BAI urges government to boost RTE coffers by 30m ASAP.

Harry Palmr

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2018/1001/999185-bai-rte-funding/

Can this be justified and if so on what grounds?

They could spend some of it making the RTE Player work I suppose.

antoinolachtnai

Harry Palmr wrote: »

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2018/1001/999185-bai-rte-funding/

Can this be justified and if so on what grounds?

They could spend some of it making the RTE Player work I suppose.

The way this works is if you compare the public broadcasting expenditure to a public accounts figure like GDP (or more appropriately in Ireland’s case) GNI.

If you compare on this metric across a range of peer countries you will find that the public broadcasting expenditure is low in Ireland.

But saying that we should spend more on public broadcasting does not necessarily mean that the extra money should be spent through the same channels it has always been spent.

twinklerunner

Harry Palmr wrote: »

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2018/1001/999185-bai-rte-funding/

Can this be justified and if so on what grounds?

They could spend some of it making the RTE Player work I suppose.

Fewer viewers, so they need more cash???

lawred2

Another 30m for bumper contacts for Joe, Marion and Tubs' production companies

political analyst

Why doesn't the BAI call on RTÉ to cut its bureaucracy instead?

Elmo

Can I ask why we have a Mega Virgin Media Thread and yet RTÉ has new thread opened for the same topics?

They could spend some of it making the RTE Player work I suppose.

No that's to be funded by the sale of land.

lgs 4

Well, it looks like from comments here, that people are happy commercial television programming in Ireland. Considering 80% of its output is ITV. As a Journalist, I believe in Public Service Broadcasting, our Public Service Broadcasting served us very well and has won many international Television and Radio awards. With the governmental financial restrictions put on them.

Broadcasting Authority of Ireland is an independent body and free from ministerial interference and commercial television lobbying.

Elmo

lgs 4 wrote: »

Well, it looks like from comments here, that people are happy commercial television programming in Ireland. Considering 80% of its output is ITV. As a Journalist, I believe in Public Service Broadcasting, our Public Service Broadcasting served us very well and has won many international Television and Radio awards. With the governmental financial restrictions put on them.

Broadcasting Authority of Ireland is an independent body and free from ministerial interference and commercial television lobbying.

I have no love for Virgin Media Television but RTÉ has become little more than VMT. Look at RTÉ2 it is a basket case, without sport it dies a death, it has no news output, its early evening schedule is filled with repeats of US sitcoms or older RTÉ ONE shows, before I would have said well you know they have 12 hours of Children's TV but RTÉ spend just 3.9m on home grown children's content, so that is not public service broadcasting.

Meanwhile RTÉ ONE repeats everything at least 4 time each year, it has very little to offer, its the same old programmes that are losing viewers, okay they provide a good news service and current affairs but nearly all RTÉ chat show are the same as TLLS, they have few entertainment shows out side DWTS almost everything else is lifestyle programming, with the odd Monday/Sunday night Documentary/Drama, which are good but there are other forms of content that are completely lost on RTÉ ONE.

Last year RTÉ increased funding to international productions by 3 or so million to 25million, were are these imports, late nights and if your lucky you might get them on the Player but don't count on it. How do they defend 25million in the current economic climate and the current on-demand market. Instead of an independent review of this funding they attacked the Music Groups which cost 10million less and IMO is a public service, yet now the NSO exits RTÉ giving them an extra 6million.

They have the audacity to say that they only spend 1% of their budget on their top presenters and call it little in the grand scale of things, but hold on that means RTÉ spend little on Children's Content and don't forget RTÉ said they would not decrease funding to Children's Content and then slashed it by 25% and then by 45%.

While this strategy that the BAI are recommending to the Minister has already complete 20%.

As a journalist can you honestly be happy that RTÉ2's only News and Current Affairs is the Opposition Speeches at Budget time?

lgs 4

Elmo wrote: »

I have no love for Virgin Media Television but RTÉ has become little more than VMT. Look at RTÉ2 it is a basket case, without sport it dies a death, it has no news output, its early evening schedule is filled with repeats of US sitcoms or older RTÉ ONE shows, before I would have said well you know they have 12 hours of Children's TV but RTÉ spend just 3.9m on home grown children's content, so that is not public service broadcasting.

Meanwhile RTÉ ONE repeats everything at least 4 time each year, it has very little to offer, its the same old programmes that are losing viewers, okay they provide a good news service and current affairs but nearly all RTÉ chat show are the same as TLLS, they have few entertainment shows out side DWTS almost everything else is lifestyle programming, with the odd Monday/Sunday night Documentary/Drama, which are good but there are other forms of content that are completely lost on RTÉ ONE.

Last year RTÉ increased funding to international productions by 3 or so million to 25million, were are these imports, late nights and if your lucky you might get them on the Player but don't count on it. How do they defend 25million in the current economic climate and the current on-demand market. Instead of an independent review of this funding they attacked the Music Groups which cost 10million less and IMO is a public service, yet now the NSO exits RTÉ giving them an extra 6million.

They have the audacity to say that they only spend 1% of their budget on their top presenters and call it little in the grand scale of things, but hold on that means RTÉ spend little on Children's Content and don't forget RTÉ said they would not decrease funding to Children's Content and then slashed it by 25% and then by 45%.

While this strategy that the BAI are recommending to the Minister has already complete 20%.

As a journalist can you honestly be happy that RTÉ2's only News and Current Affairs is the Opposition Speeches at Budget time?

I know it's not perfect but ticks my boxes in viewing.I do think the BAI should have insisted that the main commercial television channel be in HD as part of the rebranding.

Elmo

lgs 4 wrote: »

I know it's not perfect but ticks my boxes in viewing.I do think the BAI should have insisted that the main commercial television channel be in HD as part of the rebranding.

So what are they doing right? would you expect improvements with the additional 30m or just hope they breakeven?

Your the journalist think critically. Do the positives out weigh the negatives? Is PSB/M/C just about news & current affairs? Can RTÉ change and do you honestly think they have changed?

I agree with you on Virgin Media, when they were taking over TV3 I submitted to the CPCC/BAI that a HD version of TV3 should be part of Saorview to provide choice to the consumer.

political analyst

Elmo wrote: »

I have no love for Virgin Media Television but RTÉ has become little more than VMT. Look at RTÉ2 it is a basket case, without sport it dies a death, it has no news output, its early evening schedule is filled with repeats of US sitcoms or older RTÉ ONE shows, before I would have said well you know they have 12 hours of Children's TV but RTÉ spend just 3.9m on home grown children's content, so that is not public service broadcasting.

Meanwhile RTÉ ONE repeats everything at least 4 time each year, it has very little to offer, its the same old programmes that are losing viewers, okay they provide a good news service and current affairs but nearly all RTÉ chat show are the same as TLLS, they have few entertainment shows out side DWTS almost everything else is lifestyle programming, with the odd Monday/Sunday night Documentary/Drama, which are good but there are other forms of content that are completely lost on RTÉ ONE.

Last year RTÉ increased funding to international productions by 3 or so million to 25million, were are these imports, late nights and if your lucky you might get them on the Player but don't count on it. How do they defend 25million in the current economic climate and the current on-demand market. Instead of an independent review of this funding they attacked the Music Groups which cost 10million less and IMO is a public service, yet now the NSO exits RTÉ giving them an extra 6million.

They have the audacity to say that they only spend 1% of their budget on their top presenters and call it little in the grand scale of things, but hold on that means RTÉ spend little on Children's Content and don't forget RTÉ said they would not decrease funding to Children's Content and then slashed it by 25% and then by 45%.

While this strategy that the BAI are recommending to the Minister has already complete 20%.

As a journalist can you honestly be happy that RTÉ2's only News and Current Affairs is the Opposition Speeches at Budget time?

Technically, that isn't extra funding because it was the case that the NSO moved under the remit of the Department of Arts and Culture as opposed to an increase in money that RTÉ receives by whatever means.

Don't forget the children's news programme News2Day - though that isn't broadcast in the summer months of course!

Elmo

political analyst wrote: »

Technically, that isn't extra funding because it was the case that the NSO moved under the remit of the Department of Arts and Culture as opposed to an increase in money that RTÉ receives by whatever means.

Don't forget the children's news programme News2Day - though that isn't broadcast in the summer months of course!

If the Department of Arts had said to RTÉ we're happy for your to run the NSO and we will give you 6million toward that, RTÉ would have happily execpt, RTÉ have filled a gap in there finance by the Arts Department taking it over.

That's true RTÉ do provide a Children's News Programming but then they also cut funding towards Children's content by 45%, so that kind of negates any news on RTÉ2, nothing stopping them putting News2day on RTÉjr.

Capt'n Midnight

If they want to boost the take then bypass AnPost put revenue in charge.


Also don't get me started on the lack of TG4 HD , there's a lot the BAI needs to sort.

political analyst

In what form would the extra 30 million euro be given? Would it be by a licence fee increase or would it be by money given directly by the government to RTÉ?

Elmo

Hard to know if they want an increase in the licence along with better collection. SPI were out in force last week to get it collected by Revenue.
Issues with revenue include, it becomes direct taxation and it could become even more political.
SPI are of the view that RTÉ will return there level funding of Indo prod back to 80million IMO if RTÉ get a 30 to 40 million increase Indo prods should be return to 80million plus another 30 to 40 million.

I understand SPI view, automatically RTÉ would be required to increase spend by at least 5million while the BAI sound and vision fund which largely goes to the independent sector would also increase. But not by the amounts required.