RTE to close its digital radio stations. End of DAB in Ireland?

In the latest attempt at financial consolidation at RTE, its digital radio stations are to close. As a consequence, does this mean the end of DAB here for the foreseeable future, with FM only broadcasts continuing?

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2019/1106/1089209-rte-cuts/

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/rte-planning-200-job-cuts-and-15-pay-cut-for-star-presenters-962361.html

marno21

RTÉ to indeed close down DAB

https://twitter.com/johnkennymedia/status/1192217803295731713

AwaitYourReply

Not sure given all the proposed closure of certain outlets how RTÉ 2fm can justify itself into the future or RTÉ News Now tv channel on Saorview.

The latest scheduled RTÉ TV news broadcast is usually the 9 O'Clock news on RTÉ One/RTÉ News Now [apart from "Late News Extra" after The Late Late Show on Friday Nights on RTÉ One tv] - after this time audiences must be connected Online or listen to RTÉ Radio for news updates from our national public service broadcaster. RTÉ News Now channel is just a loop most of the time and gives way to euronews at times. No advertising revenue was permitted to be generated on any of the RTÉ Digital only/DAB radio stations along with certain RTÉ tv channels such as RTÉ News Now, RTÉ Jr etc; which stifled them from developing further.

Gerry Wicklow

I still don't understand why RTE supports an orchestra. Maybe 70 years ago when they were used as a filler by broadcasters Ok but nowadays they should be separate.
The extra channels such as NewsNow were hog tied at birth thanks to political interference from Ballymount who still refuse to give their audience any more than a minimal service.

AwaitYourReply

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

I still don't understand why RTE supports an orchestra. Maybe 70 years ago when they were used as a filler by broadcasters Ok but nowadays they should be separate.
The extra channels such as NewsNow were hog tied at birth thanks to political interference from Ballymount who still refuse to give their audience any more than a minimal service.

I think with the RTÉ NSO (National Symphony Orchestra) transfer over to the National Concert Hall announced will result in the RTÉ NSO becoming the National Symphony Orchestra or NSO going forward. I think some would prefer that RTÉ had also dropped it's financial commitment to the RTÉ Concert Orchestra although; they always need to be seen actively supporting the arts in some way. Some years ago RTÉ also exited from it's involvement with the RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet as referenced in the below article.

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/vanbrugh-quartet-sound-liberated-in-their-post-rt%C3%A9-existence-1.2022631

As for RTÉ News Now - the idea seemed a good one at the time but the service does little to enhance the reputation of Ireland's national public service broadcaster with looped news bulletins and the lack of live Irish news coverage shown after 9:30pm most evenings. I don't need tune into RTÉ News Now to watch euronews when it has it's own dedicated channel available already free-to-air on digital satellite.

That said, I dislike the revamped news set at Ballymount and can never understand the dual presenter format for The Tonight Show - it looks so awkward even though both Yates & Cooper are professional & intelligent. Vincent Browne when he was in better health was more must watch viewing at times on TV3 and I also liked his previous show at night on RTÉ Radio 1 back in the 2000's.

dulpit

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

As for RTÉ News Now - the idea seemed a good one at the time but the service does little to enhance the reputation of Ireland's national public service broadcaster with looped news bulletins and the lack of live Irish news coverage shown after 9:30pm most evenings. I don't need tune into RTÉ News Now to watch euronews when it has it's own dedicated channel available already free-to-air on digital satellite.

RTE can't run ads on it, so there's no financial benefit to them increasing the output. If the law had been (or is) changed to allow for that, then maybe. I know that personally I watch maybe 30 minutes of some news show late at night before bed, be it Sky, BBC, Virgin or CNN. If RTE had something then maybe I'd watch that too...

AwaitYourReply

dulpit wrote: »

RTE can't run ads on it, so there's no financial benefit to them increasing the output. If the law had been (or is) changed to allow for that, then maybe. I know that personally I watch maybe 30 minutes of some news show late at night before bed, be it Sky, BBC, Virgin or CNN. If RTE had something then maybe I'd watch that too...

I know RTÉ are not permitted to run any advertising on RTÉ News Now which was part of it's problem since it's inception although; it may still have struggled as it may not have earned enough revenue - most linear tv channels/radio stations/newspapers have all struggled to maintain and grow commercial advertising revenue even when allowed to do so. In years past RTÉ used have a nightly Late News summary on RTÉ One around 12midnight and I remember the days when the old RTE2 had Newsnight (different to BBC TWO show of same name) which ran around 1978-1988 which became Network News when Network 2 launched in 1988.