TV50 - Half a century of Radio Telefis Eireann

mike65

So then the national broadcaster marks 50 years on December 31st and 2012 will be a year of official celebration (with some navel gazing no doubt) for the semi-state, the rest of us might just wonder what the fuss is about. So how has it been for you? Esp those brought up in RTE only Ireland.

For some memory jogging and the curious here is a useful website which charts the evolving look of RTE down the years

mike65

Bump, for the half century

Nolanger

An excuse to screen lots of repeats.

mike65

Could be of merit of they go back to the 60s/70s/80s, bound to be stuff that would be fascinating to watch now.

Nolanger

Would love to see The spike.

parasite

There's also some 'classic' episodes of Kenny Live/Mailbag etc. on the rte player tv50 section

dnme

Strumpet City anyone?

JupiterKid

RTE ran a great show back in the 1970s called Hands.

It was about crafts in an Ireland that had a much slower pace of life than today and indeed an Ireland that has now largely vanished. RTE re-ran Hands a few years ago but I hope they re-run it again.

Nolanger

dnme wrote: »

Strumpet City anyone?

Available on DVD.

padd b1975

JupiterKid wrote: »

RTE ran a great show back in the 1970s called Hands.

It was about crafts in an Ireland that had a much slower pace of life than today and indeed an Ireland that has now largely vanished. RTE re-ran Hands a few years ago but I hope they re-run it again.

Repeated fairly regularly so should pop up soon.

Arthur Daley

The late late show from October 1971 with Busby and Peter Sellers is interesting. Questions from the audience to Matt Busby about how much players are paid nowadays and the ridiculous transfer fees that are getting out of hand. Also busby questioned about releasing players from manchester utd on international duty, which was being blamed for 'Eire's' poor performances in international competition. All in the days before you could hide from the public behind political answers, and screening of questions.

We can only guess what they'd make of the situation 40 years on, but it's be great of that was on every saturday night.

boardswalker

If RTE did not have an archive, what would it show?

Answers on a postcard to
I can't watch anymore of this!
RTE
Donnybrook
Dublin 4

dnme

I always think we're a bit hard on RTE. We are only a tiny little nation and it's almost a wonder that we have a national broadcaster at all. Through the years I remmeber wonderful childrens programmes, I think Nationwide is a priceless document of popular culture, Late Late was the best TV ever. I think RTE Radio 1 is one of the best radio stations in the world.

For all its faults, I'm certainly glad RTE is and has been around throughout my life.

Cardinal Richelieu

JupiterKid wrote: »

RTE ran a great show back in the 1970s called Hands.

It was about crafts in an Ireland that had a much slower pace of life than today and indeed an Ireland that has now largely vanished. RTE re-ran Hands a few years ago but I hope they re-run it again.

It be interesting if they did a follow up programme to see if any still existed, say most of the crafts people have died out or become distribution outlets for cheap imports.

If anyone is looking for the Hands DVD collection this thread might help, scroll down to the bottom.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055087235

boardswalker

JupiterKid wrote: »

RTE ran a great show back in the 1970s called Hands.

It was about crafts in an Ireland that had a much slower pace of life than today and indeed an Ireland that has now largely vanished. RTE re-ran Hands a few years ago but I hope they re-run it again.

There was a book to accompany the series.
I had it - not sure where it is now, though.
I am sure I have it somewhere.

p.oconnor

Have to agree that RTE gets a hard time in general, when you think of the budget compared to the bbc and taking into account some programming on the station which is extremely questionable on how it gets to air.

Even on its budget i would say RTE is a match for BBC in most households in the country and that is a credit to them, they are far from perfect but for me it is as good a public broadcaster as other countries have.

I think if it came down to it if the UK had access to RTE i think that they would gladly take it on any platform.

Lets all raise a glass to RTE, its not perfect but its ours

To another 50 years !

JupiterKid

p.oconnor wrote: »

Have to agree that RTE gets a hard time in general, when you think of the budget compared to the bbc and taking into account some programming on the station which is extremely questionable on how it gets to air.

Even on its budget i would say RTE is a match for BBC in most households in the country and that is a credit to them, they are far from perfect but for me it is as good a public broadcaster as other countries have.

I think if it came down to it if the UK had access to RTE i think that they would gladly take it on any platform.

Lets all raise a glass to RTE, its not perfect but its ours

To another 50 years !

Hear hear! But RTE still needs to up its game for New Years and other events where it looks very poor in comparison to the offerings of other TV stations. There is a lot of room for improvement.

BBC is probably the best TV broadsaster in the world. RTE have to compete against this.

p.oconnor

Ya it was fairly pathetic alright, I just dont understand why they didnt broadcast the concert from college green with presenters on stage, why do they have to chat about the depressing year that has just passed, beats me.

Itssoeasy

To compare the bbc and rte is slightly unfair. The beeb has the license fee of at least sixty million people. So the bbc has a financial head start our of the gate. I hope rte really open up the archives this year as they have put a couple of the late lates on the rte player in fullz

murpho999

JupiterKid wrote: »

Hear hear! But RTE still needs to up its game for New Years and other events where it looks very poor in comparison to the offerings of other TV stations. There is a lot of room for improvement.

BBC is probably the best TV broadsaster in the world. RTE have to compete against this.

Bloody hell, I think some people should get a life and do other things on NYE apart from complaining about the telly!

mike65

Tonight at 8.30 there is a programme from 1968 about a fella who fills in potholes. Could be good.

dnme

murpho999 wrote: »

Bloody hell, I think some people should get a life and do other things on NYE apart from complaining about the telly!

Do you!!! That's great!

Alwayson

It looks like RTE will use TV50 as an excuse to pump out even more archive material than usual, significantly reducing production costs. They should reduce the license fee to €50 this year so we can all join in the celebrations.

icdg

Potted history of RTÉ presented by Pat Shortt on RTE One now. Its no serious commentary, but is still quite interesting.

dnme

icdg wrote: »

Potted history of RTÉ presented by Pat Shortt on RTE One now. Its no serious commentary, but is still quite interesting.

Its very enjoyable, not to mention fascinating in places to see and remember things I had completely wiped from my brain.

krudler

p.oconnor wrote: »

Have to agree that RTE gets a hard time in general, when you think of the budget compared to the bbc and taking into account some programming on the station which is extremely questionable on how it gets to air.

Even on its budget i would say RTE is a match for BBC in most households in the country and that is a credit to them, they are far from perfect but for me it is as good a public broadcaster as other countries have.

I think if it came down to it if the UK had access to RTE i think that they would gladly take it on any platform.

Lets all raise a glass to RTE, its not perfect but its ours

To another 50 years !

and yet they pay their "stars" extortionate amounts of money,slash the 500k salaries and put that towards developing new talent not more jobs for the boys or whoever is related to some politicians.

the difference in talent between the RTE and BBC is on another level, not that the BBC havent churned out their fair share of crap over the years, but compare (when he was with them) Johnathan Ross's show to The Late Late, one was an actually entertaining show featuring A list celebrities on a regular basis headed by a professional talk show host who had funny banter with his guests, the other is a granny pleasing waste of licence payers money who gets on whoever happens to be in the RTE canteen that aftertoon hosted by a human cotton bud.

dnme

krudler wrote: »

and yet they pay their "stars" extortionate amounts of money,slash the 500k salaries and put that towards developing new talent not more jobs for the boys or whoever is related to some politicians.

the difference in talent between the RTE and BBC is on another level, not that the BBC havent churned out their fair share of crap over the years, but compare (when he was with them) Johnathan Ross's show to The Late Late, one was an actually entertaining show featuring A list celebrities on a regular basis headed by a professional talk show host who had funny banter with his guests, the other is a granny pleasing waste of licence payers money who gets on whoever happens to be in the RTE canteen that aftertoon hosted by a human cotton bud.

I agree about the salaries. Highest paid public servants in the country, the likes of Kenny, Duffy, Tubridy, Finucane et al. Id love to see the 100k cap apply to RTE staff. How come no one ever phones up Duffy and complains directly to him about it?

Apart from that, I'm a fan of RTE. I cant imagine a world without it. Long may it live.

krudler

dnme wrote: »

I agree about the salaries. Highest paid public servants in the country, the likes of Kenny, Duffy, Tubridy, Finucane et al. Id love to see the 100k cap apply to RTE staff. How come no one ever phones up Duffy and complains directly to him about it?

Apart from that, I'm a fan of RTE. I cant imagine a world without it. Long may it live.

meh, privatise it, scrap the licence fee, lose the dead wood presenters,up the budget for new,original shows not crappy Irish versions of established US and UK formats since they're always an embarassment. rejig the entire organisation with a focus on entertainment that actually entertains not a national joke that churns out 90% drivel. I'd never thought Dave McSavage would be repsonsible for the best thing RTE had done in years comedy wise but thats the state its in at the moment.

ejmaztec

They should refund 50 years worth of licence fees and give up.:pac:

goose2005

dnme wrote: »

I always think we're a bit hard on RTE. We are only a tiny little nation and it's almost a wonder that we have a national broadcaster at all.

How? Every country has a national broadcaster. Even Kosovo has one. We got ours pretty late - even Ghana had TV by 1965.

murpho999

krudler wrote: »

and yet they pay their "stars" extortionate amounts of money,slash the 500k salaries and put that towards developing new talent not more jobs for the boys or whoever is related to some politicians.

the difference in talent between the RTE and BBC is on another level, not that the BBC havent churned out their fair share of crap over the years, but compare (when he was with them) Johnathan Ross's show to The Late Late, one was an actually entertaining show featuring A list celebrities on a regular basis headed by a professional talk show host who had funny banter with his guests, the other is a granny pleasing waste of licence payers money who gets on whoever happens to be in the RTE canteen that aftertoon hosted by a human cotton bud.

You do realise that BBC's income is massive compared to RTE's, and also that 'A' list celebs are more often in London than they are in Dublin?

Also, Ross, who you think is so talented was on something like £6m a year so that should put RTE's salary in perspective.

I'm not a LLS fan at all as I think the format is dated but I think how people go on here about BBC being brilliant and RTE rubbish just to be over the top.

hotmail.com

Growing up, I always thought RTE was fairly crap in comparison to the English stations.

They have modernised in the last 10 years and gradually they ditched their rural outlook. It's still a bit crazy that RTE One shows the Angelos.

krudler

murpho999 wrote: »

You do realise that BBC's income is massive compared to RTE's, and also that 'A' list celebs are more often in London than they are in Dublin?

Also, Ross, who you think is so talented was on something like £6m a year so that should put RTE's salary in perspective.

I'm not a LLS fan at all as I think the format is dated but I think how people go on here about BBC being brilliant and RTE rubbish just to be over the top.

his salary has zip to do with it, when you watch talk shows like Conan, Leno, hell even Graham Norton is leagues ahead of what Tubridy and Kenny do, do you think if Tubs was paid 6m a year he'd suddenly turn into a great talk show host? my ass, he's still be as wooden as awkward as he is now, a talk show host that has no idea who to improvise banter with a guest isnt doing his job properly, simple as, a teleprompter could do what Tubridy does, ask preapproved questions to pander to a set audience.

as for the A list thing, london is a short flight from Dublin, it'd be easy to spend the money they overpay current stars on flying a worthwhile guest over for a night. how many times has the LLS trotted the same old irish celebrities week in week out? if RTE stopped thinking so small scale and updated the format of the show and spend the money where it needs to be spent they'd in turn make it worth watching.

Lapin

Given its high profile and the very nature of the business its in (and the fact that its output reaches every home in the country) its no surprise that RTÉ comes in for a degree of criticism. I believe RTÉ Television recieves more reaction than other semi state companies simply because the medium of television (and radio) is two dimensional.

They broadcast - we react.

If the ESB were as sloppy as some people here like to claim RTÉ are, they would be flooded with complaints from those missing the Late Late Show, Prime Time or The Sunday Game due to the latest power cut.

John Bowman said recently that no other broadcaster "engages with its own audience the way RTÉ does".

He's dead right.
I have read the ludicrous comparisons with the BBC above, and yet despite the vast budget flowing into Wood Lane and the regional BBC departments throughout the UK, The Beeb still remains aloof from the average British person.

While programmes commissioned by the BBC are always of the highest quality, there exists an underlying vain of preaching to the masses about many of them. The audience, be they a 20 something black rap musician in Shepherds Bush or a 60 year old ginger headed postman from the Shetland Islands are fed the same material from Auntie's top table and expected to be educated informed or entertained in unison.

It doesn't work. And when things don't go to plan, the BBC do an ITV on it and resort to the lowest common denominator in an effort to please everyone. Top Gear is a perfect example. Huge budget - load of rubbish.

RTÉ Television has produced some huge fúck ups over the last half century and will no doubt do so again. They are human after all, and have less talent to draw on than most of their peers. And RTÉ television is subject to legitimate criticism just like anywhere else.

But when it comes to fulfilling a remit similar to the BBC (Inform, Educate and Entertain) as our state broadcaster was informally subjected to adopt, RTÉ have surpassed themselves.

They may have a bit of work to do on the entertainment side of things, and TG4 has given their Factual department a thing or two to dwell on, but overall I think they do a good job given their resources.

Anyone who has had the misfortune to spent a night (or worse) in a hotel room on continental Europe with no access to a TV channel in english should appreciate how awful television is over there.


RTÉ Television is amongst the top 10 quality all round broadcasters in the world.

Its not about the individuals. We all have our loves & hates.
Its about the institution as a whole.
An institution I grew up with for 28 years of their existance.

And for that reason I say, Happy Birthday RTÉ Television.

spank_inferno

Lapin wrote: »

While programmes commissioned by the BBC are always of the highest quality, there exists an underlying vain of preaching to the masses about many of them. The audience, be they a 20 something black rap musician in Shepherds Bush or a 60 year old ginger headed postman from the Shetland Islands are fed the same material from Auntie's top table and expected to be educated informed or entertained in unison.

It doesn't work. And when things don't go to plan, the BBC do an ITV on it and resort to the lowest common denominator in an effort to please everyone. Top Gear is a perfect example. Huge budget - load of rubbish.

Not sure about that. The BBC is very diverse in its output.

They have 4 national stations, BBC3 catering to youth & BBC4 catering more to higher culture.

They have dedicated national radio stations covering sport, pop, indie asian music, classical. As well as a whole range of local stations, a vast website and international presence.

Top gear wastes no budget as it makes far more money for the BBC than it costs, RTE have done the same with their product.

The BBC only have advertising revenue from international content and dont have those stupid "text" competitions (1/3 of the cost going to RTE")

"Auntie" has moved with the times, embracing digital content years ago.
Superb examples being, Wimbledon, Glastonbury & Formula 1.


RTE have done ok, but nothing like as good as they could have done considering their vast funding (tax and ads) and stranglehold on broadcasting in Ireland

krudler

Lapin wrote: »

Given its high profile and the very nature of the business its in (and the fact that its output reaches every home in the country) its no surprise that RTÉ comes in for a degree of criticism. I believe RTÉ Television recieves more reaction than other semi state companies simply because the medium of television (and radio) is two dimensional.

They broadcast - we react.

If the ESB were as sloppy as some people here like to claim RTÉ are, they would be flooded with complaints from those missing the Late Late Show, Prime Time or The Sunday Game due to the latest power cut.

John Bowman said recently that no other broadcaster "engages with its own audience the way RTÉ does".

He's dead right.
I have read the ludicrous comparisons with the BBC above, and yet despite the vast budget flowing into Wood Lane and the regional BBC departments throughout the UK, The Beeb still remains aloof from the average British person.

While programmes commissioned by the BBC are always of the highest quality, there exists an underlying vain of preaching to the masses about many of them. The audience, be they a 20 something black rap musician in Shepherds Bush or a 60 year old ginger headed postman from the Shetland Islands are fed the same material from Auntie's top table and expected to be educated informed or entertained in unison.

It doesn't work. And when things don't go to plan, the BBC do an ITV on it and resort to the lowest common denominator in an effort to please everyone. Top Gear is a perfect example. Huge budget - load of rubbish.

RTÉ Television has produced some huge fúck ups over the last half century and will no doubt do so again. They are human after all, and have less talent to draw on than most of their peers. And RTÉ television is subject to legitimate criticism just like anywhere else.

But when it comes to fulfilling a remit similar to the BBC (Inform, Educate and Entertain) as our state broadcaster was informally subjected to adopt, RTÉ have surpassed themselves.

They may have a bit of work to do on the entertainment side of things, and TG4 has given their Factual department a thing or two to dwell on, but overall I think they do a good job given their resources.

Anyone who has had the misfortune to spent a night (or worse) in a hotel room on continental Europe with no access to a TV channel in english should appreciate how awful television is over there.


RTÉ Television is amongst the top 10 quality all round broadcasters in the world.

Its not about the individuals. We all have our loves & hates.
Its about the institution as a whole.
An institution I grew up with for 28 years of their existance.

And for that reason I say, Happy Birthday RTÉ Television.

thats just a laughable statement.

mike65

hotmail.com wrote: »

Growing up, I always thought RTE was fairly crap in comparison to the English stations.

They have modernised in the last 10 years and gradually they ditched their rural outlook. It's still a bit crazy that RTE One shows the Angelos.

Arf!

That programme about the road worker in South Tipparary was intriguing for its tone, the poor fella being subject to some slightly condescending sociological comment.

ejmaztec

Years ago, before satellite/MMDS etc, RTE had a captive audience, most of whom had never seen anything but RTE, so they didn't know how bad it was.

Now they do.

goose2005

Lapin wrote: »

John Bowman said recently that no other broadcaster "engages with its own audience the way RTÉ does".

He's dead right.

No, he's not.

I have read the ludicrous comparisons with the BBC above, and yet despite the vast budget flowing into Wood Lane and the regional BBC departments throughout the UK, The Beeb still remains aloof from the average British person.

While programmes commissioned by the BBC are always of the highest quality, there exists an underlying vain of preaching to the masses about many of them. The audience, be they a 20 something black rap musician in Shepherds Bush or a 60 year old ginger headed postman from the Shetland Islands are fed the same material from Auntie's top table and expected to be educated informed or entertained in unison.

It doesn't work. And when things don't go to plan, the BBC do an ITV on it and resort to the lowest common denominator in an effort to please everyone. Top Gear is a perfect example. Huge budget - load of rubbish.

So the BBC is simultaneously too intellectual and too anti-intellectual?

But when it comes to fulfilling a remit similar to the BBC (Inform, Educate and Entertain) as our state broadcaster was informally subjected to adopt, RTÉ have surpassed themselves.

They don't inform, educate or entertain.

camlinhall

I thought it couldn't be done, but Pat Shortt has pulled it off.
He's managed to make 50 years of television look like it wasn't worth the trouble. An hour of the dullest brains to be found, reducing everything they could remember to the forgettable.

But RTE wasn't nearly that bad.

P. Breathnach

camlinhall wrote: »

I thought it couldn't be done, but Pat Shortt has pulled it off.
He's managed to make 50 years of television look like it wasn't worth the trouble. An hour of the dullest brains to be found, reducing everything they could remember to the forgettable.

But RTE wasn't nearly that bad.

I must have been watching a different programme. The one I saw also involved Pat Shortt looking back over 50 years of RTÉ.

zac8

It was inevitable that RTE would celebrate their birthday with old repeats and clip shows. They come across as a tired, burnt out, middle aged executive in a cheap suit who ran out of ideas long ago.

Channel 4 celebrated their 30th yesterday. Anyone see the mashup that they did? OK it didn't always work but 10/10 for effort. The Countdown/8 out of 10 Cats mashup was excellent but then anything with Sean Locke in it is usually top class.

LordSutch

After yet another New Year's Eve fiasco I am certainly not in the mood right now to wish RTE a Happy 50th.
Personally I have always found a lot of their in-house productions to be stilted, stuffy, parochial, and outdated.

Corkfeen

To the above poster who claims that BBC doesn't fulfill their role of educating etc. I've learnt far more from watching BBC3 and BBC4 than I have from RTE.

97 million euro goes into RTE1 and RTE2, RTE1 gets 61 million while Rte2 gets 36 million. BBC4 on the other hand gets the equivalent of 64 million. BBC4 only gets 3 million more than RTE1 but achieves far better results with what they have . TG4 got 32 million as their budget and I'd be more likely to watch shows on it than I would on Rte, in fact I think they've produced some exceedingly good shows in the past.

hotmail.com

The news and current affairs programmes are excellent on both RTE tv and radio. No doubt about it. The LLS had its day for me, it's just two hours of boring drivel for me now.

Where they fall down is when they try to copy UK or American programmes and they just don't have the funding to match their output. The All-Ireland Talent Show was tragic.

Is there a theme for these anniversary programmes, they seem like they're all the same thing.

Corkfeen

hotmail.com wrote: »

The news and current affairs programmes are excellent on both RTE tv and radio. No doubt about it. The LLS had its day for me, it's just two hours of boring drivel for me now.

Where they fall down is when they try to copy UK or American programmes and they just don't have the funding to match their output. The All-Ireland Talent Show was tragic.

Is there a theme for these anniversary programmes, they seem like they're all the same thing.

I agree with you on current affairs to a point (Miriam O Callaghan's commentary on Obama visit was an abomination though). I don't like to admit this but I like Pat Kenny. :pac:

Skid

Lapin wrote: »

While programmes commissioned by the BBC are always of the highest quality, there exists an underlying vain of preaching to the masses about many of them. The audience, be they a 20 something black rap musician in Shepherds Bush or a 60 year old ginger headed postman from the Shetland Islands are fed the same material from Auntie's top table and expected to be educated informed or entertained in unison.

That is nonsense. The BBC offers a hugely diverse range of programming. Between TV and Radio (Local and National) they offer a massive amount of programming, something to suit all tastes. They most certainly do not expect the entire Nation to sit down and be preached to 'in unison'

DarkJager

Lapin wrote: »

Anyone who has had the misfortune to spent a night (or worse) in a hotel room on continental Europe with no access to a TV channel in english should appreciate how awful television is over there.

You've obviously never watched high quality porn on cable tv at 9am in an Amsterdam hotel then.

Sierra Oscar

Was fascinating to watch Terminus Gola Island first broadcast in 1970 followed by the 2008 follow up, Oilean - Anam Chloch.

The contrast was stark . . . a moving hour of television. At first I was not too interested in TV50, but I think looking back the entire project will be of cultural significance.

G Luxel

Gola Island initially had a warning about a scene that might be distressing.

Well, it was distressing to see a family tie up a dog and throw it into the sea and the camera just rolled away as nothing happened. Poor defenseless animal

telekon

Corkfeen wrote: »

I agree with you on current affairs to a point (Miriam O Callaghan's commentary on Obama visit was an abomination though). I don't like to admit this but I like Pat Kenny. :pac:

Why not? He's excellent at all things current affairs. I just wish he stuck to it in his radio show...