RTÉ to cease DAB broadcasting

Lovenova

Ready4Boarding wrote: »

Una Mullally today chides RTE for backing DAB instead of podcasting, as though they are alternatives. According to her, it would seem, RTE's current fortunes can be attributed partly to its failure to properly podcast.

She’s got it very wrong for 3 reasons 1. I’m not aware of any great expertise she has in the business 2. Radio and podcasts are not complimentary, they’re often competing against each other and the podcast generation is turning its back on radio. Even if it were true RTÉ radio has a massive digital archive available on podcast. Reminds me of some minnenial I read recently who claimed RTÉ is not employing enough talented newbies - Jesus wept - 2fm and the like are full of those google broadcasters ps young audience under about 25 has switched off radio and tv so pointless that they’re target audience

AwaitYourReply

ford fiesta wrote: »

by moving Lyric to Cork, RTE hope some staff based in Limerick will take up redundancy

I understand Lyric FM is to be shared between Dublin & Cork. Also said to become "much reduced" in size which may result in an effective downgrade of RTÉ Lyric FM after the RTÉ Limerick Studios close down next year.

Source:
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/shock-at-scale-of-rt%C3%A9-cutbacks-despite-years-of-financial-woe-1.4076668

AwaitYourReply

Lovenova wrote: »

Closing limerick is a red herring

One could probably say the same about closing Aertel and all the RTÉ Digital-Only radio stations.

I'd close RTÉ 2fm and put RTÉ Gold on the same frequency 90-92FM as you would have an older audience who would listen to GOLD on FM if it was made available and promoted properly.

I'd also close RTÉ News Now & RTÉjr as both cannot justify their existence in terms of viability given that they have no revenue stream with no commercial advertising permitted on those channels much the same as the RTÉ Digital-Only radio stations like RTÉ Pulse, RTÉ 2XM etc;

I think RTÉjr tv channel is in the same boat as RTÉ News Now while programme content on RTÉjr is also said to be still going out on RTÉ 2 tv which makes no sense whatsoever. This would be like Cbeebies/CBBC still going out on BBC One tv in the afternoons while Cbeebies/CBBC exist or Citv doing likewise on ITV despite you having a dedicated Citv channel.

AwaitYourReply

Jonathan1990 wrote: »

I think RTÉ Gold should broadcast on 252 LW now the transmitter has been upgraded and postponed to switching off numerous times.

Music on Longwave 252kHZ sounded awful in the past - I reckon it's one of the main reasons Atlantic 252 met it's demise. RTÉ Radio 1 on LW 252 may have been extended following transmitter maintenance but I've heard plenty of complaints about the poor signal being drowned out by an Algerian station.

Jonathan1990

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

Music on Longwave 252kHZ sounded awful in the past - I reckon it's one of the main reasons Atlantic 252 met it's demise. RTÉ Radio 1 on LW 252 may have been extended following transmitter maintenance but I've heard plenty of complaints about the poor signal being drowned out by an Algerian station.

Yes I've also heard about people wanting it moving to 261 LW.

ford fiesta

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

Music on Longwave 252kHZ sounded awful in the past - I reckon it's one of the main reasons Atlantic 252 met it's demise.

No way. Music on Atlantic 1989 to 2001 - sounded great...on full power

JoeA3

ford fiesta wrote: »

No way. Music on Atlantic 1989 to 2001 - sounded great...on full power

It always sounded like it was being broadcast from a phone box to me. Terrible audio. Those used to FM quality broadcasts and the likes of Spotify would not tolerate LW audio now.

Now I'm not a fan of 2FM but been thinking about its remit, the past few days.

Salaries aside I think it does still serve a public service.
People point to Spin or Q or others but there really is very little youth focused radio, outside the capital region.

Cork's 96fm and Red FM are playing in that sphere only in a part-time fashion.
Same with TodayFM. 4FM don't even pretend to aim there.

Public service stations do not need to be profit turning (same as Irish Rail and our Bus services).
BUT they should not be wasteful, which 2FM most definitely is.

odyssey06

Deleted User wrote: »

Now I'm not a fan of 2FM but been thinking about its remit, the past few days.
Salaries aside I think it does still serve a public service.
People point to Spin or Q or others but there really is very little youth focused radio, outside the capital region.

But shouldn't the question be what would the shape of youth focused radio be if 2FM weren't in the picture?
And does that justify spending €7 million of the licence fee on it?

AwaitYourReply

ford fiesta wrote: »

No way. Music on Atlantic 1989 to 2001 - sounded great...on full power

Ah I love the nostalgia and the difference in style of Atlantic 252 as it was very refreshing when it first launched around September 1989. Ireland's first national commercial station, Century Radio started only a few days after Atlantic 252 broadcasting debut. Atlantic 252 was such an innovative station but the one question mark for me was always the sound quality for listening to music. Unfortunately, LW Mono is hollow and distant in comparison to FM Stereo in my opinion.

odyssey06

odyssey06 wrote: »

But shouldn't the question be what would the shape of youth focused radio be if 2FM weren't in the picture?
And does that justify spending €7 million of the licence fee on it?

It would be nothing I feel. No commercial station will devote itself to a youth market, in Ireland, as the advertisers will not follow.

And no it is not worth half that and it is typical RTÉ waste and salaries for the boys/girls (presenting and production)

Zird

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Now I'm not a fan of 2FM but been thinking about its remit, the past few days.

Salaries aside I think it does still serve a public service.
People point to Spin or Q or others but there really is very little youth focused radio, outside the capital region.

Cork's 96fm and Red FM are playing in that sphere only in a part-time fashion.
Same with TodayFM. 4FM don't even pretend to aim there.

Public service stations do not need to be profit turning (same as Irish Rail and our Bus services).
BUT they should not be wasteful, which 2FM most definitely is.

There's an independent youth licence for every region of the country, Beat, Spin south west west, I Radio.

AwaitYourReply

odyssey06 wrote: »

But shouldn't the question be what would the shape of youth focused radio be if 2FM weren't in the picture?
And does that justify spending €7 million of the licence fee on it?

2FM's biggest programme by a mile was "The Gerry Ryan Show" back in the day which started out in March 1988. I've no doubt that some young people occasionally listened to it although; many would have been at school/college as it was broadcast between 09:00am - 12noon on weekdays so; I guess younger adults mainly listened to it as the older audience were probably still tuning into Gay Byrne on Radio 1 until he retired from his Radio 1 weekday show on Christmas Eve 1998.

Gerry Ryan and his "Ryan Line" was the show on 2FM that carried the station's advertising revenue stream for many years apparently. RTÉ and 2FM panicked when he died in April 2010 as they had nobody that could fill the gap despite that station undergoing revamp after revamp and it's still experimenting.

The BAI should be responsible for shaping a policy that reaches out to the youth of today. RTÉ cannot be expected to cover every option any more as things have long since moved on not just in terms of a more liberal broadcasting scene with so many niche licences but also with changes to newer technologies. It was a very different scene back in May 1979 when RTÉ Radio 2 first launched with it's "Comin' At Ya!" slogan. By the late 2000's and especially since Gerry Ryan's untimely death, 2FM has been limping on and on trying to be relevant when it's clearly no longer the case.

What is the point in having a youth radio station if today's youth may not even bother tuning into it by choice?

AwaitYourReply

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

2FM's biggest programme by a mile was "The Gerry Ryan Show" back in the day which started out in March 1988. I've no doubt that some young people occasionally listened to it although; many would have been at school/college as it was broadcast between 09:00am - 12noon on weekdays so; I guess younger adults mainly listened to it as the older audience were probably still tuning into Gay Byrne on Radio 1 until he retired from his Radio 1 weekday show on Christmas Eve 1998.

Gerry Ryan and his "Ryan Line" was the show on 2FM that carried the station's advertising revenue stream for many years apparently. RTÉ and 2FM panicked when he died in April 2010 as they had nobody that could fill the gap despite that station undergoing revamp after revamp and it's still experimenting.

The BAI should be responsible for shaping a policy that reaches out to the youth of today. RTÉ cannot be expected to cover every option any more as things have long since moved on not just in terms of a more liberal broadcasting scene with so many niche licences but also with changes to newer technologies. It was a very different scene back in May 1979 when RTÉ Radio 2 first launched with it's "Comin' At Ya!" slogan. By the late 2000's and especially since Gerry Ryan's untimely death, 2FM has been limping on and on trying to be relevant when it's clearly no longer the case.

What is the point in having a youth radio station if today's youth may not even bother tuning into it by choice?

Its wasted on the waveband and should be replaced by RTE Gold,there is a market for older listeners who are into their music and who don't just listen to news radio all day. Judging by the feedback on RTE Golds FB page and posts here on boards,its looks to be a very popular station!

zorro2566

zorro2566 wrote: »

Its wasted on the waveband and should be replaced by RTE Gold,there is a market for older listeners who are into their music and who don't just listen to news radio all day. Judging by the feedback on RTE Golds FB page and posts here on boards,its looks to be a very popular station!

I think that they should have swapped.

Push the entire 2FM to online and bring Gold to FM
But scrapping everything that could grow seems better :rolleyes:

kazoo106

Just a few miles up the road and things with DAB are SO different !

(Had posted dropbox link but had issues with that - will try another video platform later)

Charles Babbage

zorro2566 wrote: »

Its wasted on the waveband and should be replaced by RTE Gold,there is a market for older listeners who are into their music and who don't just listen to news radio all day. Judging by the feedback on RTE Golds FB page and posts here on boards,its looks to be a very popular station!

Exactly!

Zird

zorro2566 wrote: »

Its wasted on the waveband and should be replaced by RTE Gold,there is a market for older listeners who are into their music and who don't just listen to news radio all day. Judging by the feedback on RTE Golds FB page and posts here on boards,its looks to be a very popular station!

I wonder if RTE Gold was in the jnlr would any of that online support translate into real listenership numbers? My guess is No!

Zird

Zird wrote: »

I wonder if RTE Gold was in the jnlr would any of that online support translate into real listenership numbers? My guess is No!

I think its a risk worth taking by RTE! BBC Radio 2 is a great station for older listeners who are past the chart pop scene so why wouldn't a similar type of station work here!

Ready4Boarding

zorro2566 wrote: »

I think its a risk worth taking by RTE! BBC Radio 2 is a great station for older listeners who are past the chart pop scene so why wouldn't a similar type of station work here!

When advertising revenue is so fragile, any revolution is a big risk. According to the annual report, transmission costs are over 5m, before any programming costs are accounted for. If they replace it with Gold, they still need to cover those costs without any certainty that listeners or advertisers will be attracted. At this stage, RTE should only cut and consolidate, not revolutionise.

Jonathan1990

Will Ireland still receive any British DAB stations anywhere in the country?

Ursus Horribilis

Still receive?

ford fiesta

If RTE Gold remains, lets hope RTE don't ruin it. Just leave it the way it is.

ford fiesta

ford fiesta wrote: »

If RTE Gold remains, lets hope RTE don't ruin it. Just leave it the way it is.

Unfortunately it looks like it won’t be staying unless you heard something I haven’t.
In the unlikely event that it remains it will probably change and have to play out adverts on it to gain revenue.

ford fiesta

zorro2566 wrote: »

Unfortunately it looks like it won’t be staying unless you heard something I haven’t.
In the unlikely event that it remains it will probably change and have to play out adverts on it to gain revenue.

Is it possible for RTE to leave Gold on smartphone, web, saorview and get rid of it on DAB?

Ursus Horribilis

Maybe if they sacked all the staff and made up a Spotify play list.

AwaitYourReply

Zird wrote: »

I wonder if RTE Gold was in the jnlr would any of that online support translate into real listenership numbers? My guess is No!

I reckon if RTÉ Gold had originally been positioned on a more suitable platform so that it's target audience (primarily aged over 40's) would be more inclined to tune in if the station was available for broadcast on the FM wavelength.

Perhaps another option would be for it to share bandwidth with either Lyric FM or 2FM say from 7pm right through til 7am on a trial basis to gauge what level of listenership it might attract on FM and tweak it further if necessary. Right now it is hard to tell as it's only on FM some nights from 02:00am or 03:00am-05:30am under the programme strand "Gold on Radio 1" on RTÉ Radio 1 on FM / LW252 etc;

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ford fiesta wrote: »

Is it possible for RTE to leave Gold on smartphone, web, saorview and get rid of it on DAB?

RTÉ indicated that they would be closing the various RTÉ digital-only radio stations altogether. The national broadcaster did not suggest that it was only the DAB signal itself that would cease.

Not sure if anything will subsequently change following their public announcement last week and discussions with the government over the matter. I imagine the priority will be job losses, redundancy terms, cutbacks towards achieving the target savings within a specific time-frame.

AwaitYourReply

zorro2566 wrote: »

I think its a risk worth taking by RTE! BBC Radio 2 is a great station for older listeners who are past the chart pop scene so why wouldn't a similar type of station work here!

Sadly this formula was tried once before when the multi-city licence station was originally granted to 4FM (later rebranded to "Classic Hits". 4FM was very similar to BBC Radio 2 in it's early days and had a licence to broadcast to the Dublin commuter belt as well as Cork, Limerick, Galway and Clare.

Today the station known as: "Classic Hits" bears little or no resemblance to it's earlier incarnation as 4FM.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/veterans-back-on-the-airwaves-as-4fm-launches-85562.html

end of the road

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

Maybe if they sacked all the staff and made up a Spotify play list.

music is played off a pc anyway so no need for a spotify playlist.
so the presenters would be the only real cost, unless in the unlikely event rte had other work lined up for them anyway.