RTÉ announce restructuring plans [MOD WARNING POST #5 PLEASE READ]

mike2084

DAB to close apparently, as well as studios in Limerick gone and Aertel to close as well.

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

Atlantic Dawn

mike2084 wrote: »

DAB to close apparently, as well as studios in Limerick gone and Aertel to close as well.

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

Most countries are closing their fm transmission and moving to DAB, I'm surprised RTE didn't pull the plug on the RTE Player and continue with Aertel.

yosser hughes

mike2084 wrote: »

DAB to close apparently, as well as studios in Limerick gone and Aertel to close as well.

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

No mention of closing 2FM or whatever it's called now. It beggars belief why they are keeping that open and how they justify keeping it open.

hurleronditch

elperello wrote: »

Sell things off.
Close things down.
Fire staff.

Doesn't sound too well thought out to me.

What would you propose?

Sounds exactly like what any public or private body would do when they have a massive expenditure to income problem

icdg

MOD:

Now that the announcement has been formally made, we can use this thread to discuss.

The usual warning in relation to RTE threads applies. This isn’t a “dump your RTE related rant here” thread. There are now tangible proposals.. Personal attacks whether against RTE personalities or fellow posters aren’t allowed. Straight 48 hour ban for breaches.

The plan:
https://about.rte.ie/2019/11/06/rte-announces-plan-to-address-key-issues-fight-for-its-future-and-for-public-service-media-in-ireland/

The main points:
* Closure of DAB and all DAB only stations
* RTE Guide for sale
* Sports to move primarily to RTÉ One
* Limerick studios to close, Lyric FM to move to Dublin/Cork
* Aertel to close (requires primary legislation though)
* RTE NSO to transfer to NCH
* Costs (inc staffing) to be reduced significantly, management team to take 10% cut, non executive board members to waive fees.

To those asking what the sports move does - it means more pre-emptions of regular home made programmes (most of which is on RTÉ One), and that’s where the cost reduction will be.

Elmo

icdg wrote: »

MOD:

Now that the announcement has been formally made, we can use this thread to discuss.

The usual warning in relation to RTE threads applies. This isn’t a “dump your RTE related rant here” thread. There are now tangible proposals.. Personal attacks whether against RTE personalities or fellow posters aren’t allowed. Straight 48 hour ban for breaches.

The plan:
https://about.rte.ie/2019/11/06/rte-announces-plan-to-address-key-issues-fight-for-its-future-and-for-public-service-media-in-ireland/

The main points:
* Closure of DAB and all DAB only stations
* RTE Guide for sale
* Sports to move primarily to RTÉ One
* Limerick studios to close, Lyric FM to move to Dublin/Cork
* Aertel to close (requires primary legislation though)
* RTE NSO to transfer to NCH
* Costs (inc staffing) to be reduced significantly, management team to take 10% cut, non executive board members to waive fees.

To those asking what the sports move does - it means more pre-emptions of regular home made programmes (most of which is on RTÉ One), and that’s where the cost reduction will be.

I think the Closure of the Radio stations will need Ministerial Permission under the Broadcasting Act 2009,

*Ministerial consent for new services and variations in channels.*

103.—(1) A corporation may, with the consent of the Minister,
pursue the objects in paragraphs (g) and (h) of section 114(1) or
paragraphs (g) and (h) of section 118(1), as the case may be.
(2) A corporation may, with the consent of the Minister, vary the
number of television or sound broadcasting channels it operates.
(3) A corporation may, with the consent of the Minister, undertake ancillary services.
(4) Where the Minister proposes to give his or her consent under
this section, the Minister shall—
(a) consult with the corporation concerned and such other
persons as he or she considers appropriate,
(b) consult with the Authority as to the sectoral impact of a
proposal under this section,
(c) consider the public value of such proposal, and
(d) publish in such manner as he or she considers appropriate
a statement outlining the consultations that have been
carried out under paragraphs (a) and (b) and indicate a
place at which any document given to the Minister by a
person referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) in the course of
consultations under those paragraphs may be inspected.

Dropping all Digital Radio stations would vary the amount of channels.

Elmo

It will be interesting to see if they move mid-week sports to RTÉ ONE to reduce really only Fair City, outside of that Weekend sports don't really effect Schedules on ONE and your just moving the sports from 2 to ONE.

RTÉ ONE's audience won't grow enough to mitigate against the losses at RTÉ2 due to this move.

It's really a death by a thousand cuts.

I really can't see them moving FAI coverage over to ONE on a Friday night.

Maysa07

MOD: a link to this was already provided. You don’t need to break up the thread by copying and pasting (unattributed, by the way) part of a long press release from RTE

odyssey06

Maysa07 wrote: »

11% (and growing) of households do not pay the TV Licence, but can still consume RTÉ programming and content on the RTÉ Player. This means a further loss of €20 million in public funding annually.

I presume you are quoting this from somewhere else, but these figures are fantasy stuff.

Tow

yosser hughes wrote: »

No mention of closing 2FM or whatever it's called now. It beggars belief why they are keeping that open and how they justify keeping it open.

If does not cost much in front line staff to run a music station. With modern systems a DJ can record a 3 hour show in 30 minutes etc i.e. record a show in the morning before going to their 9 to 5 job, or a week's worth of programming a day etc.

However, I have been told by a former RTE producer that is takes an inordinate amount of time for some of their old timers to record a single music show. In this case for RTE 1. They are from an era when the engineer 'pressed the buttons' and they just talked between songs.

Maysa07

odyssey06 wrote: »

I presume you are quoting this from somewhere else, but these figures are fantasy stuff.

It's the overall evasion rates. If RTE could capture that % it is projected that it could 'gain' 20 mill

odyssey06

Maysa07 wrote: »

It's the overall evasion rates. If RTE could capture that % it is projected that it could 'gain' 20 mill

'If', 'could' ... they're not real figures. RTE make it seem like they'd get every cent of that €20 million.
It presumes that ALL of the households in that 11% would actually need a TV licence AND are accessing the joke that is the RTE player.

Maysa07

odyssey06 wrote: »

'If', 'could' ... they're not real figures. RTE make it seem like they'd get every cent of that €20 million.
It presumes that ALL of the households in that 11% would actually need a TV licence AND are accessing the joke that is the RTE player.

What it shows is, the collection method is broke, The licence fee is broke, People don't consume their chosen content from a little box in the corner of the room anymore. It has to change quickly.

dulpit

Maysa07 wrote: »

What it shows is, the collection method is broke, The licence fee is broke, People don't consume their chosen content from a little box in the corner of the room anymore. It has to change quickly.

And to be fair to RTÉ, that's not something that they have control over - that's the government's job, and they won't do it as it'll be unpopular...

Elmo

dulpit wrote: »

And to be fair to RTÉ, that's not something that they have control over - that's the government's job, and they won't do it as it'll be unpopular...

But RTÉ are also big enough and old enough to know that all ministers have dragged their feet over the last 10 years.

Its a rotating minister at best, there have been 6 ministers in 10 years.

iseegirls

Would anyone be enticed at purchasing the RTE Guide? I'd say the Christmas edition must be a good pay day, but magazine sales have been in decline in the past decade. Maybe the owners of TV Now may take a look and merge both together.

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000

What do people think of this “broadcasting charge”... RTÉ losing money hand over fist with the way the current license stands. If the charge is handed over to revenue to collect will the people vote with their feet and oppose it like the water charges or will they roll over and accept it like everything else?

Elmo

Hunky Monster wrote: »

What do people think of this “broadcasting charge”... RTÉ losing money hand over fist with the way the current license stands. If the charge is handed over to revenue to collect will the people vote with their feet and oppose it like the water charges or will they roll over and accept it like everything else?

My own opinion is that it should be added to your Telecommunications bill from PAYG phones, business phones, broadband charges, on-demand players and so on. It would be a small amount on every such bill, and if you don't want to pay you don't have to get Broadband, television or phone.

political analyst

Why did RTÉ establish digital-only radio stations in the first place?!

Will Radio 1, 2FM and Lyric FM still be available on Saorview?

Elmo

political analyst wrote: »

Why did RTÉ establish digital-only radio stations in the first place?!

Will Radio 1, 2FM and Lyric FM still be available on Saorview?

As part of the tests for DAB. Yes Radio 1, 2FM, Lyric FM and RnaG will remain on Saorview.

hotmail.com

I note they want to move major sporting events to RTE One.

How is this going to be possible with the RTE news bulletins. And surely RTE 2 will become completely irrelevant.

dublinman1990

I heard from some people online that this new integrated media centre to be built on Montrose will be an entirely brand new radio centre for RTÉ. This would be built after more land is sold off at Montrose first. They plan to open it at the Nutley Lane end of the RTÉ campus. There will be fewer radio studios built for this new media centre at Donnybrook. There are 13 radio studios based underground at their current radio centre. They will all be gone once this new centre is open.

Also; after hearing from the 6.1 News tonight that more proposals are to be discussed between trade unions & RTÉ. Will RTÉ go ahead with plans to sell off all of their transmissions network known as 2RN. I know that the Sunday Times did an article on this possible move some time ago. It said in the article that it was worth €200 million. Is that assessment accurate from RTÉ? Will that actually go ahead now in future? Thanks.

L1011

iseegirls wrote: »

Would anyone be enticed at purchasing the RTE Guide? I'd say the Christmas edition must be a good pay day, but magazine sales have been in decline in the past decade. Maybe the owners of TV Now may take a look and merge both together.

Post Publications (Sunday Business Post and now some other magazines recently acquired) will buy it if the price is right.

Zird

I don't understand why they've announced the axing of Aertel when to do so requires primary legislation, they were waiting for years to get permission to remove RTE jr from rte2 and nothing happened, they should know from their experience of trying to close LW 252 that every gobshote politician is likely to object

Zird

If the RTE guide is sold, will the new owner also have to licence the rights to use the name RTE ?

L1011

Zird wrote: »

If the RTE guide is sold, will the new owner also have to licence the rights to use the name RTE ?

Yes. A price and initial period (5 years is the norm) would have to be included in any sale agreement. There would probably also be a set in stone advertising contra deal for that time period.

The BBC Magazines spinoff gives an obvious example to copy here.

icdg

hotmail.com wrote: »

I note they want to move major sporting events to RTE One.

How is this going to be possible with the RTE news bulletins. .

Well that of course is the exact idea. Moving to RTE One means that, instead of imports being displaced, home produced programming is instead, resulting in savings. The plan is not without its flaws. It’s one of these things that viewed in the abstract, makes viewers think “Sure what difference does that make?”

Until a major news story breaks on a big European football night...

Lest some think this is academic, RTE will broadcast 16 Champions League games every season under the current contract, 8 European Qualifiers in the Euro 2020 campaign and a similar number in a typical Euro/WC. That’s a lot of opportunities there.

Zird

icdg wrote: »

Well that of course is the exact idea. Moving to RTE One means that, instead of imports being displaced, home produced programming is instead, resulting in savings. The plan is not without its flaws. It’s one of these things that viewed in the abstract, makes viewers think “Sure what difference does that make?”

Until a major news story breaks on a big European football night...

Lest some think this is academic, RTE will broadcast 16 Champions League games every season under the current contract, 8 European Qualifiers in the Euro 2020 campaign and a similar number in a typical Euro/WC. That’s a lot of opportunities there.

incidentally, they always drop fair city anyway on nights when football is on RTE 2 and show a repeat of something like Rachel Allen or the Brennan brothers instead.

Maysa07

Most of this is accurate.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/at-rt%C3%A9-briefing-staff-reacted-with-cat-calls-and-boos-1.4076106

Elmo

Zird wrote: »

incidentally, they always drop fair city anyway on nights when football is on RTE 2 and show a repeat of something like Rachel Allen or the Brennan brothers instead.

They've being doing this for a while, they should know that it cause RTÉ ONE to see an audience drop, the soaps are able to hold of that audience drop and not effect the audience for the sporting event.

Most of this is accurate.

If so why is the board standing for these changes?

Maysa07

Elmo wrote: »

They've being doing this for a while, they should know that it cause RTÉ ONE to see an audience drop, the soaps are able to hold of that audience drop and not effect the audience for the sporting event.




If so why is the board standing for these changes?

Sorry, what do you mean?

BrianD3

Aertel is one of the best things that RTE do and is actual public service broadcasting. And no, I'm not a pensioner or a "gombeen" rural politician. I was thinking recently about how I spend much more time reading Aertel (WST on Sky) than watching actual programmes on RTE. E.g. this morning it was a choice between Aertel or some utter rubbish "My Kitchen Rules Australia". Vacuous, imported, reality TV nonsense and probably a repeat also.

Elmo

There was an awkward moment between the two women when Ms Forbes invited Ms Doherty to join the question panel alongside the executive board but she refused and remained in her chair.

Maysa07 wrote: »

Sorry, what do you mean?

What's happening?

Zird

BrianD3 wrote: »

Aertel is one of the best things that RTE do and is actual public service broadcasting. And no, I'm not a pensioner or a "gombeen" rural politician. I was thinking recently about how I spend much more time reading Aertel (WST on Sky) than watching actual programmes on RTE. E.g. this morning it was a choice between Aertel or some utter rubbish "My Kitchen Rules Australia". Vacuous, imported, reality TV nonsense and probably a repeat also.

Goombeen politicians use every cut RTE announce as an opportunity to bash RTE and the minister of the day. If RTE were discontining the pony express they'd be complaining about it. FF were giving out yesterday that the minister was killing RTE by not doing anything fast enough to tackle licence fee evasion, even though their most recent policy is divert any fees collected from licence fee evasion to local radio and local newspapers 🙄. As for aertel, I can't imagine closing it will save much, it's a shame that RTE don't put a figure on at least some of the cost cutting plans.

SPDUB

Zird wrote: »

Goombeen politicians use every cut RTE announce as an opportunity to bash RTE and the minister of the day. If RTE were discontining the pony express they'd be complaining about it. FF were giving out yesterday that the minister was killing RTE by not doing anything fast enough to tackle licence fee evasion, even though their most recent policy is divert any fees collected from licence fee evasion to local radio and local newspapers ��. As for aertel, I can't imagine closing it will save much, it's a shame that RTE don't put a figure on at least some of the cost cutting plans.

Philip Boucher Hayes on Drivetime said he was told that the saving in scrap pining Aertel is basically an accounting error

Apogee

SPDUB wrote: »

Philip Boucher Hayes on Drivetime said he was told that the saving in scrap pining Aertel is basically an accounting error

Approx €700,000 per annum
https://www.thejournal.ie/aertel-rte-3974836-Apr2018/

SPDUB

Apogee wrote: »

Approx €700,000 per annum
https://www.thejournal.ie/aertel-rte-3974836-Apr2018/

Even if you believe those figures they say 70% of that is transmission cost which is RTE paying money to themselves so there is going to be no saving there unless RTE turn off Saorview entirely .

So 2100,00 to scrap content off the RTE website do no editing on it so that it still contains references to pictures on the website and send it to the transmitters .

So someones either robbing them blind or they are doing some "Hollywood Accounting" to get those figures .

PBH's figure sounds more believable .

10000maniacs

political analyst wrote: »

Why did RTÉ establish digital-only radio stations in the first place?!

Will Radio 1, 2FM and Lyric FM still be available on Saorview?

The simple reason it didn't take off was there were huge fees to join the platform and independents reckoned lets stick to FM. Of course RTE gets a free ride on their own platform. Similar to Saorview. Why do you reckon RTE has the only HD material on Saorview? Because HD is way too expensive for the competition.
The simple solution to making both platforms successful is to stop these exorbitant fees for independents. They have already purchased a broadcasting license. Why should they pay more?

iseegirls

icdg wrote: »

Well that of course is the exact idea. Moving to RTE One means that, instead of imports being displaced, home produced programming is instead, resulting in savings. The plan is not without its flaws. It’s one of these things that viewed in the abstract, makes viewers think “Sure what difference does that make?”

Until a major news story breaks on a big European football night...

Lest some think this is academic, RTE will broadcast 16 Champions League games every season under the current contract, 8 European Qualifiers in the Euro 2020 campaign and a similar number in a typical Euro/WC. That’s a lot of opportunities there.

I'd say the Champions League coverage will stay on RTE2 along with Airtricity League. Sport that would move across would be related to the Irish national team in terms of Rugby and Football and all the GAA summer games.

Zird

political analyst wrote: »

Why did RTÉ establish digital-only radio stations in the first place?!

In fairness back in 2006 DAB seemed like the way of the future in terms of providing extra choice to listeners, it was well before smartphones, apps, streaming and podcasts were in everybodys vocabulary.

Can someone tell me how moving sports events to RTÉ One saves money? I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation for the informed but I can’t fathom what it could be. Is it more expensive to air things on 2?

topmanamillion

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Can someone tell me how moving sports events to RTÉ One saves money? I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation for the informed but I can’t fathom what it could be. Is it more expensive to air things on 2?

They're basically putting all their eggs in the RTE One basket. RTE 2 will become much more peripheral and more like RTE+1 than a second channel.
The plan is to fill it with even more cheap repeats and crap and use it to advertise the RTE player. Cheap and not so cheerful being the name of the game.

Apogee

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Can someone tell me how moving sports events to RTE One saves money? I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation for the informed but I can’t fathom what it could be. Is it more expensive to air things on 2?

There is more home-produced content on RTE One. Home-produced content is typically far more expensive per hour than imported content. By moving sports onto RTE One, you displace some of that expensive home-produced content on One and replace it with cheaper imported material on Two.

Irish Examiner wrote:

The average home-produced programme now costs €40,000 compared to €2,700 for imported content.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/top-rte-presenters-peak-salaries-to-fall-40-232059.html

So it’s not really cheaper but a way of segregating the cost easier.

political analyst

If all sporting events (including World Cup and European Championship Soccer) are moved to RTÉ 1 then Six-One would be displaced from its usual slot on some days (it has never happened as far as I'm aware) and that would cause an outcry because it would leave RTÉ open to the accusation of caring more about sport than about the news. I think something has been taken out of context on that point.

topmanamillion

political analyst wrote: »

If all sporting events (including World Cup and European Championship Soccer) are moved to RTÉ 1 then Six-One would be displaced from its usual slot on some days (it has never happened as far as I'm aware) and that would cause an outcry because it would leave RTÉ open to the accusation of caring more about sport than about the news. I think something has been taken out of context on that point.

You're assuming RTE will have the rights for those tournaments going forward. They won't.
Whats left of their Champions League and GAA coverage will be on RTE1 from now on.

They've described making RTE2 "a window" for the RTE player. The plan is for RTE One to be the main channel. RTE2 will become very peripheral and possibly redundant.
Not sure what people don't get about that.

howiya

topmanamillion wrote: »

You're assuming RTE will have the rights for those tournaments going forward. They won't.
Whats left of their Champions League and GAA coverage will be on RTE1 from now on.

They've described making RTE2 "a window" for the RTE player. The plan is for RTE One to be the main channel. RTE2 will become very peripheral and possibly redundant.
Not sure what people don't get about that.

I was coming here to ask something similar. What will the need to save money mean for RTE when it comes to bidding for sports rights and/or broadcasting live sport?

Maz2016

Apogee wrote: »

There is more home-produced content on RTE One. Home-produced content is typically far more expensive per hour than imported content. By moving sports onto RTE One, you displace some of that expensive home-produced content on One and replace it with cheaper imported material on Two




https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/top-rte-presenters-peak-salaries-to-fall-40-232059.html

That link is 6 and a half years old. I reckon prices would be significantly different now

political analyst

topmanamillion wrote: »

You're assuming RTE will have the rights for those tournaments going forward. They won't.
Whats left of their Champions League and GAA coverage will be on RTE1 from now on.

They've described making RTE2 "a window" for the RTE player. The plan is for RTE One to be the main channel. RTE2 will become very peripheral and possibly redundant.
Not sure what people don't get about that.

I didn't mention the Champions League. I mentioned the European Championship soccer, which is completely different, as in Euro 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016. I can't envisage RTÉ losing the rights to World Cup soccer.



As for the scheduling of Gaelic games broadcast on RTÉ 1, RTÉ and the GAA would do well to ensure that Six-One isn't displaced - regardless of the decrease in the audience for terrestrial TV news bulletins.

topmanamillion

political analyst wrote: »

I didn't mention the Champions League. I mentioned the European Championship soccer, which is completely different, as in Euro 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016. I can't envisage RTÉ losing the rights to World Cup soccer.



As for the scheduling of Gaelic games broadcast on RTÉ 1, RTÉ and the GAA would do well to ensure that Six-One isn't displaced - regardless of the decrease in the audience for terrestrial TV news bulletins.

I'm aware what the Euros are. Don't know why you felt the need to list them chronologically.

10 years ago you'd have been laughed out of it for suggesting a good chunk of big GAA games would be on a subscription channel or that RTE would lose the 6 nations. Still happened.

Most GAA games are on in the afternoon and it's a smaller news bulletin at the weekends. Don't see any clash there.

Won't be an issue anyway as the days of RTE showing 2 or 3 GAA matches/international soccer games in the one day are numbered.

They've said that showing the World Cup and other "special events" blew a €7 million hole in their budget.

iseegirls

Has the Club World Cup been announced for RTE yet? Don't see a press release about the Irish rights, maybe Virgin or Eir have it. Interest will be higher than normal with Liverpool involved.