What would we lose if RTÉ was abolished

fuzzy dunlop

TG4 is better than RTE in my opinion although I haven't seen it in a while due to living abroad. However they used to have a lot of good documentaries, many bought from Australia and narrated as gaeilge with English subtitles. I would rather give them 50million of the license fee and see what they could due than fund fare sh!tty and all that other reality tv bilge.

icdg

I think the OP really is linking two extremely unrelated things, Murphy winning an Oscar and his obvious dislike for RTE.

OP, as others have said actors generally have to audition for roles before they are cast. You only get “given” a role if you are already a star and the role was explicitly written with you in mind. (Or maybe if you’re mates with the director/producer/casting director. Not saying that doesn’t happen).

RTE what would we lose is a totally unrelated question. And to answer that just look at New Zealand where in the space of a week TV3 (their version) has announced the cancellation of all news and current affairs and state owned TVNZ (which only receives limited public funding from the local version of Sound and Vision) is basically doing the same, leaving only their 6pm bulletin intact.

Politicians are aghast of course because news and current affairs shows are where they get their airtime, although in this case there’s a bit of “you reap what you sow” in the way they’ve treated public service broadcasting - even the US does it better.

But yeah, that could happen here. And without RTE it might be more likely to happen.

Other things not to follow - the CBC in Canada effectively handed their local equivalent to the Sunday Game, Hockey Night in Canada, to the local equivalent of Sky Sports, and moreover gave them seven hours of free airtime (losing all those prime time commercials) on a Saturday night just so it would continue to air free to air, because not doing so would have been politically worse.

I said the US does it better, but only in comparison with New Zealand. PBS does a lot of worthy programmes but is forever looking for donations to stay in business because it’s public funding is nowhere near enough.

The Australian ABC survives mostly on making reasonably good kids shows.

Do not think we have it bad. We have the BBC next door and we think other countries PSBs are all to that standard. They aren’t.

lertsnim

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121881891#Comment_121881891

TG4 does a fine job with it's limited budget. I would say they are a better PSB than RTÉ. I say this as someone who knows only a few words of Irish.

Trampas

Wouldn’t lose €160

squonk

TG4 now is akin to what RTE was like back in the 80s. I can’t speak to the 70s as I wasn’t old enough but I see similarities in TG4 to the type of stuff RTE did back then. The rot started in the 90s IMHO.

I don’t blame Cillian Murphy or anyone else for that matter for bypassing this country and going straight to the UK. It’s just a bigger market with greater exposure if you can make it and a much better launchpad if you’re talented. In some ways RTE are a second division team because the premier league grade talent have moved abroad and you’re stuck with the Amy Hubermans to fill out your production. If they’re guilty of anything though it’s doubling down on the same dross time after time. I’d think surely seasoned theatre actors might do a better job in some cases.

Caquas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121882545#Comment_121882545

That’s my point - Cillian’s Oscar, like every other success for outstanding Irish artists, is completely unrelated to RTÉ (which loves to bask in their reflected glory).

I would be interested to understand how RTÉ does its casting. Whatever system they use, it is never too late to stop doing something that has failed consistently to “promote and nurture talent”.

I am well aware that public broadcasting elsewhere is failing and is often a cesspit of nepotism and corruption. Recent revelations show RTÉ behaving similarly but we are not doomed to settle for “ah shure, we’re not the worst in the world!”

The BBC is the outstanding example of public service broadcasting and proves that public broadcasting can nurture world-class talent. Kevin Bakhurst could be a bridge to that ethos but even the BBC is in trouble now.

Akrasia

I barely watch any TV, and of that, I didn't even have RTE for ages because I didn't have a digital aerial that could receive it

But

RTE is still a valuable service

1. It's national news and current affairs - while it's not perfect by any means, the RTE news is by far the better show than the alternative virgin media news. RTE has much more in depth coverage of politics and current affairs than Virgin does. I don't watch it very often, but it's there when I need it, and we certainly need it when there are elections or referenda, or crises that need to be addressed
2. Local interest documentaries and public service broadcasting - Programs like Ear to the Ground, Nationwide, once off features and long form stories like this one https://www.rte.ie/culture/2024/0311/1436148-a-journey-through-the-folklore-of-wexford/ - I don't watch this kind of thing very often, but lots of people do, and even if I don't watch 95% of what is produced, I'm glad it's out there as it provides an archive of life in Ireland that would be lost without a public service to capture it and record it

Ash.J.Williams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058340216/what-would-we-lose-if-rte-was-abolished

In Ireland you need to make it in the UK before rte will touch you :)

Caquas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121882712#Comment_121882712

How much should it cost to run a national news and current affairs channel?

RTÉ’s operating costs in2022 were € 332.6M. I simply can’t imagine why it cost so much to deliver its services.

I would only be guessing but I imagine a national news and current affairs channel could have around €50 Million a year in running costs. 100 journalists plus 100 technical/admin staff. €25 Million in staff costs (no “talent” salaries- if an international channel headhunts anyone, that’s a win for Ireland!). That leaves €25 Million to make the programmes including documentaries. The digital technology has become infinitely cheaper and more powerful.

A national sports channel might cost something similar to operate but should be financed from advertising/ sponsorship.

Maybe I’m waaaayyy off. Has anyone any comparisons?.

magicbastarder

maybe there should be one RTE channel which has no ad breaks - so there's no commercial pressure on the shows being produced - and one channel which is ad funded?

Redneck Avenger

If RTE was gone tomorrow and I wasn't informed about it by any outlet then it would take me months if not a year to notice.

the_pen_turner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121882440#Comment_121882440

im not against tg4 . but that happens a lot. my father is always watching hurling and football on it while listening to the radio so he can follow whats going on. i would imagine a lot of people do that.

drives me mad though. haveing the time delay

lostinsuperfunk

RTE Junior is a great channel - lots of good-quality independently-produced Irish programmes, and decent imports. No ads either! The rest of RTE should become more like RTEjr.

Clo-Clo

The sport alone would be a huge loss.

Then all the shows watched by thousands of people daily

The radio as well

2FM should be shut down

dulpit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121882997#Comment_121882997

I think the same. One channel could be the stuff RTE is valuable for. News, sports, local affairs. Shows like Nationwide, Ear to the ground. Irish focused shows like Room to improve, dancing with the stars and so on. The other channel can be for the imported stuff from UK/USA/etc. You have to remember that there are people who don't have satellite or cable TV, so whatever is on saorview is what they get.

RTÉ is extremely valuable to Ireland and we need to protect it. But it does need changing..

kazamo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121882440#Comment_121882440

I have no alternative than to put up with the difference between the audio and the visual.

Actually find it handy if I am doing something else as well, as the radio will given advance notification of a goal. Have the same issue with RTE on occasion, so you learn to live with wonky coverage.

The DUP level of intransigence is not enabling an English language feed, and yet they must have shown The Magnificent Seven at least 500 times, all in English.

Emblematic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121882545#Comment_121882545

Not sure the New Zealand example is valid. What happened there is more about cutting public service funding than axing a TV broadcaster (TVNZ still exists in NZ as a state-owned broadcaster).

For example, in Ireland, if RTE were abolished (not saying that should happen), Virgin Media would still have its news bulletins as required by its licence.

SouthWesterly

I'd miss the fr Ted reruns.

Sunday evening on rte2 are good.

Emblematic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121882567#Comment_121882567

It might start out as a better PSB, but over time, once is placed in the dominant flagship position, it will start attracting the hangers-on, the status-seekers and so on. It will start using its dominant position to secure permanent ever-increasing funding. Higher up staff will secure salaries and pensions well above the going rate. Quality will drop. In other words it will become RTE.

Emblematic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121882101#Comment_121882101

The problem is that RTE will argue that they need profit from their trashy imported shows and home-produced copies of foreign shows in order to fund their cutting edge public service output.

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121883253#Comment_121883253

F**K me that is some jump from RTE to Nazi Germany

magicbastarder

RTE suffers from comparison with the BBC - who cater to a population nearly 15 times the size, but have a budget of £5.3bn (2022), compared to RTE's €330m (2020), or a difference of a factor of about 19x or 20x.

so even before you allow for the benefits of economies of scale, the BBC has more per capita to play with than RTE. fifteen times the population pool to draw talent from; so for every ryan tubridy you'd get in ireland, there'd be fifteen in the UK with the same 'talent'.

StudentDad

The country needs good and impartial investigative journalism. Who would fill that void? We could easily do without The Late Late etc and Fairly City. As a news broadcaster I think it still has relevance.

SuperBowserWorld

RTE would be a lot better if it stopped trying to ape all the low brow crap from the UK. We can get that stuff for free 24/7/365. There are a load of interesting things they could do with an Ireland twist, loads of people out there who are literally training themselves on YouTube etc.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058340216/what-would-we-lose-if-rte-was-abolished

1) A lot of boards.ie threads.

2) Current Affairs Analysis

3) Sporting Coverage

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I would not call RTE an innovative channel though, as the most innovative Irish channel is TG4 who work on a much lower budget. I feel that the fact that the viewership is low on TG4 they are less afraid to innovate and take risks.

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RTE does not have a great track record of producing original Irish entertainment.

ejmaztec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121883253#Comment_121883253

Woke bile? What would you prefer RTE to broadcast, Nazi propaganda?

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121884302#Comment_121884302

RTE frequently go for the lowest common denominator. there have occasionally been good shows for gardeners, for example, over the years; gerry daly and dermot o'neill's series about his walled garden was aimed at gardeners. but the likes of 'super garden', which is essentially just a product placement series for woodies, was watched by no-one i know who's interested in gardening. but i guess that's a modern trend, turn everything into a light entertainment competition.

thereiver

I see no point in tg4 existing maybe 5 per cent of Irish people can understand Irish the sports events could be shown on rte 1 .rte does produce some dramas and documentary's of course not everyone likes fair city or dancing with the stars eg dancing with people I have never heard of .it's ridiculous people are watching sports on tg4 and listening to the radio for live commentary . I'd say rte should keep rte 1 and 2 tv . Rte 1 radio and shut down everything else is there one Irish made Irish made drama or comedy on TG4 that people love I doubt it

Rte simply cannot afford to go on with multiple radio stations and 3 tv stations it will have to reduce it's output or else let more staff go .

It faces intense competition people are watching Netflix and other streaming tv apps or even free tv online

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121884501#Comment_121884501

TG4 is the best Irish channel by far in my opinion, mini series (An Klondike for example), historical documentaries, soaps (Ros Na Run best Irish soap by a mile I think, maybe even including the English soaps), sports (good way to learn Irish for those not academically inclined) , current affairs and light entertainment all with it's own twist. From what I remember they even started "Cúla4 ar Scoil" for primary school kids during covid lockdown.

There is far more than 5% who understand Irish. To say otherwise is factually incorrect. Your real question should be what are the percentage who are afraid of TG4 on some odd subliminal level, or too afraid to watch?

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Irregardless the channel is subtitled, so no excuses.

I never listen to the radio for English commentary when a match is televised on TG4 that is just laziness, and odd if you went through the Irish education system.

That just says more about the odd issues people have within themselves, regarding the Irish Language.

In fact when the Gaelige version option is given the the RTE News Channel for the AI's I prefer that.