RTÉ International/Diaspora television channel

The Cush

Not happening for the foreseeable future according to a reply to a Dáil question this week

Tuesday, 2 October 2012

Broadcasting Services

340. Deputy Dominic Hannigan
asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources if any contact has been made with RTÉ regarding the possibility of RTÉ being made available abroad in territories in which it is currently not available through tv receptions or satellite networks to help with the promotion of the Gathering; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41909/12]

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Deputy Pat Rabbitte): My officials and I have met with RTÉ on several occasions over the course of the last 12 months and we have discussed a wide range of issues, including provision of RTÉ services to the wider Irish Diaspora. Section 110(4) and (5) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 require RTÉ to review and report on the provision of such services and I received RTÉ’s latest report in April of this year.

Section 114(1)(f) of The Broadcasting Act, 2009 requires RTÉ to establish and maintain a television broadcasting service and a sound broadcasting service, which services shall be made available, in so far as RTÉ considers reasonably practicable, to Irish communities outside the island of Ireland.

As the Deputy may be aware, in the present financial conditions, it is not possible for RTÉ to provide a Diaspora television channel. RTÉ has indicated that this decision was made as a result of the economic downturn, which has adversely affected RTÉ’s commercial service, and is part of a necessary cost saving exercise being undertaken by RTÉ. RTÉ has indicated that this decision may be reviewed if circumstances change significantly in the future.

RTÉ is already providing a service to the Irish Diaspora through the RTÉ Player, the international version launched in January 2010, which allows overseas viewing of RTÉ television without charge, subject to certain rights restrictions. RTÉ has informed me that worldwide audiences can now catch-up on RTÉ Television programmes for up to 21 days through an integrated online media player. The international version of the RTÉ Player carries a range of programmes and sports content that have been cleared for international audiences. In addition to the catch-up services, ‘News Now’, RTÉ’s 24-hour live and looped online news service will be also available to global audiences.

I understand that RTÉ always seeks to improve the international availability of its programmes and services where possible and a number of online services have been rolled out recently for worldwide audiences including the RTÉ Radio Player and the mobile RTÉ television and news apps.

RTÉ has informed me there will be a “Gathering” series broadcast in Ireland in the near future promoting this upcoming event. They have advised that there is currently no plan for special extensions of service to Irish communities abroad as part of “The Gathering”.



354. Deputy Dominic Hannigan
asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources the plans there are to offer the RTÉ television channels across other territories to enable persons from Ireland that have moved abroad to watch them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41906/12]

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Deputy Pat Rabbitte): Section 114(1)(f) of The Broadcasting Act, 2009 requires RTÉ to establish and maintain a television broadcasting service and a sound broadcasting service, which services shall be made available, in so far as RTÉ considers reasonably practicable, to Irish communities outside the island of Ireland.

As the Deputy may be aware, in the present financial conditions, it is not possible for RTÉ to provide a Diaspora television channel. RTÉ has indicated that this decision was made as a result of the economic downturn, which has adversely affected RTÉ’s commercial service, and is part of a necessary cost saving exercise being undertaken by RTÉ. RTÉ has indicated that this decision may be reviewed if circumstances change significantly in the future.

RTÉ is already providing a service to the Irish Diaspora through the RTÉ Player, the international version launched in January 2010, which allows overseas viewing of RTÉ television without charge, subject to certain rights restrictions. RTÉ has informed me that worldwide audiences can now catch-up on RTÉ Television programmes for up to 21 days through an integrated online media player. The international version of the RTÉ Player carries a range of programmes and sports content that have been cleared for international audiences. In addition to the catch-up services, ‘News Now’, RTÉ’s 24-hour live and looped online news service, will be also available to global audiences

I understand that RTÉ always seeks to improve the international availability of its programmes and services where possible and a number of online services have been rolled out recently for worldwide audiences including the RTÉ Radio Player and the mobile RTÉ television and news apps.

http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/debateswebpack.nsf/takes/dail2012100200066?opendocument#Written Answers Nos 335-354

sligotrain

How very Irish.

In the old days

The Cush wrote: »

Not happening for the foreseeable future according to a reply to a Dáil question this week

I don't understand why don't they use News Now as a placeholder e.g. on Freesat at minimum cost for starters. Can't see too many rights issues there.

juan.kerr

Who is expected to pay for this?

The Cush

In the old days wrote: »

Can't see too many rights issues there.

Probably no rights issues but economics appears to be the problem, Freesat epg, satellite capacity, multiplexing costs etc.

watty

They will never do it unless the "Foreign office" or equivalent pays for it. Indeed that is correct attitude.

The Government should have been funding an External Service (Radio initially) since 1922 to 1926, but there was only a brief test in 1948.

A FTA External TV service can't just be for people in UK. They are the ones that need it least. It should be broadcast in Mainland Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, South America. Everywhere that has Tourist potential and/or Irish Diaspora.

We should also be Audio broadcasting in AM and DRM on Shortwave as well as Radio on more satellites, not just the current "opt ins" for Gaa Championships on rented SW, or on WRN. Turn RTE 1 Extra into a proper external service with content from RnaG, Lyric and Independent Radio. The 252kHz and Radio on 28.2 is "External Broadcasting" of a kind. Is RTE 1 Radio still on 19.2E or only now part time on WRN on satellite outside UK?

RTE has never had any serious commitment to external broadcasting. If Government wants it they need to fund it separately. There is SOME extra costs for even home grown "rights". But the majority of cost is transmission, especially if it is wider than UK, and it's ABSOLUTELY pointless and misuse of money to have a UK only service.

sligotrain

The reality is that RTE will not now or ever set up an overseas satellite TV channel. They simply do not want to do it and it's indeed questionable that RTE have ever understood what demand exists for Irish made TV abroad.

ardmacha

It seems to me that people abroad mainly want coverage of things like sports for which RTE do not hold the rights outside Ireland for.

L1011

watty wrote: »

Is RTE 1 Radio still on 19.2E or only now part time on WRN on satellite outside UK?

Not sure if it was ever on 19.2 (digitally anyway), but the 13.0 feed is gone for months.

galait

Just get a VpN setup back to Ireland an view aertv.ie , i have. Relative in Jerusalem for 3 months and he connecting to a 50 mb UPC VPN connection and viewing rte.ie/live ,aertv.ie and sky go , Don wait for the gov/rte

watty

Only about 15% of people in Ireland have a fast enough upload and enough cap to stream Video out.

Only 22% of people have real broadband. Over 60% are now using Mobile for Internet access, which is useless for this and never will be Broadband.