Electric Picnic - no RTE coverage. BBC are all over Glastonbury

castletownman

Don't understand the appeal of watching a concert on the telly.

The studio version is always better sound quality wise and surely the main appeal of 'being there' is completely lost by watching it.

Can think of tonnes of better things to be doing with my time.

Rocket_GD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123604838#Comment_123604838

Tens of millions watch Glastonbury every year on the BBC, just because you don't get it, there's clearly a demand.

worded

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123604838#Comment_123604838

If you went to the event it would be great to see it again afterwards to re live it ....

Badly Drunk Boy

I see there will be some coverage on the Electric Picnic on TG4 this weekend, although it seems to be limited to mainly Irish trad and acoustic acts and stages. But they're showing what they want to show, so fair enough…

https://www.tg4.ie/en/information/press/press-releases/2025-2/tg4-to-broadcast-from-sold-out-electric-picnic/

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123602743#Comment_123602743

RTE are broke and it costs a few million for bbc to broadcast Glastonbury. Even a bars bones RTE outside broadcast would be 6 figures in cost.

The reality nearly all the main acts would refuse to allow RTE to broadcast their sets.
broadcast rights have to be build into Glastonbury/coachella contracts and top artists will refuse terms they don’t want.

L1011

This year has a particular reason RTÉ would not want to be doing coverage:

Show Kneecap set - get massive complaints.

Don't show Kneecap set - get massive complaints.

Fanirish

and given how badly RTE cover music wouldn’t trust them with a festival. Across the stations and radio only appears to be one or two people with knowledge and love of music.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123765199#Comment_123765199

Why are they broke? What happened?

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123765397#Comment_123765397

stupid spending on things like previously broadcasting from Electric picnic

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123765417#Comment_123765417

Oh! interesting, which do you think is worse Broadcasting from the EP, or Toy Show the Musical, Presenter wages, exit payments, 30s promos costing 100k, 25k car allowances to executives, over paid executives.

No I think producing content comes at the very bottom of the list when it comes to wastig money at public service broadcaster.

The idea that you'd compare BBC's coverage of Glastonbury is like comparing apples and oranges (as RTÉ always put it).

I suppose coverage of Gaelic Games is not worth it when you compare RTÉ's coverage to Sky's coverage of the Premier League.

Red Silurian

I think it would be more beneficial for an international channel like Sky arts or Channel 4 to broadcast EP than for RTE to do so. The cost of production and then to broadcast to an audience of ~5m likely isn't worthwhile. The issue is less with the BBC/Glastonbury as they don't rely on adverts

RoTelly

A just to give you a taste or RTÉ2's line up over the weekend, I really should by a ticket to EP!

Friday from 7: Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage …. import … followed by Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy … repeat … Great Costal Railways Jorneys double bill … import… Those who wish me dead … film … Live at the apollo … import … Apples never fall .. Repeat .. The Wives … Repeat …

Saturday from 7: Women's RWC Aus V USA … even in the men's tornament no one is watch a Team USA game … Late Letter form your Lover … Film … Rialto … Late night Irish Film! … Fake … Repeat

Sunday from 7: Hilter's Gold … Repeat… Asia… Import … Inside the Four Season … import … The Report … Import … Super Surgeons … Repeat … Suspect … Repeat .. Invisible Boys … Repeat …

That's 5 imports, 8 repeats all of which are imports, 1 minority Sports event*, 1 Irish Film and 2 imported film.

Each night end with a simulcast of Euronews across all RTÉ channels.

*This is PSBing, and I would say the same about a rugby match in the men's tournament in which the USA are the opposition team.

cleanfarmer2025

Glastonbury is mostly hyped because of its history. It's been going over 50 years now.

EP only became really popular in the last decade when Oxegen ended.

The class in acts is no comparison either. You can have musical legends like Elton John or Rod Stewart at Glastonbury.

While the above are older, they are musical legends. The EP lineup is fairly meh. Chappel Roan is the only big hot right now star. Hozier, Kings of Leon, Fatboy Slim, Sam Fender….they would have been a good lineup 10 years ago.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123765446#Comment_123765446

I think it would be better for Sky Sports to broadcast Gaelic Games, considering the cost of production for an audience for circa 6m.

How much did the live broadcast of Fleadh 2025 cost? I know TG4 didn't foot the full bill. Again RTÉ spend ~8m on a blanket broadcast of music rights each year, this would reduce the cost, while there would be rights bought for an audience of ~6m not for ~60m.

That's just not an excuse.

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123765431#Comment_123765431

straight to the whataboutery.
why yes RTE was a black hole of poor financial management of taxpayers monies across both corporate/talent and programming choices/costs.
waste is waste relative to the monies wasted.

I quite clearly stated that a bare bones RTE outside broadcast would cost an enormous amount of money relative to the all encompassing and million pound plus BBC which is seen as the gold standard for festival coverage by Irish and uk audiences.

Given the population size and audience figures derived from Irish sports or arts coverage the production should be value for money and of a decent standard. RTE coverage for the likes of GAA is of decent standard.
Naturally enough sky sports production values are beyond the means and justifiable needs of RTE and the audience here wouldn’t be expecting such a flashy product.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123765613#Comment_123765613

The cost difference to produce a 70 minute GAA match Vs a 3 day music festival is probably huge. Also the sales of what you produce to be sold to GAA+ for international broadcast would help make that worthwhile

Another important factor is that Sky Arts and the BBC would have a lot of experience from their broadcast of Isle of Wright and formerly download festivals while RTE would have little to no experience in this field

Now if RTE were to do it and sell their production to an international broadcaster then that's a completely different situation.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123765634#Comment_123765634

Ah! So you edit your last post saying RTÉ are broke …. because you don't like the reason why RTÉ are broke? To say RTÉ are broke is whataboutery.

I prefer if RTÉ waste money on content choice than the reason they are broke.

Explain Fleadh 2025 and its cost?

I don't expect the same coverage from RTÉ that the BBC provide, but they could provide the same coverage to it as TG4 and its partners did for Fleadh 2025.

Given the population size and audience figures derived from Irish sports or arts coverage the production should be value for money and of a decent standard. RTE coverage for the likes of GAA is of decent standard.

Naturally enough sky sports production values are beyond the means and justifiable needs of RTE and the audience here wouldn’t be expecting such a flashy product.

QED.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123765659#Comment_123765659

GAA+ is only a recent. RTÉ were producing this content long before, and there is nothing to say that for non-RTÉ games that GAA+ might find a different producer due to costs, the 50% was based on RTÉ production, now GAA+ are paying for that production.

I think my original post to this thread outlines what I am saying.

antfin

I'd imagine that the production costs would result in a poor setup where they just have a couple of cameras covering the main stage for an act or two. Unless they had multiple stages covered, with much higher costs, that would mean there's a timing issue with gaps to be filled with other content between performances. The alternative would be to show delayed highlights of the main stage.

Aside from the actual production costs, how much would Festival Republic be looking for to sell the broadcast rights?

Either way, with 85k attendees already there, the potential audience sitting at home watching TV on a weekend night that want to watch highlights of, essentially, a poor lineup is very limited compared to the cost involved.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123765528#Comment_123765528

That's the thing. Glastonbury is a huge cultural event in the UK and whatever Irelands current version of big festival has nowhere near the same impact. Glastonbury is like the Wimbledon or Tour de France of music for its appeal outside the core following. Glastonbury coverage can also be sold by BBC out to the world which EP can't.

Ireland has stuff like that and it is shown on TV. The Fleadh is shown and Rose of Tralee (sadly) are shown because those are our things.

Plane was about the only music festival could ever truly try to have the mythology of Glastonbury.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123765486#Comment_123765486

All things with absolutely zero production costs which is their selling point. EP would have a huge cost.

RoTelly

@breezy1985

All things with absolutely zero production costs which is their selling point. EP would have a huge cost.

And the have zero audience this isn't just a case at the weekend on RTÉ2 btw. RTÉ spend €25m on imports every year.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123765675#Comment_123765675

We're kind of going off topic but the main point I was making was the very high production costs of a festival just doesn't suit for broadcasting to 5m people.

A channel like like Sky Arts have viewers right across the UK on freesat and freeview so it might be more worth their while

Another option maybe is for them to stream it internationally on their own website similar to what tomorrowland do

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123765797#Comment_123765797

But yet TG4 and Ceoltas were able to produce 3 days of the Fleadh for broadcast? Do you think even with their partners they spend as much as the BBC did on Glastonbury coverage?

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123765660#Comment_123765660

I didn’t edit my post. RTE have had to go begging to taxpayer for a €700m plus financial injection, it’s doing mass redundancies schemes due to its financial position. If it wasn’t for taxpayer rescue it would be closed.

Since financial mismanagement scandal those other areas or wasteful practices that occurred are hopefully eliminated. Going forward I doubt they are going to stage and fund another musical etc.

I don’t know the cost of fleadh and just watched the clip of the coverage and seems to have consisted of a tv performance stage where performers jumped on stage to perform. Not a bad standard for what it.
This is not a model that RTE could replicate for EP that would please the audience.

Maybe you’ve forgotten but the RTE coverage of EP a decade ago was rightly lambasted for showing little to nothing of the main stage international acts.
this exact would play out again in 2025/2026 etc. the likes of chappell roan. Kings of Leon, Sam fender etc will not give broadcast rights to RTE. So rte coverage of EP would showing the coronas, saw doctors, the 2 johnnies and maybe a song for two off amble or kingfisher. The audience tuning in would not be pleased with that offering.

So again RTE broadcasting from EP would be a waste of money for an inferior product that will not please the intended audience.

RoTelly

@Fanirish Apologies, it seemed like you did remove the wording "RTÉ are broke" from a previous post, I may have being reading a different one.

I didn’t edit my post. RTE have had to go begging to taxpayer for a €700m plus financial injection, it’s doing mass redundancies schemes due to its financial position. If it wasn’t for taxpayer rescue it would be closed.

Since financial mismanagement scandal those other areas or wasteful practices that occurred are hopefully eliminated. Going forward I doubt they are going to stage and fund another musical etc.

They put an etender out, worth €250k, for their Children's youtube channel, for someone to upload content to YouTube. And there are other tenders that seem unnessary to RTÉ but they will pay out 6m over the next 3 years at least for such tenders. And they defended that €100 k news promotion.

I don’t know the cost of fleadh and just watched the clip of the coverage and seems to have consisted of a tv performance stage where performers jumped on stage to perform. Not a bad standard for what it.
This is not a model that RTE could replicate for EP that would please the audience.

Maybe you’ve forgotten but the RTE coverage of EP a decade ago was rightly lambasted for showing little to nothing of the main stage international acts.
this exact would play out again in 2025/2026 etc. the likes of chappell roan. Kings of Leon, Sam fender etc will not give broadcast rights to RTE. So rte coverage of EP would showing the coronas, saw doctors, the 2 johnnies and maybe a song for two off amble or kingfisher. The audience tuning in would not be pleased with that offering.

So again RTE broadcasting from EP would be a waste of money for an inferior product that will not please the intended audience.

I understand the limits to what an Irish broadcaster does, even if you are critical of any coverage that an Irish broadcast gives to something, at least they are giving coverage to that event. I would rather see that than nothing. Which is what RTÉ are providing. Again just look at RTÉ2's schedule, show me anything worthwhile or anything that is getting an audience.

I understand that many of the acts may not even want their set streamed/broadcast, I'd say many of them in particular on the Main stage have that written into the contracts, I assume bigger concerts take precedent for an recorded live performances. I am sure even at Glastonbury there are certain acts that didn't air on the BBC due contracts.

As I say I pointed this limits in my OP on this thread, and said in fairness to RTÉ.

In fairness to RTÉ at least they produced coverage of EP a decade ago, and at least there was some live coverage of other festivals on 2FM this year.

afatbollix

Why should it automatically go to RTE?

EP should go to the highest bidder, Sky Arts loves this kind of thing for example.

Personally, I would rather it was on Youtube. Much more freedom and Kneecap could go live on it with out a delay.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123765877#Comment_123765877

Festival Republic may not want it on any streaming service, we don't know if RTÉ or any broadcaster/stream approached them for the rights to air/stream.

Based on some of the criticisms of EP on this thread it seems like international streamers may have no real interest in the line up of EP this year.

There are so many factors, and while I hate to admit it, its likely not due to RTÉ, if they approached festival republic and were turned down or wouldn't pay the amount required for the rights alone.

There are too many factors that we are not aware of to fully blame RTÉ.

But IMO if RTÉ were offered good deals, the production of the broadcast is not outside their budgets or remit.

techman1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123597618#Comment_123597618

Probably because alot of them working from home now that's why they not able to do this stuff like they used to.

I remember Emma o Kelly let the cat out of the bag during the tubridy scandal when she revealed all her union colleagues were crying down the zoom call about the reputational damage to the organisation. Of course she was blissfully blaze that she was revealing that her colleagues were not even on site. How can you do an outside broadcast when so many don't even turn into work everyday

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123765862#Comment_123765862

I see your quoting a Gript article and using their false synopsis of the contract. it’s not just uploading content. The successful contractor will be responsible for editing, producing and managing all elements around two RTÉ YouTube Channels including social engagement and strategy/development.

RTE as a public service broadcaster has a duty to share its content to Irish audience across platforms such as YouTube to widen the audience and deliver it in suitable formats to its audience.
the producing and editing of content is a intensive job and it’s simply not just clicking upload on a media file.
Is €125k a year too much for that service? Probably not given the current rate that experienced YouTube editors/channel management teams are paid and the quality expectations that people expect from a national broadcaster. Can’t be uploading any old crap up on YouTube.

Going back on topic, your argument is that RTE should stream from Electric Picnic no matter the enormous relative cost of doing a 3 day outside broadcast and likely having no rights to broadcast any music from the headline international acts.

This was the exact scenario a decade ago and no one was happy with it.

the six figure sums that it would cost are better used on ongoing annual coverage of music and the arts.

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123765896#Comment_123765896

You are working on the false assumption that festival republic have a broadcasting rights package to sell. It doesn’t. It would have to include in all its contract performance agreements the tv and online rights with each act it would intend to broadcast.

a lot of top acts will not agree to sell those rights.
so what broadcasting rights could it sell “ we have just obtained the rights to broadcast performances from the coronas, mark McCabe, the saw doctors?”
Would anyone tv channel/streamer want that broadcasting package? No.