RTÉ, where did it go wrong?

Atoms for Peace · 13-04-2019 04:32PM

Just had to switch off when Una Healy came out, Tubs usual twee crap about being happy to be back in Ireland.

Agricola · 13-04-2019 04:44PM

As a state broadcaster with a licence fee, they really should do bit more than good news and current affairs along side a sea of reality tv bullshít. Since they love copying British stuff on the sly, could they not do a BBC4 or Channel 4 and devote an hour here and there to something like a documentary on Irish history pre 1922.
There was a country here with a distinct culture and people before the formation of the Irish state, but in Montrose it's as if it never existed. When have we seen a home made documentary on the first settlers, the Celts, the Normans, with input from Irish scholars.

dxhound2005 · 13-04-2019 04:49PM

whisky_galore · 13-04-2019 04:59PM

freshpopcorn wrote: »

It went down hill when Ray Darcy disappeared up his own hole.

Fyp

NIMAN · 13-04-2019 05:01PM

freshpopcorn wrote: »

It went down hill when Ray Darcy left children's TV.

... and their standard of radio output went downhill when Ray Darcy arrived.;)

CarlosHarpic · 13-04-2019 05:04PM

Considering the nepotism with RTE presenters and staff it should be called D4 Family Home Movies

kneemos · 13-04-2019 05:11PM

Anything good or popular over the years has usually been screwed up or cancelled.

dxhound2005 · 13-04-2019 05:15PM

The Golden Age was when there was no TV, and Radio Eireann shut down for most of the day. Giving people 24 hour a day TV and radio stations has just ruined it.

13-04-2019 06:06PM

kneemos wrote: »

Anything good or popular over the years has usually been screwed up or cancelled.

or had Amy Huberman saddled onto it...

13-04-2019 06:07PM

Atoms for Peace wrote: »

Just had to switch off when Una Healy came out, Tubs usual twee crap about being happy to be back in Ireland.

was she still boring the masses about her break up with her celeb husband

Rootsblower · 13-04-2019 06:28PM

Mentioned by a previous poster here the RTÉ documentary “Hands” is a fabulous piece of home made tv. Nearly all the episodes are available on YouTube, I strongly suggest the episode about the 3 donegal brothers weaving cloth. Breathtaking scenery and a glimpse into a simple way of life untouched by modern commercialism.

You’re all hankering after a tv channel that IMO wouldn’t last a year because I would say at least 50% of the general population are materialistic, vacuous and not very bright and could not appreciate quality public service broadcasting.
Just look at some of the factual channels such as National Geographic, alot of reality type shows on them now and less in the way of education.

dxhound2005 · 13-04-2019 06:44PM

Rootsblower wrote: »

Mentioned by a previous poster here the RTÉ documentary “Hands” is a fabulous piece of home made tv. Nearly all the episodes are available on YouTube, I strongly suggest the episode about the 3 donegal brothers weaving cloth. Breathtaking scenery and a glimpse into a simple way of life untouched by modern commercialism.

You’re all hankering after a tv channel that IMO wouldn’t last a year because I would say at least 50% of the general population are materialistic, vacuous and not very bright and could not appreciate quality public service broadcasting.
Just look at some of the factual channels such as National Geographic, alot of reality type shows on them now and less in the way of education.

That is a terrible indictment of our education system. Especially with so many going to university. An awful waste of money. In my day it was 6th class National school and then off to work at 14. Back in those times A Lot was two words of course.

Rootsblower · 13-04-2019 06:49PM

Sorry but I stand by my assessment as much as it dismays me

jimmycrackcorm · 13-04-2019 07:21PM

elperello wrote: »

Have you tried TG4?
Some good stuff turns up their listings.

TG4 is a shining example of how to run s public broadcast station on a low budget. But then it's ac relatively new station that didn't have a history of civil service lifers dating back to the sixties.

When they showed the Danish political series Borhen, I was addicted.

Ros na run beats fair cityv hands down

SEPT 23 1989 · 13-04-2019 07:49PM

Give us Hands Waterways and Paths to Freedom uniquely Irish that's what we want to see

Stop trying to copy what they do across the sea and always failing spectacularly

jetsonx · 13-04-2019 08:24PM

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Give us Hands Waterways and Paths to Freedom uniquely Irish that's what we want to see

Stop trying to copy what they do across the sea and always failing spectacularly

Great point.

RTE believes that just copying British formats is a much safer option than actually making their own formats. While this may make for one or two "safe" "hit" programmes, it also makes for dire and unoriginal dross.

WoollyRedHat · 13-04-2019 08:27PM

whisky_galore wrote: »

We could call it RTE Repeats.

RTEpeats.

kneemos · 13-04-2019 08:32PM

jetsonx wrote: »

Great point.

RTE believes that just copying British formats is a much safer option than actually making their own formats. While this may make for one or two "safe" "hit" programmes, it also makes for dire and unoriginal dross.

That's why they got rid of that farming soap with Dinny and Miley,and the one before it The Riordan's in favour of Fair City, EastEnders for Ireland.
Both of those were national institutions and wildly popular. Dumped for no reason anyone figure out

jetsonx · 13-04-2019 08:48PM

kneemos wrote: »

That's why they got rid of that farming soap with Dinny and Miley,and the one before it The Riordan's in favour of Fair City, EastEnders for Ireland.
Both of those were national institutions and wildly popular. Dumped for no reason anyone figure out

Exactly, it's really no different from a Moroccan TV station copying formats from France or a Chilean TV station copying from Spain. I think it's a symptom which affects all post-colonial countries. RTE definitely have a dose of it whether they realise it or not.

Glenroe was much more authentic than Fair City will ever be.

Yer Da sells Avon · 13-04-2019 08:49PM

It's been uafásach since they stopped rerunning Bosco.

Hedgelayer · 13-04-2019 08:50PM

kneemos wrote: »

That's why they got rid of that farming soap with Dinny and Miley,and the one before it The Riordan's in favour of Fair City, EastEnders for Ireland.
Both of those were national institutions and wildly popular. Dumped for no reason anyone figure out

Being honest I found it funnier watching Dinny painting chicken eggs with bird **** and feathers than the likes of Fair City...

I seen a funny skit on YouTube of Mark Wahlberg and a few more actor's watching fair city, it was embarrassing for rte lol

Absolute rubbish

I can't put up YouTube clips here, I'm sure someone can find it and paste it here....

dxhound2005 · 13-04-2019 08:58PM

RTE had an urban soap back in the 1960's, before The Riordans or Glenroe. It was called Tolka Row. Continuing Drama is an international format, and everyone can be accused of copying everyone else. It was on radio before TV, and in print publications before that again. Charles Dickens' novels are really soap operas.

Most of his novels were published in monthly or weekly instalments, and thus pioneered the serial publication of narrative fiction which became the dominant Victorian mode for novel publication. The instalment format allowed Dickens to evaluate his audience's reaction, and he often modified his plot and character development based on such feedback. His plots were carefully constructed, and he often wove elements from topical events into his narratives. Masses of the illiterate poor chipped in ha'pennies to have each new monthly episode read to them, opening up and inspiring a new class of readers. The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters.

Tigerandahalf · 13-04-2019 09:05PM

The bbc is excellent and gets a great balance between the different genres. Granted it has a huge population to pay its licence. Its lack of ads puts it in a great place in the era of netflix, etc. I believe the bbc has to give up shows that become commercially successful (bake off, etc. ) as not part of their remit to hold onto them. Thus itv and c4 pick them up.

I use the iplayer for a lot of my tv now. I can watch programmes going back months and in perfect hd quality. It is the best streaming service I have used.

Rte on the other hand are still struggling to put out a player that won't crash, play the actual content and have content up straight away.

'Hands' was an excellent series, something that could be shown in every school and kids would be fascinated.

Springwatch on the bbc is an excellent show. Rte could do something similar but then the calibre of presenter isn't there. Too much of their content is dumbed down these days and a lot of programmes have the random celebrity thrown in to appeal to the masses.

John Creedon's camper van programme was good and original. They could really do with more content like it.

Irish language, music and culture programmes have also disappeared. In an Anglo world it would be good to have them. I'd love to see them cover a county fleadh, provincial and all-ireland - going around the town and interviewing people - but do it live.

Who was the guy who had a programme where he would just wander around and interview people?

kneemos · 13-04-2019 09:07PM

They have a hard on for the BBC,right down to scheduling. If the beep show a programme a given time RTE will copy them.
2FM is an Aldi version of BBC Radio 1

nlrkjos · 13-04-2019 09:14PM

Yer Da sells Avon wrote: »

It's been uafásach since they stopped rerunning Bosco.

RTE went downhill when they got rid of "Wanderly Wagon" and Halls pictorial weekly... one for the kids...one for the adults, now it's just full of American shyte, intermixed wit aussie and brit soaps, and the other two gobshytes turpentine and darby.

SEPT 23 1989 · 13-04-2019 09:14PM

Good radio costs fcuk all just talent and interesting topics

Why can't I hear documentaries and radio plays in the afternoon instead of some pius windbag like Ray Darcy

dxhound2005 · 13-04-2019 09:17PM

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

The bbc is excellent and gets a great balance between the different genres. Granted it has a huge population to pay its licence.

And the BBC benefits from regular increases in the licence fee. It went up again this month. The licence fee in Ireland has been frozen for 11 years.

elperello · 13-04-2019 09:23PM

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Good radio costs fcuk all just talent and interesting topics

Why can't I hear documentaries and radio plays in the afternoon instead of some pius windbag like Ray Darcy

Exactly.
At point of use radio is completely free.
No licence fee, no subscription, no expensive equipment.
You could bridge that 90 minute gap while the Darcy show is on by listening to documentaries and plays on the web.

dxhound2005 · 13-04-2019 09:30PM

elperello wrote: »

Exactly.
At point of use radio is completely free.
No licence fee, no subscription, no expensive equipment.
You could bridge that 90 minute gap while the Darcy show is on by listening to documentaries and plays on the web.

Apparently a lot of people are trapped in places where RTE radio is on all day, so they can't avoid listening. It makes their lives so miserable that some of them feel compelled to give a running commentary on the internet about their suffering.

For those who have control of the radio, and can get reception of the BBC, there is drama on there regularly. Including The Archers for those with a hankering for a Glenroe type experience.

SEPT 23 1989 · 13-04-2019 09:34PM

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Apparently a lot of people are trapped in places where RTE radio is on all day, so they can't avoid listening. It makes their lives so miserable that some of them feel compelled to give a running commentary on the internet about their suffering.

For those who have control of the radio, and can get reception of the BBC, there is drama on there regularly. Including the Archers for those with a hankering for a Glenroe type experience.

Trapped in a prison cell with a criminal conviction with no control if you don't pay for it

RTÉ, where did it go wrong?

Comments