Why don't RTE transmit more BBC shows ?

Tim Reilly

They relay Eastenders but why not Dr Who and Strictly Come Dancing ?

twinklerunner

Tim Reilly wrote: »

They relay Eastenders buy why not Dr Who and Strictly Come Dancing ?

Because most of us can watch those programmes on BBC if we want to?

Why would anyone with Sky watch Eastenders on rte? Understandable in you only have saorview!

lertsnim

zorro2566 wrote: »

Why would anyone with Sky watch Eastenders on rte? Understandable in you only have saorview!

I don't know why they would choose RTÉ if they have the choice but 300,000 do watch it on RTÉ.

Avatar MIA

lertsnim wrote: »

I don't know why they would choose RTÉ if they have the choice but 300,000 do watch it on RTÉ.

Anyone that would watch televised misery probably enjoys being subjected to the added pain of advertisements.

Makes sense when you think about it.

iseegirls

TV3 showed the first 2 series of Doctor Who when it relaunched, and they have various Christmas specials of Strictly on too recently.

I'd say if the X Factor went, TV3 would go for Strictly. Although ads would be a problem during live tv.

But saying that, I don't know how the relationship between RTE and BBC work for these kind of shows.

FRIENDO

zorro2566 wrote:

Why would anyone with Sky watch Eastenders on rte? Understandable in you only have saorview!

Possibly because RTE 1 is channel 101 on sky.

twinklerunner

FRIENDO wrote: »

Possibly because RTE 1 is channel 101 on sky.

141 is so much more difficult to key in to the remote than 101
Give me advert free BBC channels any day.

Elmo

If you look closely you will see that RTE do broadcasting a number of BBC series. RTE have a 7 year agreement with BBC Worldwide for BBC programming.

Outside of Eastenders RTE broadcast Doctors, Casulty and Holby City (though they don't simulcast any of the other 3 continuing BBC dramas).

RTE have first choice with programmes like Doctor Who, indeed the reason TV3 had to drop EastEnders was due to RTE decision to opt to buy the series following TV3 agreement with Granada for Coro St and Emmerdale.

Silk, Sherlock, Outnumbered and other dramas have all aired on RTE, RTE even get Scott and Bailey due to BBC worldwide distributing that programme, the new series won't air on UTV Ireland.

I don't understand why RTE don't push more BBC Worldwide programming in prime time surely a repeat of Silk would do better than another repeat of At Your Service. While Poldark is an ITV Studio's programme.

They also have a tendancy (perhaps a policy) not to air Light Entertainment from abroad such as Strictly and to a lesser extend Lifestyle but unfortunately their policy on lifestyle is changing with repeats of Don't Tell The Bride (UK) and Top Gear. They never aired any of the non-scripted Comedy prgrammes from the BBC but have begun to air Mock the Week in recent years. IMO RTE should be producing these types of shows for an Irish audience and using BBC Drama and Docs to boost the rest of its schedule.

AwaitYourReply

Tim Reilly wrote: »

They relay Eastenders but why not Dr Who and Strictly Come Dancing ?

I think it is interesting if you look at the launch night of Ireland's second channel the original RTÉ2 back in 1978 the continuity announcer mentions the types of shows you would expect which included the best of programming from BBC and ITV.

However, certain areas of Ireland did not always have access to BBC apart from these ones:
close to the Border with Northern Ireland,
all along the East Coast of Ireland and
parts of Waterford & Cork

Much of the rest of the country would not have been able to view clear reliable reception of BBC TV direct on an ongoing basis back until the BBC went Free-To-Air on digital satellite tv around 2002/'03.

These days most people can access BBC if they so choose to obtain satellite tv AND/OR cable tv reception depending on where they are based. The need for RTÉ to screen BBC TV shows has largely diminished nowadays. With BBC One, BBC Two, BBC three, BBC Four, UKTV channels and so on.

I'm just no longer sure why RTÉ would benefit by buying widely shown material like EastEnders in 2015. I could understand such a policy back in 1999-2001 period but not in the last few years. I wonder if RTÉ would spend as much and grow more of an indigenous loyal viewing audience by coming up with more Irish home produced material as some people will pick BBC over RTÉ anyway to watch EastEnders to avoid the adverts half way through anyway!

Look at how RedRock has gradually become more & more popular for TV3 ever since UTV Ireland took Emmerdale & Coronation Street away from them and apparently the fees were very prohibitive while viewing figures had peaked and were falling! There is a also a lesson there for RTÉ to learn in my view.

Elmo

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

Look at how RedRock has gradually become more & more popular for TV3 ever since UTV Ireland took Emmerdale & Coronation Street away from them and apparently the fees were very prohibitive while viewing figures had peaked and were falling! There is a also a lesson there for RTÉ to learn in my view.

Red rock is suffering because of an inept set of programmes surrounding it on TV3 it has along way to go before getting even Emmerdale size audiences that UTV Ireland get.

TV3 called ITV's bluff and were unwilling to pay for many of the programmes they never aired.

Viewing figures at tv3 peaked in 2006 and fell back Coro St and Emmerdale remained there most watched programmes until 2014.

Imagine ITV sold tHeir share in TV3 for 130,000,000, continued sales to TV3 for 8 years and next year will buy UTV for less than they sold TV3 for!

I agree RTÉ should do more drama, but I have no doubt TV3 would pick up EastEnders if they could, and TBH perhaps RTE need to let them. The tiny price that Irish broadcasters pay for imports it makes sense to allow for quality filler as long as the rest of their programmes are on par.

AwaitYourReply

Elmo wrote: »

Red rock is suffering because of an inept set of programmes surrounding it on TV3 it has along way to go before getting even Emmerdale size audiences that UTV Ireland get.

TV3 called ITV's bluff and were unwilling to pay for many of the programmes they never aired.

Viewing figures at tv3 peaked in 2006 and fell back Coro St and Emmerdale remained there most watched programmes until 2014.

Imagine ITV sold tHeir share in TV3 for 130,000,000, continued sales to TV3 for 8 years and next year will buy UTV for less than they sold TV3 for!

I agree RTÉ should do more drama, but I have no doubt TV3 would pick up EastEnders if they could, and TBH perhaps RTE need to let them. The tiny price that Irish broadcasters pay for imports it makes sense to allow for quality filler as long as the rest of their programmes are on par.

RTÉ need to consider what is the real value in just relaying the exact same shows already going out on BBC TV when nearly all of the audience has full access to the content in Ireland these days. The same applies to content from the other UK broadcasters like itv, Channel 4 etc;

When you consider today's itv schedule and their resources, they like BBC & RTÉ have also dumbed down considerably and become far too reliant on such repetitive formats over many years with shows like: X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here etc; not to mention numerous episodes of the soaps which need a complete re-examination as the stories & characters seem jaded to death because they have too much airtime to cover each week - the higher frequency of episodes in latter years, lack of sufficient lead characters and increase in storyline plots that are no longer tenable or believable it would suggest there is a general tendency not to change course but I think they are running a high risk of loosing more & more viewers in their droves in the years ahead unless they radically change course.

It will take a lot more than minor tweaking here & there and Simon Cowell/Syco formula needs to be thanked and escorted out of the building. Ant & Dec need to be rested for longer in the year and I'm a Celebrity should probably follow in the footsteps of Dancing on Ice. It is never a good idea to keep flogging & flogging an idea/formula/concept/show to death as then you have lost your audience which is what BBC managed to do with Top Of The Pops when it was finally pulled as a weekly tv chart show in 2006 after limping on for ages!

topmanamillion

What a nonsense thread.
RTE is packed with BBC programing. From repeats of Top Gear to nature documentaries. There are entire evenings where programme after programme ends with the BBC logo.
If the OP is so fond of BBC programming I suggest they just turn on BBC.

Elmo

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

RTÉ need to consider what is the real value in just relaying the exact same shows already going out on BBC TV when nearly all of the audience has full access to the content in Ireland these days. The same applies to content from the other UK broadcasters like itv, Channel 4 etc;

I agree I think RTÉ policy of avoiding Lifestyle and General Entertainment programme is a policy that should remain. In the last few year RTE have dumb down their set of English Imports.

I'd rather less but better Irish TV surrounded by quality Imports, particularly from RTE and TG4.

UTV Ireland and TV3 can take on nonsense like Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here and Strictly Come Dancing. But for them that also has to grab audiences for their Irish programmes. TV3 still isn't attacting huge audience to Red Rock and that is down to TV3's wall to wall in house in studio programming, from Ireland AM to The Seven O'Clock Show... and even to Vincent Browne.

ftakeith

'our friends in the north' is a bbctv series RTEtv should show on Sunday night at 930pm, its one of best tv dramas ever

FRIENDO

twinklerunner wrote:

141 is so much more difficult to key in to the remote than 101 Give me advert free BBC channels any day.

Yes I agree.
However place holding on the sky epg must be a factor
The first channel on the Irish sky epg is the State broadcaster, it's easier to watch RTE than go searching for 141 etc. If they are showing the same programme.
Also you may find people watching Eastenders like making themselves tea during the adds, even with Sky plus, just like Corrie during the adds, old habits.

icdg

Never underestimate the amount of people who watch RTE One because it's RTE One. I know people (people who have cable/Sky!!!) who have their sets permanently tuned to it and only change the channel if there's something specific they want to watch.

RTE used to show a lot more BBC programmes (and still show quite a bit at weekends). Large chunks of Sports Stadium were simulcasts of Grandstand's racing coverage. The need for it these days. when BBC is available free to air to anyone who can install a satellite dish (and most people who cannot will have cable), is a lot less. Eastenders gets show because its a ratings winner. As for Doctor Who, for some reason it doesn't attract the viewership here that it does in other English speaking countries, though both TV3 and TG4 have aired it in the past.

AwaitYourReply

icdg wrote: »

Never underestimate the amount of people who watch RTE One because it's RTE One. I know people (people who have cable/Sky!!!) who have their sets permanently tuned to it and only change the channel if there's something specific they want to watch.

RTE used to show a lot more BBC programmes (and still show quite a bit at weekends). Large chunks of Sports Stadium were simulcasts of Grandstand's racing coverage. The need for it these days. when BBC is available free to air to anyone who can install a satellite dish (and most people who cannot will have cable), is a lot less. Eastenders gets show because its a ratings winner. As for Doctor Who, for some reason it doesn't attract the viewership here that it does in other English speaking countries, though both TV3 and TG4 have aired it in the past.

Yeah I gotta say quite a lot of Irish TV from RTÉ in days gone by used be simulcast live as it also went out on either BBC tv or ITV. Other shows included Top of the Pops (RTÉ dropped TOTP early '90s even though BBC ran it til around 2006), Coronation Street, This Is Your Life, Wimbledon Tennis, Match of the Day (in the days that The Late Late Show used go out on Saturday nights pre-1987) and so on...The original RTÉ2 channel (in the days before Network 2 rebranding) was the home of UK television imports from the BBC & ITV.

Same is often said with many of the older generation never straying away from RTÉ Radio One too - hence the efforts of stations like Century Radio(1989-1991) and Radio Ireland in 1997 (later relaunched as Today FM) and NewsTalk 106-108 trying to get people to "Move the Dial" or in Cork they used another expression encouraging listeners to switch channel when a well known local morning presenter was departing Cork's 96FM for REDFM after many years. Some people hate and resist change especially those who prefer the comfort of familiarity in sticking with the tried and trusted brand of choice.

Elmo

TOTP aired a few days later and was dropped following some dispute at the BBC which saw it taken of the air. Later RTÉ started airing The Fanta Roadshow and later again Top 30 Hits, with TG4 showing Pop4 (AKA o bun go Barr) and TV3's Pepsi Chart Show.

Del2005

icdg wrote: »

Never underestimate the amount of people who watch RTE One because it's RTE One. I know people (people who have cable/Sky!!!) who have their sets permanently tuned to it and only change the channel if there's something specific they want to watch.

I know someone who used to always watch BBC programs on RTE as they though it added to RTE's ratings, they switched to the Beeb when I told them how TV ratings are calculated. I'm sure plenty of people have similar misinformed reasons for watching RTE

STB.

FRIENDO wrote: »

Yes I agree.
However place holding on the sky epg must be a factor
The first channel on the Irish sky epg is the State broadcaster, it's easier to watch RTE than go searching for 141 etc. If they are showing the same programme.
Also you may find people watching Eastenders like making themselves tea during the adds, even with Sky plus, just like Corrie during the adds, old habits.

There seems to a large assumption that people are watching the BBC via Sky and that Sky is the only satellite service in town.

cml387

Dr Who is an interesting point. Apparently when the new series started shops stocked up with a lot of merchandise which didn't sell. So it's true there isn't the interest here, maybe because it wasn't such a cultural icon if you weren't brought up with it (I saw the very first episode goddammit I'm old).

FRIENDO

STB. wrote:

There seems to a large assumption that people are watching the BBC via Sky and that Sky is the only satellite service in town.

I got rid of Sky 7 or 8 years ago, thankfully I discovered Free to Air.
With Freesat, Freeview and FREE Irish stations I'll never pay for satellite service tv stations again.

icdg

Back on topic please

doc11

cml387 wrote: »

Dr Who is an interesting point. Apparently when the new series started shops stocked up with a lot of merchandise which didn't sell. So it's true there isn't the interest here, maybe because it wasn't such a cultural icon if you weren't brought up with it (I saw the very first episode goddammit I'm old).

Sci-fi or fantasy doesn't do well here on tv, no channel here has even broadcast the Lord of the Rings films. When buying TV packages in the US RTE usually avoid it.

Elmo wrote: »

They also have a tendancy (perhaps a policy) not to air Light Entertainment from abroad such as Strictly and to a lesser extend Lifestyle but unfortunately their policy on lifestyle is changing with repeats of Don't Tell The Bride (UK) and Top Gear. They never aired any of the non-scripted Comedy prgrammes from the BBC but have begun to air Mock the Week in recent years. IMO RTE should be producing these types of shows for an Irish audience and using BBC Drama and Docs to boost the rest of its schedule.

With live broadcasts such as Strictly Come Dancing there's no space for ads leaving rte out of pocket.

But in reality the real reason why rte don't show these shows is that no one watches them leaving them to burn of episodes of popular US shows after midnight or face losing significant ad revenue during prime time. Don't Tell The Bride (UK) and Top Gear repeats are rating winners and hence shown, even in the UK channel Dave is making a profitable/popular living from showing Top Gear repeats.

RTE have tried a few versions of mock the week/have I got news for you(with Eoghan McDermott and Neil delamere) but ultimately they turned into dogs dinners even The Panel got stale. All Ireland Talent show, you're a star, celebrity jigs and reels and the voice of Ireland are all Irish produced versions of International shows but there's limited scope for long run of these shows due to the limited pool of talent. BGT actively searches for international talent for there shows while "stars" of other shows receive health pay packets something RTE can't do

Elmo

doc11 wrote: »

With live broadcasts such as Strictly Come Dancing there's no space for ads leaving rte out of pocket.

But in reality the real reason why rte don't show these shows is that no one watches them leaving them to burn of episodes of popular US shows after midnight or face losing significant ad revenue during prime time. Don't Tell The Bride (UK) and Top Gear repeats are rating winners and hence shown, even in the UK channel Dave is making a profitable/popular living from showing Top Gear repeats.

RTE have tried a few versions of mock the week/have I got news for you(with Eoghan McDermott and Neil delamere) but ultimately they turned into dogs dinners even The Panel got stale. All Ireland Talent show, you're a star, celebrity jigs and reels and the voice of Ireland are all Irish produced versions of International shows but there's limited scope for long run of these shows due to the limited pool of talent. BGT actively searches for international talent for there shows while "stars" of other shows receive health pay packets something RTE can't do

If you think 60,000 viewers is good for Top Gear etc. RTE2 has lost huge number over the last 5 years.

RTE are afraid to do panel shows, why you'd have Eoghan McD present such a show is strange, the problem is RTE don't employ enough writters for these types of shows and when they do fail they stop even though they have had some success going back, such as DFTG, The Panel and while not great Republic of Telly.

I am not suggesting that RTE produce the same talent show every year, IMO every two years is enough maybe switching from one to the other.

But RTE in particular should avoid airing trashy shows from the UK, when they can produce their own muck. :pac:

Also I don't think Mock The Week is good.

Happy Christmas.

cml387

In the olden days the RTE guide would add at the bottom of the programme details "A BBC Television production".

Funnily enough, no American series was similarly described. I never saw the Virginian getting the footnote "An NBC television production".

Elmo

cml387 wrote: »

In the olden days the RTE guide would add at the bottom of the programme details "A BBC Television production".

Funnily enough, no American series was similarly described. I never saw the Virginian getting the footnote "An NBC television production".

You wouldn't have since the rules surrounding Broadcasters and Producers in the US was fairly strict. NBC, ABC and CBS all used external producers.

The Virginian would have been a Revue production and later a Universal Television production.

Star Trek was Paramount, and as TNG it went to UPN after a successful syndication run, UPN being Paramount's entry to TV.

BBC was largely in-house. Channel 4 began independent productions, and even then it relied on many ITV franchises.

Sam Russell

I think that if RTE were allowed to go with RTE 3 or RTE plus they could use it as a BBC 4 type of channel showing the likes of University Challenge (an ITV Studios for BBC) and Mastermind, plus classic music programmes from home and abroad, perhaps shown on specific nights. Other nights going for archive dramas, traditional or pop music.

The +1 is a waste of space.

ftakeith

Sam Russell wrote: »

I think that if RTE were allowed to go with RTE 3 or RTE plus they could use it as a BBC 4 type of channel showing the likes of University Challenge (an ITV Studios for BBC) and Mastermind, plus classic music programmes from home and abroad, perhaps shown on specific nights. Other nights going for archive dramas, traditional or pop music.

The +1 is a waste of space.

totally agree

RTE plus could show 'insurrection', 'ireland a television history' and other classic content

STB.

Del2005 wrote: »

I know someone who used to always watch BBC programs on RTE as they though it added to RTE's ratings, they switched to the Beeb when I told them how TV ratings are calculated. I'm sure plenty of people have similar misinformed reasons for watching RTE

Well that's a good one. This was obviously pre-smart TV's where the possibility of viewing habits being recorded live existed!

Back to the topic though, the answer to this question is not straight forward. This is skewed by certain qualifying criteria.

• The ability of pay TV subscription companies to provide accurate and actual live subscription data, rather than those that contain ex/re-sub/new combinations.
• The numbers of people who use second TV's in favour of multiroom costs
• The age demographic

As long as RTE records these type numbers, it doesn't matter where the content originates or that it is simulcast on competing channels.

Mr Sea Wolf

Didn't RTE only start showing Neighbours in the early 00s ? and afaik it has never done very well for them in the ratings.

Elmo

Mr Sea Wolf wrote: »

Didn't RTE only start showing Neighbours in the early 00s ? and afaik it has never done very well for them in the ratings.

They pretty much avoided most other soaps until TV3 took on Coro Street and then they had nearly every other one.