Dee Forbes banging the RTE TV licence drum again 60m uncollected fee *poll not working - pl ignore*

Muahahaha wrote: »

Vincent was probably the best of both worlds in that his combative style was very entertaining and brought in good viewer numbers but it wasnt completely dumbed down either mainly due to the vast knowledge of current affairs by Browne himself. He would often be quoting the constitution or some obscure legal case from decades back when making his points. In many ways it was educational along with the sh1t hitting the fan at regular intervals.

Would agree that Prime Time is a shadow of its former self. I find it hard to believe Miriam is getting 300k a year to read off a teleprompter in 30 second segments. Thats all she does really, introduce some video package for 30 seconds and then kick back for 10 minutes, do it again for the next segment and then again for the programs conclusion. Shes just a presenter who reads off a teleprompter, shes not a journalist. Its astonishing she is on 300k for the little work she does.

Claire Byrne on 200K+ (She was on 217K about two years ago,soon as the figures are released, I'm sure she got a pay increase.) is an absolute insult in my eyes.

Her TV show is The DailyMail, but dumbed down for idiots. I've no intention of listening to her on the radio.
I genuinely think she's one of the biggest hacks in RTE, and one of the worst journalists I've ever seen.

RabbleRouser2k wrote: »

Gardai have found ZERO evidence of this website...

https://www.rte.ie/news/crime/2020/1125/1180498-garda-commissioner-images/

This is just irresponsible, lazy, and scary fearmongering from a supposed national broadcaster.

anyone know the victims group

A victims' group had reported...

Which victims' group?

Elmo wrote: »

anyone know the victims group



Which victims' group?

Victim's Rights Alliance

https://www.independent.ie/news/the-lowest-of-the-low-hundreds-of-thousands-of-intimate-images-of-irish-women-released-online-without-consent-39766849.html

Seems little doubt that the images exist online.
AGS say they examined 10k images.

jmcc wrote: »

The same kind of "solution" thinking that destroyed British Satellite Broadcasting and left Sky dominate the UK satellite TV market,.

Nope.

Most popular TV channels in the United Kingdom

jmcc wrote: »

Almost like it was set up so RTE people could get RTE in their holiday homes in France.

Where do you think the Astra footprint beams to?

Boggles wrote: »

Nope.

You really don't know about British Satellite Broadcasting and Sky? Not really that surprising. It happened in 1990.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Satellite_Broadcasting

Most popular TV channels in the United Kingdom

Perhaps you weren't paying attention to the satellite part of satellite TV.

Where do you think the Astra footprint beams to?

The Astra footprint doesn't beam anywhere. The footprint is an area covered by the satellite's transponders (the transmitters that transmit the signals). For the benefit of the public, it is generally shown in terms of the size of dish required for reception. The output of the transponders can be shaped for different geographical coverage. Sometimes, it is possible to pick up a usable signal from a satellite outside the centre of the footprint (where 60 cm dishes or smaller can be used) using a larger dish or better LNB (the block of electronics in front of the dish).

Regards...jmcc

Deleted User wrote: »

If you can pick up saorsat in France then you might just be the man that will find proof of intelligent life from signals coming from distant planets and SETI will be eternally grateful.

Brest is probably just on the edge of that footprint. I think that finding signs of intelligent life in Dail Eireann might be more of a challenge.

Regards...jmcc

I am going to say this in the anonymity of boards.ie and I have personally nothing against Ms. Forbes.

When she was given the job of DG she was given a €50,000 moving costs. But from what I can gather she largely lived between London and West Cork, and from what I can gather now she largely lives in West Cork, not sure if she has a home in Dublin, but was not deserving of a €50,000 for moving. IMO.

jmcc wrote: »

Perhaps you weren't paying attention to the satellite part of satellite TV.

They all broadcast on "satellite tv", a phrase I haven't heard in decades.

I don't see what your point is?

jmcc wrote: »

The Astra footprint doesn't beam anywhere. The footprint is an area covered by the satellite's transponders (the transmitters that transmit the signals). For the benefit of the public, it is generally shown in terms of the size of dish required for reception. The output of the transponders can be shaped for different geographical coverage. Sometimes, it is possible to pick up a usable signal from a satellite outside the centre of the footprint (where 60 cm dishes or smaller can be used) using a larger dish or better LNB (the block of electronics in front of the dish).
Regards...jmcc

jmcc wrote: »

That footprint map is for Astra and shows required dish sizes.

I know, I posted it.

jmcc wrote: »

Saorsat is broadcast from a different satellite and has a very different footprint.

I know that is the point.

jmcc wrote: »

Perhaps you don't have a strong understanding of footprints, the history of satellite TV in Ireland and the UK and satellite TV in general.

Regards...jmcc

No lad, I was falling off roofs installing dishes long before you read about them on wikipedia.

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

What are you suggesting - an Irish "Freesat from Sky" ? Would Sky be willing to offer that, given that it would damage their commercial interests here? On what terms would they be willing to offer it? The BBC and ITV found the costs of paying Sky for encryption to be onerous.

When Oireachtas TV first appeared on Sky and refused to go on Saorview they were paying to go encrypted on Satellite on Sky for €250,000. AFAIK the same price if you went out in the Clear on satellite. But the refused to go on Soarview because why should the pay when its a Free service.

I think OTV still pay for Sky, and look like the refuse to pay extra for the weekend on saorview, which come under RTÉ's remit!

Elmo wrote: »

I see the carlow school story was not a news story either. Trust Matters.

It was on RTE news, the website and prime time.

Boggles wrote: »

I know, I posted it.

As I said, Astra publishes footprint maps with the recommended dish sizes for the public. Publishing them with the power levels may not be as obvious.

I know that is the point.

Really? It simply looked like you couldn't tell one satellite's footprint map from another.

No lad, I was falling off roofs installing dishes long before you read about them on wikipedia.

As Wikipedia.org was only registered in 2001, my simply reading about it first on Wikipedia is highly unlikely. My involvement with satellite TV predates that and even the establishment of Boards.

Regards...jmcc

Brock Turnpike wrote: »

Ridiculously condescending post. No need for it.

If you don't know the history and the mindsets, then you won't understand why RTE got it wrong with Saorsat. RTE's aspiration to be the equivalent of BBC on the Dodder drives some of its decisions. the same commercially oblivious attitude permeated BSB as it too saw itself as being a kind of public service broadcaster. It chose a complex and new technology that was incompatible with most televisions of the day. There was a memorable debate on Newsnight where John Gau of BSB was debating with Andrew Neil and Neil asked how the BSB box would connect with subscriber's TVs. Gau produced a SCART lead and Neil pointed out that most TVs at the time did not have a SCART socket so the improved picture quality of BSB was wasted as it had to be converted back to PAL for most TVs.

RTE's decision to use an off-Astra satellite and a higher frequency for transmission which required different technology on the consumer side echoed that of BSB.

Astra had become the main focus for the growing satellite TV market in Ireland and the UK because Sky was broadcasting Sky Movies without encryption. People could get free movies and other programming without a Sky decoder for a while. Then Sky encrypted and a lot of people bought Sky decoders or bought receivers with built-in decoders. That is basically how Astra's slot and Sky's platform came to dominate the Irish and UK market. RTE's choice of a different satellite for Saorsat is similar to BSB using a satellite in a different orbital slot to the more popular Astra.

Many people who could not get a decent RTE signal or Saorview signal might already have had a Sky TV installation for programming. The RTE approach, being typically disconnected from commerical reality and hooked on the heroin of licence fee money, didn't give a damn about the extra equipment costs incurred by those who had to pay both the licence fee and the installation and equipment costs to get Saorsat.

Regards...jmcc

Elmo wrote: »

Sounds to me that the School told everyone to abided by the dress code. This was due to "some of the Girls treating it like a fashion show" (a very teachery thing to say, TBH).
.

I'm pretty sure the story is they only pulled the girls out of class to remind them about the dress code.

Specifically leggings.

* blesses self *

I don't think it helped the situation that the principal basically came out and called the girls liars.

Boggles wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the story is they only pulled the girls out of class to remind them about the dress code.

Specifically leggings.

* blesses self *

I don't think it helped the situation that the principal basically came out and called the girls liars.

If this is the case then he's a fool and should have broached the subject to everyone.

If a school has a dress code, that's the end of it really. But if you go to suggest its only the girls and pull them all in to assembly seems OTT.

Some on twitter calling out the Journalists.

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Should people in bad coverage areas have just been told "Tough, get Sky" ?

Sky should have been told that in those black spots that they must provide those areas with FTV card for the Irish stations. This wouldn't break the bank for them and Sky would probably gain a few subs that they would normal get, the card could be issued by Saorview. Those cards could just be limited to those areas.

How many people actually use Saorsat in those areas?

Elmo wrote: »

Sky should have been told that in those black spots that they must provide those areas with FTV card for the Irish stations.

How is the Irish government going to "tell" Sky to do anything? and how to stop those cards being used elsewhere in Ireland (or indeed the UK, enough FSFS cards leaked into the Irish market.)

How many people actually use Saorsat in those areas?

I don't think RTE or 2RN or anyone really knows, but it's there and allowed them to get away with using only a small number of Saorview sites, far fewer than analogue but with better coverage, PQ, and more channels.

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

What are you suggesting - an Irish "Freesat from Sky" ? Would Sky be willing to offer that, given that it would damage their commercial interests here? On what terms would they be willing to offer it?

Given Sky's position as the gatekeeper for Irish and UK satellite TV, it would have been a possibility that would have required minimal costs for the end user. They may already have had the equipment needed to receive Sky. Freesat wasn't as much intended to enforce encryption as to protect copyrights.

It is similar to the situation in which RTE found itself (protecting copyright but not charging for the service) but the market for Freesat was over ten times as large as that for Saorsat. That's the commercial reality to which RTE seemed oblivious.

The problem that hit Freesat was that without hard encryption and a feedback loop via telephone or the Internet, it was hard to keep Freesat to the UK only. Eventually the boxes would work with a valid UK postcode. Freesat lost control over the receivers. This was a lesson that many providers of satellite and cable TV encryption systems learned the hard way. That's even before the whole card sharing and dodgy box stuff. RTE's approach was to impose the costs of a "non-standard" approach on the end user. It is, in encryption terms, security by obscurity.

The BBC and ITV found the costs of paying Sky for encryption to be onerous.

Murdoch's people worked hard to kill off ITV's DTT option as it would have been a serious competitor to Sky. The BBC had a longer experience with satellite TV and were even broadcasting a limited service on satellite in the late 1980s. It scrambled the signal with the SAVE system which added an interfering signal to the video signal. People who had dishes had to get pirate descramblers or a legitimate descrambler.

Anybody who knows how Saorsat works would know that that is an entirely ludicrous suggestion due to spot reuse. And I'm sure RTE staffers can afford a Sky sub and a spare box :rolleyes:

Missed the smiley? Seriously though, the technology of satellite TV systems keeps advancing and the noise figures for LNBs have improved between the time that Saorsat was specified and today. As for satellite TV DX, it is a bit of a specialised area but where there is demand for a service, (as with the card sharing and dodgy box stuff) people will try to get access. This can create a grey market for decoders and subscriptions outside the service's copyright area.

The costs of Saorsat are not very high. It only exists because it's cheaper than building more relays.

The problem with Saorsat is that the user pays for installation and for the equipment.

Regards...jmcc

Elmo wrote: »

Sky should have been told that in those black spots that they must provide those areas with FTV card for the Irish stations.

The last time it was suggested what Sky must do, they threatened to pull the Irish channels in a heartbeat.

The cost of basic pay TV is crazy!

Elmo wrote: »

Well then it would possibly be cheaper for Soarview to issue FTV cards for the Irish channels to those in those areas then to have Saorsat.

I am sure 2RN and Sky could come to an agreement, many probably would even look for the FTV card. Obligation to those viewers is then provide.

Virgin Media don't even broadcast on Soarsat.

That just brings Sky and at least a 12 month sub into the equation in order to get their equipment.