Presentation studios in RTE Donnybrook

thejuggler

Just wondering about what became of RTEs Presentation Studios in their D4 campus. There were two of them I believe previously used for in vision continuity back in the day. Presentation Studio B was the home of the Den for around 25 years.

Maybe one them is used for the Weather bulletins or continuity these days?

icdg

The One appears to be coming from one during August. I say that but it could also be just the normal studio with no wide shots in use - just a camera straight on front of the presenter.

I must say I was surprised because I don’t think the pres studio has been used for even short bulletins in years?

thejuggler

The late news bulletins used to have the same set up - single camera - it wasn’t clear if this was a separate studio or just zoomed in.
Are most continuity announcements recorded these days?
I remember a friend used to be a CA back in the 90s and got a call to cover at short notice one day. Such was the urgency they were flown to Dublin to cover the gap.

monseiur

Not exactly answering your question but…………..RTE and it's studios are slowly but surly being consigned to the dust bin of history - it's not relevant anymore and has rotted from within thanks to serious financial corruption at the highest level and all got away with it. With 100's of satellite channels and of course the internet it's good bye & good riddance RTE

icdg

plenty of places to dump your RTE related rant, not in this thread please.

brick man

That's the other small news studio that hasn't seen much use in past few years . I've seen some years ago leader's questions coming from this and has room for 1 guest and has 3 camera angles . Will see if I can find a photo of same .

When News channel had its own bulletins they came from that studio . Must be cheaper to use this studio for lunchtime news given its only 10 minutes long

brick man

20240814_211318.jpg

20240814_210925.jpg

A couple of pictures I found of the smaller news studio

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122504064#Comment_122504064

These aren't still being used? All RTÉ news bulletins have been dropped for at least a decade now, due to cut back that largely made no sense, meaning reduced news programming on broadacast TV, I think the first news of the day on RTÉ is at 1pm now while AFAIK RTÉ2 carries no news while the late night news is long gone, I think the last news programme on RTÉ TV is around 9:30, that's not to mention 2FM cuts.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122504021#Comment_122504021

I can see RTÉ dropping 1pm news next August if that is the case, if they've roled out this studio.

AJB39

If this smaller studio is cheaper to run and takes fewer production staff to operate it, which it probably does, then it makes complete sense to use it for the shorter lunchtime bulletins during August. I don’t believe that RTÉ will drop their 1pm news next August. The current arrangements for News in August have been place for many years now.

radioman279

They have mentioned "reducing footprint" on the campus as part of their current plan, are they planning to have all TV and radio in the one building? Considering that anyone can set up an online Radio station using just a laptop nowadays, I'd imagine the radio centre and it's big equipment are surplus to requirement now.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122505252#Comment_122505252

why is there a shorter news in August?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122505302#Comment_122505302

Largely from what I gather they just haven't really maintained their studios, this move across to the TV building was started a few years ago, and had nothing from I can see to do with this new direction.

radioman279

I presume TwoTube (which ran until about 2018) was the last regular show to use one of those Presentation studios?

radioman279

I think RTE should bring back in vision continuity on both RTE One & 2

AJB39

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122505345#Comment_122505345

I assume there is shorter news in August to allow presenters, reporters and production staff extra leeway to take annual leave in the quietest month of the year for news, at least domestically.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122505462#Comment_122505462

That seems like a bit of a push TBH. Your telling me that RTÉ can't have staff go on AL during the other months of the year? This is 4 weeks in total that they go off the air for, you'd assume that the average AL days in RTÉ is around 25 like most other companies, this is at least 20 of those days.

Your also telling me that RTÉ cannot organise for people to fill during the month of August?

And I don't buy the bit about a slow domestic news month due to many of parts of the state on the holidays, there is other news outside those state bodies.

dulpit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122505497#Comment_122505497

It's probably also more likely that the viewership drops off too as viewers are on holidays. The evening news is only a half hour sure (but it does mean we get reeling in the years, which is a fair trade)

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122506829#Comment_122506829

They have plenty of slots to add RITY to with out dropping the news in august, wonder why TV3/VMTV never came up with the tired old excuses.

Anyway back to my main point these studios are largely not in use because RTÉ axed many of the programmes and links that were once use them, and that largely goes back to RTÉ mismanagement of the service it provides IMO.

radioman279

The 6.1 news isn't the only news that RTE shorten all during august, The 7pm Nuacht TG4 which is ran by RTE is cut to just 10 minutes all during august and has been for years.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509471#Comment_122509471

I know RTÉ reduce their news in august ever year, they don't give any reason for this, just excuses. In the same way as the give no reasons as to why the dropped so many TV news bulletins over the last decade, which in turn seems to have cause RTÉ not to use these studios, I wonder when was the last time that they used these studios. Perhaps they are used for the Morning Weather reports, I wonder if they are broadcast from these studios?

thejuggler

The wider question is why RTE stopped making Children’s shows. Why isn’t there a Den type format today with a presenter with Puppets/sidekicks? There was and is an audience for Irish presenters for a young audience. The Saturday morning Anything goes, action station Saturday, scratch Saturday, Sattitude type shows were abandoned too.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122514439#Comment_122514439

While viewing trends have changed and had changed by the time THE DEN as a brand was dropped, these segments could live on YouTube and Tictok. And while many might think children may not be interested in this type of content they may happen by it or they ignore it, by making it you give people jobs and experience.

Saturday morning shows were often abandoned by RTÉ, fearing they might produce TV that wasn't all that good, and suggesting people preferred to watch those types of programmes on the BBC or ITV.

RTÉ cut funding to children's programming by 50% in 2016, after saying they would not and that they were committed to Irish Children's content. They reduced by a further 25% in 2017 and it remains around €5m per year since, all coming from independent producers, largely the same amount of money they always invested into children's independent productions.

dulpit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122514439#Comment_122514439

I would argue that while there was an audience in the past, there is no audience now. YouTube and other streamers have taken over.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122514721#Comment_122514721

RTÉ have tendered for someone to look after their RTÉ KIDS you tube channel. They publish about 1 a day to that channel. Those programme inserts could easily help that channel on you tube and other social media platforms. This idea that RTÉ shouldn't produced programming for children because streamers have taken over is just giving up, which is what RTÉ have done resulting in streamers taking over.

dublinman1990

When talking about the kids content on RTÉ; the argument that they're being taken over the other streamers coming into the Irish market doesn't really say a lot now. Cula4 have put out all the stops in having in vision continuity provided for their kids channel and for their main audience on TG4 as well. TG4 always do a really good job with providing in vision continuity for their their audience on a shoestring budget. Why can't RTÉ make more attempts to do a similar job as TG4 when we are talking about it now in 2024?

icdg

RTE gave up on the older kids long before the streamers; they let that audience go to Disney and Nickelodeon long before either Disney+ or Paramount+ launched. In vision continuity isn’t the make or break at all on that, Disney never were into that and I don’t think Nick have used it in a long time either. It’s about the content and RTE have neglected that audience for about 15 years now.

copacetic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122503554#Comment_122503554

that was the small single operator news studio, the presentation studios no longer have cameras etc as no requirement for bulletins from them. The booths are still in use as continuity booths.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122681438#Comment_122681438

Largely because RTÉ axed their news bulletins, not that there is no requirement, just they aren't doing them.

IMO live or in vision continuity links for children provided more than just links to children's content. RTÉjr could easily have a link with a character talking about the letter B, this would then be cut for social media, particularly youtube and tic tok. It is a cheap way of generating such content. Same goes for TRTÉ links, you bring back Pet Vet, Draw with Don and that segment goes on to youtube etc.

To turn around and saying "well the competition don't do this" would be like the Director General of RTÉ saying about Comedy

"Comedy is a very tricky genre, not just for us, most commercial broadcasters have pulled out of it, because it’s too hit and miss, and it’s expensive as well."

I doubt RTÉ would ever think like that about any genre!

Sam Russell

I think that RTE came to the conclusion a long time go that Comedy was no joke.

They turned down Father Ted, didn't they?.

cml387

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122694337#Comment_122694337

That old chestnut. No they didn't.

Sam Russell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122694363#Comment_122694363

I love the old chestnuts - they may not be true, but they might be and are good copy.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122694363#Comment_122694363

By default they refused the show. The creators knew that RTÉ would never commission it why would you offer it to a broadcaster not really developing comedy (and back then they were better at developing comedy then they are now).