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

Jpmarn

They have already made some cuts in digital radio channels. On a typical weekday on RTÉ Gold up until last Christmas there was about 4 or 5 live programmes on the channel. Now there is only 2 live programmes, Will Leahy for breakfast and Rick O'Shea immediately afterwards. There is nothing on in the afternoon just auto DJ. The late Larry Gogan was never replaced. Gone is Amanda Fennelly, Classic chart countdown and the Classic Album.

Elmo

Jpmarn wrote: »

They have already made some cuts in digital radio channels. On a typical weekday on RTÉ Gold up until last Christmas there was about 4 or 5 live programmes on the channel. Now there is only 2 live programmes, Will Leahy for breakfast and Rick O'Shea immediately afterwards. There is nothing on in the afternoon just auto DJ. The late Larry Gogan was never replaced. Gone is Amanda Fennelly, Classic chart countdown and the Classic Album.

Gold was originally like that, this is not exactly new. Never really understood why the upped the live output on the channel. Will and Rick were just given a place to retire until they are suitable for Radio 1.

AwaitYourReply

Elmo wrote: »

Gold was originally like that, this is not exactly new. Never really understood why the upped the live output on the channel. Will and Rick were just given a place to retire until they are suitable for Radio 1.

Yes, this is what I recall as it was essentially a playlist service with no live presentation input from DJs over the air.

All this reminds me of the "test broadcasts" you often heard ahead of a new station launch such as for example: Century Radio which had it's test broadcasts prior to it's launch in September, 1989. You just heard music and station jingles - no news/no sport/no traffic updates, no commercial breaks and no DJ presenters until the day it launched with a full schedule of programmes including:

Marty Whelan (with John Saunders) on Century's Breakfast Show,
Declan Meehan & Bob Gallico on Drivetime,
The Biggest Jukebox in Ireland (before Simon Young/John Clarke did Ireland's Biggest Jukebox on 2FM) etc;

Looking back, many of Ireland's stations that started broadcasting through the night for the first time used to have live DJs unlike nowadays where it's replaying daytime content. I recall when 2FM had late night shows like Nightrain, Nightrain Extra, Moloney after Midnight, Nightime on 2FM although; RTÉ Radio 1 had "The Irish Collection" with Alf McCarthy at 02:00am introducing programmes first aired during the previous daytime. On Cork's 96FM I think Rob Allen used do the overnight shift for many years.

Back to RTÉ restructuring, some listeners have expressed upset & frustration over plans by RTÉ to close channels like RTÉ Gold and other channels as part of it's digital radio network although; RTÉ has insisted these stations will be closing this year. RTÉ GOLD should replace RTÉ 2fm on 90-92 FM as it would probably explode if older listeners who still enjoy pop/rock music over talk/speech radio content could access it in FM Stereo in the car and on all radio equipment with FM band option. 2fm could survive using an alternative method online/tune in/RTÉ Radio Player/Saorview/Sky digital when RTÉ''s dab trial is shut down.

Today's youth audience will be more inclined to listen via other Online methods through various Apps whereas; a certain cohort of older listeners would have found it difficult to access RTÉ Gold even to date. I reckon there is growth potential with RTÉ Gold going forward if it is available more widely and if there was proper marketing around such a service as it's been starved of funding as no commercial advertising supports any of the current digital-only RTÉ stations since day one. On the other hand, I'm not convinced that there would be as much potential growth on RTÉ 2fm due to the competition from all the local & regional independent radio stations around Ireland.

Sources:
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/rt%C3%A9-gold-needs-to-be-saved-listeners-ready-for-action-as-station-axed-1.4178709

https://www.thejournal.ie/rte-gold-listeners-reaction-station-closure-5014013-Feb2020/

political analyst

Shutting down the DAB platform might save some money. But I don't see why the digital-only radio stations could not continue broadcasting on Saorview, Saorsat and digital cable, to be honest.

AwaitYourReply

I'm not sure if figures have ever been published & released in respect of RTÉ's Digital-Only radio stations as shown below here:

RTÉ Choice - no longer broadcasting

RTÉ Gold
RTÉ Radio 1 Extra ( = RTÉ Radio 1 LW 252 kHZ)
RTÉ 2XM
RTÉ pulse
RTÉ junior (RTÉjr)
RTÉ chill

None of the above stations were permitted to carry any commercial advertising from day one so; they have been unable to generate a revenue stream which prevents them from being self-financing unlike other radio stations like RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2fm etc; These RTÉ DAB/Digital-Only radio stations are not marketed or promoted either so; I'm not sure what RTÉ was thinking by letting them go to air on this basis as they were always going to be vulnerable at a time of economic recession not to mention future technological advances and changes to listener habits. There's no public debate on whether any of the Digital-Only stations warrant a lifeline - it's all or nothing which sounds like accountants axing left, right & centre.

When RTÉ Gold closes down later this year, RTÉ Radio 1 will also have to fill a gap in it's current schedule slot: "RTÉ Gold on RTÉ Radio 1" between the hours of either 2:00am or 03:00am until either 05:30am or 06:00am during the very early hours.

Given all of the cutbacks at RTÉ will we find that RTÉ Radio 1 closes down straight after Late Date at 02:00am once RTÉ Gold shuts down permanently?

The last live RTÉ tv news bulletin now ends at 09:30pm most (if not all) nights of the week.
I'm not sure if "Late News Extra" still exists on Friday nights after The Late Late Show anymore?
RTÉ 2 and RTÉ News Now tv stations do not provide live RTÉ News bulletins after 9 O'Clock News which is very poor coverage from Ireland's national public service broadcaster.

Harry Palmr

RTE should be looking to use soarview's soon to be slightly emptier MUX's to get commercial channels on the platform - Today FM, Newstalk, Q102, Cork 103, Red FM, Beat FM, Galway Bay FM, a few others

AwaitYourReply

Harry Palmr wrote: »

RTE should be looking to use soarview's soon to be slightly emptier MUX's to get commercial channels on the platform - Today FM, Newstalk, Q102, Cork 103, Red FM, Beat FM, Galway Bay FM, a few others

RTÉ probably do not want a situation whereby; "other commercial" radio stations may cause listeners to channel hop away from it's remaining four radio channels:

RTÉ Radio 1 (FM output)
RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ Radio na Gaeltachta (RnaG)
RTÉ lyric fm

Although, Saorview has the likes of Virgin Media Television (formerly TV3, 3e, UTV Ireland) channels currently on it's TV platform maybe the commercial radio station owners of the likes of Today fm, NewsTalk etc; are not willing to make themselves available on Saorview due to the fees required versus potential audience share in return?

The only non-RTÉ radio channel currently available on the Saorview radio platform is the religious service, "Radio Maria Ireland" to the best of my knowledge.

Elmo

Digital stations will require RTÉ to go to the minister & dept with no current minister able to make any really decisions it’s likely the those channels will remain for a number of months after DAB switch off, as Saorview is not a trial service.

News-wise 2FM also airs no news after 7pm, unlike their independent competitors

AwaitYourReply

I appreciate that with a "caretaker government administration" in place during the interim period that an outgoing Minister will be reluctant to make any major decisions although; it may also depend on RTÉ's dire financial situation too as it's recent General Election coverage must have cost the organisation a considerable amount. If negotiations to form a new government were to collapse at the 11th hour this would most likely lead to yet another General Election after Easter and then we would be in uncharted territory.

I was glancing at an RTÉ in-house staff report on it's planned launch into Digital Radio services back in the day via below link.

https://www.superannrte.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=407:RTE-Digital-Radio-Servicesnow-available-407&catid=10&Itemid=115

Aside from hourly news bulletins until 7pm, I'm not sure if there is much live output broadcast live on RTÉ 2fm after sports programme "Game On" has wrapped up each evening. Back in the good old days (around mid '80's) you had all these shows broadcasting live on RTÉ Radio 2FM with 2FM news on the hour every hour while the station was on air.

Barry Lang's Hotline @ 7:00pm,
The Dave Fanning Show @ 8:00pm,
Lights Out with Gerry Ryan @ 10:00pm, (Tony Fenton covered Lights Out on Sat/Sun @10pm)
Nightrain with Mark Cagney @ 12midnight til 01:50am closedown (Mike Moloney covered Nightrain on Sat/Sun @ 12midnight)

watty

political analyst wrote: »

Shutting down the DAB platform might save some money. But I don't see why the digital-only radio stations could not continue broadcasting on Saorview, Saorsat and digital cable, to be honest.

Yes. Also Saorview coverage is better, a €9 stick on a laptop, phone or tablet can add it. DAB is an obsolete duplication.

Johnboy1951

watty wrote: »

Yes. Also Saorview coverage is better, a €9 stick on a laptop, phone or tablet can add it. DAB is an obsolete duplication.

While I agree with this completely, I would point out that internet transmission of those stations is definitely desirable. Not providing streams of all present stations is a huge backwards step.

Unfortunately those USB sticks require a decent reception area/aerial to get the Saorview signals, which can be impossible when out and about and extremely inconvenient even when at home. Internet streams are much more easily accessible.

Any updates on the closure of the digital radio stations (RTE Gold etc.)? Gonna happen?