TG4, Cula4, TG4 +1

RoTelly

TG4 are looking for 87m in total.

They are looking for an increase of 22m, of which about 14m is for the new news service.

Eventually they are looking to get about 50% of what RTÉ get, they seem to forget that RTÉ (while mismanaged) are providing (or at least should be providing) far more across a wide range of services.

If TG4 were to get 87m IMO they would be better taking over RnaG & Nuacht RTÉ which already have a newsroom set up.

Again there is no detail so to any extension of News and Current Affairs under TG4 plan, or any other programming.

This year TG4 have 57m in funding.

Shan Doras

Tg4 are tweeking their daytime schedule from next week, Cula4 will no longer be broadcast on TG4 in the afternoon, you'll now have Heart to Heart at around 3pm and Shark tank at around 4pm, hours of Cula4 on TG4 aren't reduced tho as it will now run nonstop from dawn right through midmornings from 6am till around 12.30pm

RoTelly

TG4 will now receive 64.5m from the exchequer as part of budget 2026.

They will really need to make a stronger case.

CnaM and the minster both need to look at what content is being provided and what tangible targets they are meeting. Obviously this must not infringe on their independence.

Infoanon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123885956#Comment_123885956

€64.5m plus revenue from advertising plus subsidised programming from RTE....questions need to be asked but no one it would appear wants to address the elephant in the room.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123886052#Comment_123886052

It is largely because TG4 can hide behind the mask of the Irish language.

They have admitted that the RTÉ subsidy isn't to their liking, but they do have their own money also.

I will admit that TG4 had produced some great TV over the years, but I feel that they've missed certain audiences, and have become a niche within a niche rather then having a broad consumer base. Their youth strand Bloc is particularly poor.

Infoanon

The use of the tax payers money needs to be put under a microscope - perhaps starting with ;

Using your funding to outbid RTE for eg sporting rights ,

Wanting to spend €millions of tax payers money to produce your own news service with no appreciation of the value of the subsidised news provided by RTE , and no benefits to the viewer of such a move.......

The revenue TG4 receives appears excessive for its output alas no one will question.....

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123886226#Comment_123886226

1. Are they outbidding RTÉ or did RTÉ bid (I assume you mean in relation to the Rugby, which Ironically is commissioned by RTÉ for TG4 from the production side, not the rights side)?
2. How has RTÉ developed Nuacht TG4 over the last few years, AFAIK TG4 have called them out on this?

I'd be more inclined to look at everything outside of this, as it is purely in the hands of RTÉ, as in their own content. Have they increase their content over the last number of years, or improved services.

RTÉ have reduced the cost of the TG4 subvention, relying on dubbed children's tv and much of the music shows that they air.

But I do agree with you, for the cost, I don't see the value and it can just be …. since its in Irish its a public service.

Infoanon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123886339#Comment_123886339

It was the former TG4 DG who was making an issue over Nuacht ,it boiled down to editorial control from my reading of the comments.

Interestingly TG4 applied to increase the new DGs pay.......yesterday Oct 6th....

Cape Clear

How much will Rte itself receive?

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123886590#Comment_123886590

There is more to it than that. RTÉ has cut costs to their 1 hour of programming to TG4, you can see that in RTÉ's annual report. This has effected Nuacht, the core part of the output provide by RTÉ to TG4. He is pointing out how much of the content their is reduced to translation for a half hour of news. Now I have an issue there as I feel that Nuacht RnaG and RTÉ should be coming from the same part of RTÉ, yet both seem different even though RTÉ have always maintain a News and Current Affairs department across Radio and TV in English.

As I say this just accounts for a small portion of TG4's funding, there are more aspects to TG4 that need to be examined.

CnaM, and the BAI, should both be involved in the RTÉ subvention negotiations between RTÉ and TG4, however they seem to have taken no real interest and have left it to the 2 broadcasters to decide. And in fairness to RTÉ TG4 agreed to the current programming from them.

Will take a look at that TG4 news on their DG.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123886930#Comment_123886930

From what I heard the government are working with them on their "governance" issues. They got nothing extra from the terms of their bailout.

GIMP

I have always wondered why Rte has any Irish output at all, with a dedicated Irish language surely all Irish output should be on Tg4?

Cape Clear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123887771#Comment_123887771

I'm glad to hear it. Rte and the FAI are a bit like a learner driver. They shouldn't be left drive alone without a full licence holder in the car.

Infoanon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123890146#Comment_123890146

Its TG4 who are the learners and imho seem to be spending without proper scrutiny

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123889755#Comment_123889755

RTÉ run the Irish language Radio station RnaG and they provide Nuacht to TG4, so it makes sense that they air Nuacht on RTÉ TV, they also provide as point out 1 hour of TV to TG4 each day, so it again makes sense that some of that would re-air or air first on RTÉ.

IMO RnaG should merge with TG4, after all RTÉ have been shown to be unable to run their English language side of their service.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123890317#Comment_123890317

I think across the board their needs to be an examination of funding for broadcast and film.

Screen Ireland : - Are they an IDA or an Enterprise Ireland organization?

TG4: - As they approach RTÉ2 type funding though various schemes and supports (Exchequer, RTÉ support, Sound and Vision, Irish Language Film Broadcast Fund). Has the audience seen any improvement in terms of content?

CnaM/BAI Sound and Vision Fund: - What it has become from what it was originally intended, for example it was set up to assist in developed and commission productions from broadcasters, now it seems to have become a commissioning body along with fund for development and funding for Media talks and conferences.

Particularly now that RTÉ is under a continued and much need spotlight.

icdg

The real answer is that they had Irish language output on RTE prior to the launch of TnaG.

Unlike the deal that was made when S4C launched (when the quid pro quo was that all Welsh language output would be removed from BBC and HTV) it was felt that RTE, as the National Broadcaster, should continue its Irish language output as before, so it wouldn’t be “ghettoised” on TnaG.

The one hour a day includes Nuacht. TG4 want RTE out of producing Nuacht, but they haven’t found anyone else that will make it for free. Their next best thing would be RTE losing editorial control of it, but RTE for obvious reasons aren’t keen on that.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123890789#Comment_123890789

RTÉ should be told :-

1. We are moving editorial control of nuacht to TG4 and providing them with the funding, you will be given your daily 5:40 nuacht from TG4
2. We are moving RnaG to TG4 and providing them with funding for that service, you will be given you Nuacht bulletins from there.
3. RTÉ have significantly reduced their Irish language output since 1996, up to that point they had a daily Irish Language news and current affairs programme in Cúrsaí, this was reduced back to 2 nights a week with one night being a late night arts show by 1996. In more recent years they have been reliant on TG4 and BBC NI for non-news Irish language programming.

dublinman1990

Does this new funding package for TG4 from Budget 2026 allow them to upgrade Cúla4 to go HD on Saorview?

Cape Clear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123890317#Comment_123890317

Can't say I've heard of TG4 operating a barter account or splurging on flip flops.

Infoanon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123891323#Comment_123891323

There is no reason to give TG4 editorial control ,appeasing egos at unnecessary cost, taxpayers cost.

Similarly there is no logical or financial reason to move RnaG to TG4.

As for RTE significantly reducing their Irish output, outside of one programme ,there seems to be very little evidence of the claim. RTE may wish to reduce their Irish output given the audience figures and the impact on viewing habits ,but the evidence is to the contrary.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123892717#Comment_123892717

Well then move TG4 fully back into RTÉ.

Take a look at their output from 1996 when TG4 started. There was a move towards programming like Scannal and Leargas. Their nuacht moved from RTÉ2 to RTÉ ONE while extend it was at the cost of dropping Cursaí (a daily show, and was actually a reduction for the news service in Irish), only recently did they decide on a current affairs show that airs on RTÉ1 on Sunday mornings, something that is presented from Dublin rather than Galway and seem to be separate to Nuacht RTÉ and something that TG4 doesn't air.

Most of RTÉ2's midweek Irish Language shows are repeats from TG4 and BBC NI that RTÉ bought in. This along with a number of Children's programmes that RTÉ produced As Gealige back in the day (not just animation).