing it.

If it was profitable, a profit operator would probably do it. However as a state provider is already doing it, we will never know. If TV3 did start such a program, what would be the odds that RTE wouldn't move Prime Time Investigates to the same time to try to kill it off? State companies in Ireland have a nasty habit of doing this.

jobyrne30 wrote: »

The "new" channels will be on the same digital mux as the older channels (expect maybe RTE2 HD which under legislation will eventually have to move to a second digital mux). The cost to run the mux will not be reduced by removing those channels from it, the space is there so it would be a waste not to use it. All of the content of RTE1 +1 and RTE JNR is currently on RTE 1 or 2 and paid for. It cost's feck all to have some graduate TV engineer to load the content of RTE JNR and to automate a time-shift for RTE1+1. The feed from RTE news now is exactly the same feed as that used on the website.

If there was space for extra channels, it should have been put up for tender for other providers surely not just handed to the state broadcaster.

It still costs money to do it which was my point.

And if RTE channels didn't exist, I think we'd find it much easier to get competition in to run some new channels and we might get proper use out of these channels rather than wasting them showing re-runs.

While we are on this subject too, why don't the government introduce a levy on digital decryption cards to get money off Sky?

Jaysoose

You cannot compare RTE to BBC for the simple reason BBC television does not have advertising income while rte runs an ad break every 12 minutes. So not only are we being asked to pay for the "public service broadcaster" they still cannot manage to turn a profit when they are getting a shedload of advertising.


The likes of joe duffy on radio one for an hour and 15 minutes five timesa week being on 400k+ to sit and listen to housewives complaining about some inane bullsh1t that happened to them is a disgrace.

Pat kenny on 900k+!!! no words describe how fooked up that is.

But the real kicker is these people are employed as contractors and as such will be paying next to no tax using the various loopholes and pushing the margins of the tax allowances available to company directors.

The best thing is there is nothing worth watching on RTE1 or 2 apart from the news.

Mr McBoatface

thebman wrote: »

If there was space for extra channels, it should have been put up for tender for other providers surely not just handed to the state broadcaster.

There was a tender process for additional channels to join the FTA service, there may be other channels coming online when the second muxes becomes available. Nobody in the public forum knows the results of this tender process. Bear in mind this tender process was run by the muppets at BAI not RTE, so they probably messed it up.

thebman wrote: »

It still costs money to do it which was my point.

A tiny amount much less than the salary of one of the so called RTE stars.

thebman wrote: »

And if RTE channels didn't exist, I think we'd find it much easier to get competition in to run some new channels and we might get proper use out of these channels rather than wasting them showing re-runs.

Personally i think we'd see an increase in "race to the bottom content" all TV channels are guilty of.

thebman wrote: »

While we are on this subject too, why don't the government introduce a levy on digital decryption cards to get money off Sky?

Just get them to pay VAT here, they provide a service here so should pay VAT like all service providers.

Jaysoose wrote: »

The best thing is there is nothing worth watching on RTE1 or 2 apart from the news.

The independent viewing figures don't support your opinion on this matter.

thebman

jobyrne30 wrote: »

Personally i think we'd see an increase in "race to the bottom content" all TV channels are guilty of.

RTE are in the race to the bottom. One of the biggest supporters of Jedward.

Jaysoose

jobyrne30 wrote: »

The independent viewing figures don't support your opinion on this matter.

They dont disprove my opinion either.