RTÉ, where did it go wrong?

13-04-2019 09:37PM

kneemos wrote: »

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

I noticed this the other night when I went looking for the BBC 9pm news to get their take on Brexit (I get the RTÉ version in the car on the way to and from work). Sure enough, the BBC has changed their 9pm news to a different slot - or at least did that night - something which RTÉ inexplicably does on a Sunday night to facilitate a gambling show from the National Lottery (where the prize fund doesn't seem to have increased since 1988 but you can be sure the odds on winning have quadrupled since). They should pick a time for the news, and stick to it every night. Consistency.

Indeed there's no reason at all why every news bulletin on all radio stations must be on the hour (Lyric is currently the only exception, it being on the half-hour). We would have more choice if they had them at different times, but were consistent about that time.

Will I Am Not · 13-04-2019 09:40PM

RTÉ are pushing a very left wing agenda but want money off everyone across the political spectrum or you get threatened with fines or imprisonment...

foxy farmer · 13-04-2019 09:42PM

nlrkjos wrote: »

, gobshytes turpentine and darby.

Tea sprayed across the room reading that. Classic.

A great name for a comedy Irish style.

13-04-2019 09:47PM

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Apparently a lot of people are trapped in places where RTE radio is on all day, so they can't avoid listening.

There are, unfortunately, loads and loads of places where we are forced to listen to garbage commercial radio - usually of the hideous commercial formula like 98FM, Q102, Sunshine etc that was imported here from the US in the 1980s. Waiting rooms in dentists, gp surgeries, hospitals, supermarkets, hairdressers, buses, pubs, service stations etc etc all impose their radio choices on us. Turn it off, and give us all peace.

And God forbid you end up with one of these dullards even in a semi-private room in a hospital and you are forced to listen to their tv choices next to you. There's absolutely no reason why all these people cannot listen to their own preferred noise on their own headphones rather than impose it on the rest of us in public places.

Balanadan · 13-04-2019 09:52PM

Who the **** are RTE? Who the **** are, who the **** ARE, WHO THE **** ARE RTE?!

elperello · 13-04-2019 10:02PM

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

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

As outlined above you don't have to pay to listen to RTE radio.

bodhrandude · 13-04-2019 10:06PM

Hedgelayer wrote: »

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....

flazio · 13-04-2019 10:14PM

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

It would if we had a national broadcaster that wasn't intent on wasting money on light entertainment and ridiculous salaries.

RTE should go down the NPR route, including collaborating with other state/ public broadcasters.

It does not need a pop station, it does not need to broadcast Home & Away twice per day, nor all the other soaps it broadcasts either. It needs to be pared back to its original intention as a force for public information, politics, arts and culture. Those other items are commercially viable -- so let the private broadcasters undertake them, and not detract from RTE's remit.

It wouldn't be a commercial success, necessarily, but that's why we're already paying the licence fee.

So essentially give up the entertaining the Irish and leave it over to Rupert Murdochs British Sky Broadcasting service and Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Media group?

Balanadan · 13-04-2019 10:15PM

They can shove their TV licence up their hole.

13-04-2019 10:26PM

RTE don't respect their archive.

They've made plenty decent dramas, documentaries etc - that still survive - but won't repeat them, won't create a digital channel to re-run them and refuse to release them on DVD. Or allow anyone else to do so.

It's totally different in the UK where you have had Network releasing huge chunks of the ITV archive over the last 15 years. Some of the most arcane and obscure material that can only sell in the low hundreds and it gets out on DVD. Or Simply Media and their release of BBC archive stuff. But not RTE.
If Bracken and / or Glenroe were British then you'd have box sets. Some of RTE's programming was shown on ITV and the likes of Network would gladly release it but you get bullsh*t excuses like "actors' contracts never allowed for home video releases" [as if that's a uniquely Irish problem] so it just stays in limbo until the target audience dies off.

Silentcorner · 13-04-2019 10:36PM

Will I Am Not wrote: »

RTÉ are pushing a very left wing agenda but want money off everyone across the political spectrum or you get threatened with fines or imprisonment...

RTE are pushing what it thinks is relevant by virtue of what makes the most amount of noise...currently the SJW / Feminist / Diversity (aka the twitteratti) narratives...truth is they are an insular organisation in a very insular part of Ireland, desperately trying to remain relevant in a fast changing globalised country... they think they are leaders...bless 'em!!!

The Repeal Referendum and the Presidential election demonstrated how completely out of sync they are with Irish people!

Harry Palmr · 13-04-2019 10:43PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I noticed this the other night when I went looking for the BBC 9pm news to get their take on Brexit (I get the RTÉ version in the car on the way to and from work). Sure enough, the BBC has changed their 9pm news to a different slot - or at least did that night

When did you last watch bbc one? The main news has been at 10 for almost 20 years.

dxhound2005 · 13-04-2019 10:53PM

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

RTE don't respect their archive.

They've made plenty decent dramas, documentaries etc - that still survive - but won't repeat them, won't create a digital channel to re-run them and refuse to release them on DVD. Or allow anyone else to do so.

It's totally different in the UK where you have had Network releasing huge chunks of the ITV archive over the last 15 years. Some of the most arcane and obscure material that can only sell in the low hundreds and it gets out on DVD. Or Simply Media and their release of BBC archive stuff. But not RTE.
If Bracken and / or Glenroe were British then you'd have box sets. Some of RTE's programming was shown on ITV and the likes of Network would gladly release it but you get bullsh*t excuses like "actors' contracts never allowed for home video releases" [as if that's a uniquely Irish problem] so it just stays in limbo until the target audience dies off.

You might be right, or there might be vast amounts of UK material which does not see the light of day again after broadcast. Only for an ardent fan, one of the best BBC comedies, Joking Apart would not have been put out on DVD. He had to buy the rights and publish it himself.

Do TV companies make box sets of soap operas?

SilverSideUp · 13-04-2019 10:53PM

In the 1950s when TV came into homes in the UK there was great hope for TV. It was considered to be a tool for educating the masses. For example, the BBC produced a fantastic documentary called 'Civilisation' which was about the history of art since the fall of the Roman Empire. It was a great success. But it was too high brow for popular media. Over time, the content of programmes became less intellectual. TV embraced comedy, sport and drama. Today, documentaries such as Civilisation are found mainly on one public TV channel, BBC4, after 7pm. So this thing of when did RTE get so ****e is not an Irish phenomenon. It depends on your taste. Programmes like Winning Streak and The Late Late Show are wildly popular. Personally, I have suicidal thoughts when I watch Winning Streak. But these programmes bring in the viewers. It stopped being about quality a long time ago. Nostalgia is something different. I thing alot of us remember the TV programmes we grew up with fondly, but whether you could say they were 'quality' is debatable.

13-04-2019 11:34PM

dxhound2005 wrote: »

You might be right, or there might be vast amounts of UK material which does not see the light of day again after broadcast. Only for an ardent fan, one of the best BBC comedies, Joking Apart would not have been put out on DVD. He had to buy the rights and publish it himself.

Do TV companies make box sets of soap operas?

No - RTE are desperately bad. I'll agree that there is UK stuff in limbo but huge strides have been made in releasing archive material over the last 15/20 years. Loads of children's drama I grew up watching (and never thought I'd see again) has come out - especially ITV. Even The Phoenix And The Carpet (BBC, 1976) is due out in May.

That Joking Apart DVD came out in 2006 - it could well have been put out by somebody like the companies I mentioned.

Network released a 41 DVD set of Crossroads which had all surviving episodes from the start to 1979.

They've also released "decade" sets for Coronation Street (1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s - 8 episodes per year so 80 in each box) along with five volumes of Emmerdale Farm (roughly the first 160 episodes). Then there's The Bill with numerous releases in UK and Australia.

In Australia, the entire run of The Sullivans came out on DVD - 23 volumes containing 1,114 episodes. Crawford's UK distributor Eaton Films sold them through their London shop where I ordered them from. The DVD releases of A Country Practice stalled halfway but you can buy every single episode of Prisoner Cell Block H on the format.

upandcumming · 14-04-2019 12:11AM

sugarman wrote: »

One of their biggest downfalls IMO is creating one off Documentaries that are top notch and then never them never seeing the light of day again once shown.

They've done some fantastic soccer ones over the years of Euro 88, Italia 90, USA 94, WC 02, Euro 2012 and Euro 2016. As well as player focused ones on the likes of John Giles career, a fly on the wall of Mick McCarthys first campaign as manager, Brian Kerr whilst in charge of the Faroe Islands to name a few.

As well as the in dept Green is Colour series.

Equally they've produced some great Rugby ones too on the Grand Slam / Triple Crown years as well as individual efforts on O'Gara, BOD and Foley.

..and not forgetting their colossal collection of GAA ones on the succesful Dublin, Kerry, Tipp & Kilkenny teams as well as ones the likes Jim Gavin, Cluxton, Sherlock, and Mick O'Dwyre.

SOME are on their player, but many are lost in their archive.

Surely a weekly slot on Saturday or Sunday evening would be a great chance to re run them instead of poxy Big Bang theory or Young Sheldon repeats and whatever other crap they show.

Freefall: The Night the Banks Failed was brilliant, as was Crisis Inside The Cowen Government.

Have been periodically looking for Freefall, but not a prayer of getting it! PM me if anyone has a lead!

Sgt Hartman · 14-04-2019 01:04AM

Secret Sights with Rob Vance was an excellent RTE documentary shown about 15 years ago. Sadly it's never been repeated, there's no sign of it on the RTE Player, and there's only tiny snippets of it on YouTube. It's a disgrace that such a good show is rotting away in the RTE archives, probably never to be seen again.

EmmetSpiceland · 14-04-2019 01:38AM

Sgt Hartman wrote: »

Secret Sights with Rob Vance was an excellent RTE documentary shown about 15 years ago. Sadly it's never been repeated, there's no sign of it on the RTE Player, and there's only tiny snippets of it on YouTube. It's a disgrace that such a good show is rotting away in the RTE archives, probably never to be seen again.

There’s a Secret Sites book that’s well worth a look, if you haven’t already got it.

Church on Tuesday · 14-04-2019 01:51AM

bodhrandude wrote: »

"In Fair City, nothing's fair" - Will Ferrell.

whisky_galore · 14-04-2019 02:38AM

I find it amazing that people still buy the RTE Guide, most of which is Montrose navel gazing pap, the programme schedule you can get free online anyway.
Also the dinosaur that is Aertel is still with us.

Edgware · 14-04-2019 08:54AM

upandcumming wrote: »

Freefall: The Night the Banks Failed was brilliant, as was Crisis Inside The Cowen Government.

Have been periodically looking for Freefall, but not a prayer of getting it! PM me if anyone has a lead!

More dreary ****e. What is it about the economic crash that hasnt been regurgitatedat least a 100 times

NIMAN · 14-04-2019 08:58AM

Here's something I always wondered, can anyone answer it?

Why have RTE never repeated Bachelors's Walk?
A great show I would love to watch again.

Why, in the age of endless repeats, has it never been shown again?

Edgware · 14-04-2019 09:02AM

NIMAN wrote: »

Here's something I always wondered, can anyone answer it?

Why have RTE never repeated Bachelors's Walk?
A great show I would love to watch again.

Why, in the age of endless repeats, has it never been shown again?

Or repeat those Late Lates where Turbridy was the smart teenage **** in the audience representing the "youth"

14-04-2019 10:31AM

NIMAN wrote: »

Here's something I always wondered, can anyone answer it?

Why have RTE never repeated Bachelors's Walk?
A great show I would love to watch again.

Why, in the age of endless repeats, has it never been shown again?

Agreed.
They released series 1 on DVD but the other two are in limbo.

It was like an Irish version of This Life.

Woke Hogan · 14-04-2019 11:08AM

People pining for the days of Glenroe and Bracken, jesus wept. Even at the time we all thought they were ****e.

Though there is a dearth of rural programming on RTE and I will never understand RTE's continuing fascination with the various postcodes of the capital but the continuing adventures of Dinny and Miley were never the answer.

The Crowman · 14-04-2019 11:43AM

I almost never watch RTE now now, apart from maybe the news and Prime Time Investigates. Most of its content is an insult to anyone with a modicum of intelligence. As stated already its attitude to archive TV is baffling. I could list all the day the landmark series that have disappeared without trace, not even a DVD release. The Year Of The French being one example, I last saw that when it was broadcast in 1982 its never been repeated.

14-04-2019 11:53AM

NIMAN wrote: »

Here's something I always wondered, can anyone answer it?

Why have RTE never repeated Bachelors's Walk?
A great show I would love to watch again.

Why, in the age of endless repeats, has it never been shown again?

Bachelor's Walk is on the RTE Player, but good luck in getting through an entire episode without the Player crashing.

NIMAN · 14-04-2019 11:57AM

Is it?

14-04-2019 12:06PM

NIMAN wrote: »

Is it?

Yeah, and a load of former series are on there too - Dawson's Creek, The O.C., Love/Hate, Hardy Bucks, etc.

I wish they'd upload more of the really old stuff - Don't Feed The Gondolas, Glenroe, Blackboard Jungle, etc.

14-04-2019 12:27PM

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Bachelor's Walk is on the RTE Player, but good luck in getting through an entire episode without the Player crashing.

Thanks for that - didn't realise.

Music rights for songs used in series 2, 3 and Christmas Special have been cited as the reason for no DVD release.

Again, that's not a uniquely Irish problem. Many other programmes have faced the same issues and come out on DVD - because of successful negotiations with the rights' owners or using music substitutions.

RTÉ, where did it go wrong?

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