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

So no hope of a reprieve then for the digital stations! I still feel that 2fm should be thrown on to the 'net for the young 'uns and Gold should be given its slot on the FM band!

Jonny one

NIMAN wrote: »

A grand sounding soundbite, but how many people does this actually cover?

Well RTE Gold for example had 10 weekend contractors earnings €20 per show. A full-time producer has also been let go from Gold apparently.

Elmo

Sunday Business post stating RTÉ is going into 'active ownership' with the Government insisting on certain changes or at least that change is happening. Not a fan of RTÉ's management but isn't this interference from the government?

Also next live GAA will air on RTÉ2 as before, seems that they are unwilling to carry out their own plan?

Elmo

So just an update on this plan. RTÉ2 will air their six nations rugby coverage and a Finn Harps match, this go along with my point that minority sports (yes Irish Soccer, U21's Rugby and Women's Rugby are minority sports) will remain on RTÉ2 ... a simple change that RTÉ could have made they've done a U turn on.

Not that it made any actual sense.

SPDUB

Elmo wrote: »

So just an update on this plan. RTÉ2 will air their six nations rugby coverage and a Finn Harps match, this go along with my point that minority sports (yes Irish Soccer, U21's Rugby and Women's Rugby are minority sports) will remain on RTÉ2 ... a simple change that RTÉ could have made they've done a U turn on.

Not that it made any actual sense.

Why are you so insistent it was happening immediately .

They're not closing the DAB network until April

Elmo

SPDUB wrote: »

Why are you so insistent it was happening immediately .

They're not closing the DAB network until April

Because it’s something you can do instantly, same goes for DAB, unlike the Radio Stations which have to get government/ministerial permission to close.

The strategy was announced in October, the new year is not instantly.

They talk about the government dragging their feet yet I doubt that RTÉ have even sent in their proposal to drop the digital radio stations.

If you accuse someone of feet dragging don’t drag yours.

SPDUB

Elmo wrote: »

Because it’s something you can do instantly, same goes for DAB, unlike the Radio Stations which have to get government/ministerial permission to close.

The strategy was announced in October, the new year is not instantly.

They talk about the government dragging their feet yet I doubt that RTÉ have even sent in their proposal to drop the digital radio stations.

If you accuse someone of feet dragging don’t drag yours.

I'm not convinced that they do need permission to close them since shortly after the announcement they changed the programme information display to include a message to say "this is a trial service".

If we go with your contention that they can turn off the transmitters but not the stations then why are they waiting til April to apparently do both when they got rid ofthe non staff presenters at the end of December presumably so that they didn't have any continuing commitments and so could have shut down the transmitters then .

They talk about the government dragging their feet yet I doubt that RTÉ have even sent in their proposal to drop the digital radio stations.

I don't see how it matters if RTE don't send a formal piece of paper til April since there's hardly going to be objections from the Independent radio sector so presumably the Minister can make a decision in a few minutes about something announced months back .

Elmo

SPDUB wrote: »

I'm not convinced that they do need permission to close them since shortly after the announcement they changed the programme information display to include a message to say "this is a trial service".

But then DTT was launched as a full service.

If we go with your contention that they can turn off the transmitters but not the stations then why are they waiting til April to apparently do both when they got rid ofthe non staff presenters at the end of December presumably so that they didn't have any continuing commitments and so could have shut down the transmitters then .

TBH I am not overly happy with this. This is down to LW. RTÉ decided to close LW a few years ago. This caused a commotion. Prior to the commotion I email both RTÉ and the Dept to say that it comes under Section 103 of the act however both disagreed saying that it was not a service but a transmission or some such argument. Later again the Dept of Foreign Affairs and Comms came together to consult with the audience the BAI etc etc, which they would have done if they had followed Section 103 of the Broadcasting Act 2009. I still believe that DAB itself should come under this process, however as you say its a trial service and as they say its a transmission or some such argument.

As I say the Radio Stations are Different as they are part of Saorview and are advertised as such, there is no real reason to suggest that they are trial services as they also exist on Virgin Media and other platforms.

I don't see how it matters if RTE don't send a formal piece of paper til April since there's hardly going to be objections from the Independent radio sector so presumably the Minister can make a decision in a few minutes about something announced months back .

None of the services carry ads the Independents could look at this as a good thing as it eats into RTÉ's own revenue and thus less competition for them.

And its not just about the Media you also have to consider the audience and their views on the Digital Services, the Minister may under the act seek opinions from the public, while also looking for info from other stakeholders, including Community Radio services, Universities etc etc.

So its not just a case of the Independent sector not whining for once.

The process takes time if it is to go through this process, thus RTÉ should make an application as soon as the decision was made.

Elmo

Schedule remain on Saorview EPG

watty

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

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.

Not true. Many countries have no plan to start DAB and some have abandoned it. Norway is political due to number of NRK channels.

Long_Wave

SPDUB wrote: »

They're not closing the DAB network until April

I bet ya they won't close dab at all either.

watty

The RTE DAB is a duplication of Saorview. Saorview has better coverage and an addon USB stick (phone, tablet, laptop, Android, Mac, Windows) is under €10.

I'd say the extra "digital stations" are a fraction of the cost of DAB transmission.
The maddest ideas were the sell off The Guide (should be making profit), closing Aertel and moving Lyric (a cost and no real saving unless the plan was to close or automate).

They need a cap on "presenter" / "RTE Celeb" pay and drastically reduce number of managers. Stop naming radio shows after people.

dulpit

watty wrote: »

The maddest ideas were the sell off The Guide (should be making profit)

Should it? In the age of DVR and catch up TV is there a place for the RTÉ Guide?

Elmo

dulpit wrote: »

Should it? In the age of DVR and catch up TV is there a place for the RTÉ Guide?

If its making money, there is no real reason to close it, but if it isn't making money then it would be time to move on.

It's also a great free marketing tool for RTÉ, so RTÉ would also have to examine how much they spend on marketing and if there would be a likely increase in such cost if they stopped publishing the RTÉ Guide.

I'd put in a section for the player, shows coming up on the player, release dates and shows going from the player today.

watty

dulpit wrote: »

Should it? In the age of DVR and catch up TV is there a place for the RTÉ Guide?

I think people buy it mainly as a magazine. It's not needed for listings.

Personally I used to use Digiguide, but I've not renewed for years and almost entirely replaced TV with reading books, writing books and the occasional DVD.

AwaitYourReply

Long_Wave wrote: »

I bet ya they won't close dab at all either.

I would be inclined to agree. RTÉ tends to make dramatic announcements, similar to an exercise in "kite-flying" and then they tweak it after internal & external opposition and then a decision is eventually made to order a major review into the whole process which will go on and the final result will be delayed.

Elmo

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

I would be inclined to agree. RTÉ tends to make dramatic announcements, similar to an exercise in "kite-flying" and then they tweak it after internal & external opposition and then a decision is eventually made to order a major review into the whole process which will go on and the final result will be delayed.

This is no way to run a company.

AwaitYourReply

Elmo wrote: »

This is no way to run a company.

I would have to agree with you.

That said, maybe RTÉ like the Health Service Executive are crippled by so many vested interests that it cannot be clinical in how it goes about implementing major rationalisation & change even if and when it's required in order to secure it's own survival into the future.

I think the BBC across the water suffers a very similar dilemma whereas, the likes of commercial operators like Virgin Media Television (ex-TV3 Group), ITV, Sky can force through change a lot faster as they are essentially private commercial entities.

I want RTÉ to be successful but I dislike the public image it portrays especially in recent years with shows like: Dancing With The Stars, The Ray D'Arcy Show, The Late Late Show, Operation Transformation etc; The promo & marketing is nauseating at times. The massaging of egos and a clique of personalities being interviewed over & over again is boring and very repetitive for tv viewers & radio listeners.

RTÉ needs to welcome some brand new talent (not nepotism led) in different age segments from outside the usual RTÉ/Dublin 4 pool and give new fresh talent a chance to get their foot in the door and then nurture & develop those who have some potential to succeed.

Long_Wave

Just 3 weeks after it was announced that the guide was for sale, RTE announced "having considered a number of expressions of interest, none reached a level sufficient to merit a sale of the magazine"... Sure they hadn't even put out an official tender for the sale of magazine.

NIMAN

Whatever happened the financial crisis at RTE?
It seems to have all gone quiet.

I thought Dee Forbes was telling us there would have to be very severe cutbacks......no sign?

hotmail.com

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

I would have to agree with you.

That said, maybe RTÉ like the Health Service Executive are crippled by so many vested interests that it cannot be clinical in how it goes about implementing major rationalisation & change even if and when it's required in order to secure it's own survival into the future.

I think the BBC across the water suffers a very similar dilemma whereas, the likes of commercial operators like Virgin Media Television (ex-TV3 Group), ITV, Sky can force through change a lot faster as they are essentially private commercial entities.

I want RTÉ to be successful but I dislike the public image it portrays especially in recent years with shows like: Dancing With The Stars, The Ray D'Arcy Show, The Late Late Show, Operation Transformation etc; The promo & marketing is nauseating at times. The massaging of egos and a clique of personalities being interviewed over & over again is boring and very repetitive for tv viewers & radio listeners.

RTÉ needs to welcome some brand new talent (not nepotism led) in different age segments from outside the usual RTÉ/Dublin 4 pool and give new fresh talent a chance to get their foot in the door and then nurture & develop those who have some potential to succeed.

They continually dismiss the issue of pay of the top presenters as a nothing issue. That's it's just a bunch of begrudgers.

But the recent deaths of Gay Byrne and Marian Funicane in particular showed the real disdain for the amount paid to RTE presenters. It has really damaged the reputation of the station.

Joe Duffy being paid vast sums for 75 minutes a day, a programme that doesn't require much preparation.

Stuff like this just irritates people and RTE still refuses to address it.

AwaitYourReply

hotmail.com wrote: »

They continually dismiss the issue of pay of the top presenters as a nothing issue. That's it's just a bunch of begrudgers.

But the recent deaths of Gay Byrne and Marian Funicane in particular showed the real disdain for the amount paid to RTE presenters. It has really damaged the reputation of the station.

Joe Duffy being paid vast sums for 75 minutes a day, a programme that doesn't require much preparation.

Stuff like this just irritates people and RTE still refuses to address it.

The high pay levels are always a cause for concern - of course I recognise that they should be paid accordingly but there must be other ways to commend a uniquely skilled broadcaster once they hit a certain pay ceiling. They probably have to abide by existing contracts but in the real world, if the money is gone, the contract cannot be paid but this does not apply for some at RTÉ! I appreciate that NOT all working at RTÉ are treated so generously so I'm not getting at this cohort at all as I would suspect it probably irritates any of those staff on low pay and on insecure terms too.

It just seems RTÉ as an organisation expect praise from the public because it's "top stars" took some big cuts in recent times - the point was those crazy salaries also played a part in RTÉ's dire financial situation along with a drop in TV Licence Fee revenue, drop in commercial advertising, a less lucrative RTÉ Guide magazine, a less lucrative 2FM etc;

I would share similar concerns with high levels of pay some politicians, former ministers and so on enjoys excellent pay & benefits while they decide when Irish taxpayers can receive the state pension which is much later than the politicians. They'll say it's due to them working in a precarious profession which is all very fine although; many of them have other ongoing financial interests on the side. They can have it every way it would seem which is unfair.

It has never made sense to me that the office of An Taoiseach is apparently paid notably more than the President of the United States or UK Prime Minister. Even if you allow for the fact that they have their own private residences during office, these are much bigger countries with significantly bigger populations. Something very odd about how similar occupation roles are paid rather high in this country in comparison with bigger more powerful states.

AwaitYourReply

NIMAN wrote: »

Whatever happened the financial crisis at RTE?
It seems to have all gone quiet.

I thought Dee Forbes was telling us there would have to be very severe cutbacks......no sign?

"RTÉ locked in pay talks with unions opposed to salary freeze"

This was the headline for a story published in the Irish Independent on 1st February, 2020

"RTÉ is locked in talks with union representatives as it tries to thrash out the finer details of a salary restructuring plan in a bid to save €60m over three years.

Negotiations have been centred on the issue of salary increments.

RTÉ management says that given the company's current financial circumstances, it is not possible to pay them to staff members entitled to their annual increases.

However, the Trade Union Group (TUG) has said that non-payment of salary increments is "not acceptable" to its members.

It added that the current proposal being put forward is "inequitable".

Talks continued this week between RTÉ management and the TUG on counter-proposals put forward by the union, but both sides failed to reach a resolution.

A union source said that the talks, which are being chaired by former Labour Court chairman Kevin Duffy, will resume next week..."

Full article courtesy Irish Independent
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/rte-locked-in-pay-talks-with-unions-opposed-to-salary-freeze-38916207.html

AwaitYourReply

Long_Wave wrote: »

Just 3 weeks after it was announced that the guide was for sale, RTE announced "having considered a number of expressions of interest, none reached a level sufficient to merit a sale of the magazine"... Sure they hadn't even put out an official tender for the sale of magazine.

Looking back I think the RTÉ Guide magazine used be regarded as Ireland's biggest selling magazine at one point although; RTÉ would have once had a monopoly for national TV & Radio broadcast stations in the state and it also had a monopoly in the advance publication of TV Listings for many years. I think it was a similar situation in the UK for many years with BBC and it's "Radio Times" magazine V's ITV+Channel 4 and it's "TV Times" magazine.

In the UK, you had to have the "Radio Times" to access BBC tv & radio station listings and the "TV Times" for both ITV regions & Channel 4 tv station listings. Later this changed and both magazine publications along with other generic versions were allowed to carry all stations programme listings. Once this happened the game was up for BBC/ITV/Channel 4 in UK and the same eventually happened here in Ireland with the RTÉ Guide. We used only get the RTÉ Guide in our house at Christmas time for the bumper double issue!

Jpmarn

The Late Late Show programme this Friday night went out with a wauful lack of definition. Was there an inexperienced crew working the show tonight ahead of election weekend which will require huge resources.
My rant on RTÉ Gold is nearly all the shows are gone. It is only Will Leahy and Rick O'Shea left on the weekday schedule. I miss the Classic Album and Classic Chart Countdown with the now Late Larry Gogan RIP.

watty

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

The high pay levels are always a cause for concern - of course I recognise that they should be paid accordingly but there must be other ways to commend a uniquely skilled broadcaster once they hit a certain pay ceiling.

It's news to me that any couldn't be adequately replaced by a media studies student. One radio newsreader sounds like he never used an autocue, or he is being fed cards changing in the middle of sentences.

Then more advert than weather in the Radio news. Far too much distracting jingles and adverts in the Morning & Evening RTE 1 Radio news, that it's impossible to concentrate on the content.

Also most of these highly paid names are merely presenters following a script or able to chatter on a phone in.

"Uniquely Skilled"? Yet they argue that without the high pay the Independents or BBC, ITV, etc would entice them away. Well, let them go and stop naming shows after people.
Stop with the franchises, voyeur, reality and other copies of UK, USA and Italian TV. Some real drama, documentaries, local culture, local music and local sport.

We have no shortage of real writers, musicians, sportspeople, journalists and experts in every field outside of RTE. Instead they seem determined to create in house celebrities and copy all the worst aspects of US & UK TV, which unlike the 1970s is available nationwide. Satellite, Cable and Broadband.

Unlike UPC (Virgin is a rented UK brand) they are our State Broadcaster, funded by a tax on TV reception even if you never watch or listen.

STB.

Holy shít. Good to see you back Watty.

The Cush

STB. wrote: »

Holy shít. Good to see you back Watty.

+1

Had even checked Rip.ie over the years to see it your name had popped up

AwaitYourReply

watty wrote: »

It's news to me that any couldn't be adequately replaced by a media studies student. One radio newsreader sounds like he never used an autocue, or he is being fed cards changing in the middle of sentences.

Then more advert than weather in the Radio news. Far too much distracting jingles and adverts in the Morning & Evening RTE 1 Radio news, that it's impossible to concentrate on the content.

Also most of these highly paid names are merely presenters following a script or able to chatter on a phone in.

"Uniquely Skilled"? Yet they argue that without the high pay the Independents or BBC, ITV, etc would entice them away. Well, let them go and stop naming shows after people.
Stop with the franchises, voyeur, reality and other copies of UK, USA and Italian TV. Some real drama, documentaries, local culture, local music and local sport.

We have no shortage of real writers, musicians, sportspeople, journalists and experts in every field outside of RTE. Instead they seem determined to create in house celebrities and copy all the worst aspects of US & UK TV, which unlike the 1970s is available nationwide. Satellite, Cable and Broadband.

Unlike UPC (Virgin is a rented UK brand) they are our State Broadcaster, funded by a tax on TV reception even if you never watch or listen.

When I entered my views on the subject, I was thinking of only a select few who were good when they were still in their prime.

I would agree 110% about letting them walk into private commercial operators if they do not accept salary scale on offer going forward at RTÉ. As far as I know Brian Carthy (RTÉ GAA) and Tracey Piggott (RTÉ Racing) among those not retained in their current roles.

I am dumbfounded at how the levels of salaries in Ireland are so much higher than most other developed nations, many of which are substantially larger in terms of economy & population. It's almost as if it's become a cultural thing in Ireland and this bad example is not helped by those working for the establishment.

Our Taoiseach (present & past) get paid more than US President, UK prime minister etc; but when office holders in the past have been challenged, the answer back is often along the lines of, we do not have an official residence or holiday retreat so not a like for like comparison or so they will claim!

saabsaab

Will the new Government review RTE's finances and redevelopment a priority?