Were RTE Radio Awards Fake?

The Sony Awards aren't much better...the more tables you buy at the awards ceremony, the bigger your chance of winning.

Please tell me this is a joke .... I just got my licence renewal notice
:mad:

Hi Maxbuntu and others,

Liam O'Brien here - I'm over the Documentary On One in RTÉ Radio 1 and we collected 8 awards in this years New York Festivals.

Given the questions you raised, I thought it might be worth giving some answers.

RE: "Paying to get into the competition"
Yes, we along with every other entrant paid an entry fee per documentary into this years NY awards. This was $175 per entry and not $355 as you stated. The $355 entry fee relates to TV entries, whereas the $175 fee pertains to radio entries. Many many competitions charge an entry fee for participation. We can only work with the criteria that each competition sets out.

In relation to the judging and the 183 finalists. Firstly, there were 1000's of entries into this competition - and the judging criteria at this specific competition meant that entries had to reach a certain mark, awarded by a team of judges, before the entry can become a finalist. Not every entry will get to this stage, in fact most won't. Then you have to earn a certain mark to get to bronze, a higher to get to silver, higher again to get to Gold. If these marks are not achieved by any entry into a specific category, then there is for instance no bronze, silver or gold handed out in that category.

RE: "The awards are not as prestigious as RTÉ claims" - We take our chances on every competition we enter in the same way every other entrant does. RTÉ has been entering this competition, on and off, for many years, and whilst the DocOnOne has garnered success in the past, akin to Radio 1 Drama, we have never won the amount or quality (1 grand+4 golds) of awards as we did this year. In this years NY awards, our entries competed against entries from CBC in Canada, ABC in Australia, BBC World Service, other BBC stations, a host of American stations and other broadcasters around Europe and a host of independent radio makers. In any competition, no matter what the entries, one can only compete with what's around you - but even at that you still have to come through the pack to actually collect an award. I’m guessing there are many entrants who would have be delighted to garner the success we did this year or indeed any success at all. I’m not quite sure what criteria what makes a competition prestigious or not? When you compete with various different public service broadcasters and independent radio makers from many countries all over the world, that would seem fairly strong competition to us.


As for the Grand award we collected - this award is given on the basis of exceptionally high marks being awarded by the judges. It just so happens that 3 entries across the entire competition reached exceptional high marks. In previous years, only 1 or 2 or no grand awards were handed out. All of the marking systems in place are set out by the festival, so any further questions would be best directed to them. You mentioned that the 2 other grand awards handed out this year were give as you say to "a local station in Austin, Texas, and a production company in Canada". Not sure what this infers again? If anything it’s a good sign of a competition that the entry floats to the top, irrespective of who the entrant is. There are many local stations both here in Ireland and around the world that produce exceptional programming from time to time. Does that mean that if they win, the awards are not prestigious just by virtue that they may be a small company or unknown to you or I?

In relation to the costs of the actual awards that you outlined - no winner pays for a cup/trophy/certificate etc. However, if a programme maker wishes to purchase a duplicate/second award for their own personal use, then they pay the fees that you outlined. The DocOnOne did not order any duplicate awards.

In relation to the price for attending the awards dinner, cost to “RTÉ to fly people to New York and accommodate them” etc No one from RTÉ travelled over to attend the awards ceremony. Two non RTÉ staff, with whom we made docs and whom won awards - they did attend but they paid for themselves independently. Richard Downes, RTÉ's Washington Correspondent who's based full time in the US, attended the awards on RTÉ’s behalf.

Due to both the success of the DocOnOne, Radio drama, Lyric FM and Digital Radio at this year’s NY awards - RTÉ was then awarded the broadcaster of the year award. Both the grand award and the Broadcaster of the year awards were firsts for RTÉ Radio - indeed for Ireland.

RE: a "humiliating public apology" keeps running through your mind
- The DocOnOne is currently the most successful radio doc unit in the world - collecting over 40 awards in the last three years. I'm not sure how an apology is appropriate to this type of success? The following awards are what the DocOnOne has collected in the last 3 years.

• Prix Europa - collected award for last 2yrs running - Largest public service broadcaster competition in the world - every European country puts forward their best entry and off you go - entry is free. The awards are handed out by members of the European Parliament, German Govt and other dignitaries.
• Prix Italia - oldest radio competition in the world - again free entry.
• Premios Ondas - International awards held in Barcelona every year - Just 2 awards given in radio and TV - so open competition. They also honour the music industry and past winners include REM, U2, Eric Clapton, Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
• Third Coast Festival - entry fee c.$50 - open competition to any radio doc in the world - 4 awards handed out - mostly American audience/jury.
• New York Festivals Awards – entry fee c$175 (cheaper in the past to enter)
• National Justice Media Awards - free entry - awarded by the Law Society of Ireland.
• Health Literacy Awards – awarded through a partnership between MSD and the National Adult Literacy Agency, this year Minister of Health attended these awards.
• PPI awards - Irish industry radio awards - €100 per entry. Most/all stations attend
• Gracie Awards - Run by the American Alliance for Women in Media - DocOnOne was the only overseas winner this year c.$100 entry fee.
• Prix Marulic - Croatian competition relating to history related docs- free entry.
• Åke Blomström Memorial Prize Winner - open to young doc makers under 35yrs old - free entry
• Celtic Media Festival - open to all Celtic nations - Ire/Wales/Scot/Northern Ire/Parts of France etc c. €100 per entry

We’ve won pretty much every competition open to us over the last while.

To be honest whilst awards are very encouraging and a firm pointer that we are making decent programming - our focus is always on our audience and thus on our next documentary. It’s all well and good to win awards but if your programming across the year is poor, then everyone looses out – our audience is the only thing that matters to us – for without them, we’d have nothing.

Of course, you’re freely entitled to your opinion, as is everyone – but I guess it may be a little kinder all round if you were a bit more informed on the specifics before you rush to judgment.

The DocOnOne team is a young team – there’s 4 of us - and we’re all under 35 – and doing the best job we can. We’re always open to critique both within our own team and from members of the public - as that is the primary way in which we can improve our programming. We’re more than aware of our public service remit and our responsibility in giving value to the public - Our online archive is the largest radio doc archive available in the world – all for free – over 715 docs stretching back to 1954 and right up to our current weekly docs - the older docs we upload from the archives on a daily/weekly basis. We also offer access to this archive via our own dedicated free Doc on One iphone app and android app. We receive c.1.5 million podcast downloads a year, and the bones of a million webpage visits to our doc site – we work with c.30 freelancers a year – and our door is always open, given the right idea. So, for instance if you have an idea that we feel works, we’ll take you on, train you up etc ensuring that your idea can be the best doc it can be. We are only ever attracted to ‘ordinary’ people with extraordinary stories. I'm saying all of the above to go someway towards saying that we are at all times aware of our public service remit in both the type of programming we make and the standard of it – which we’re always trying to push higher and higher. Of course, in these tightened times, budgets are always a constraint, but they also force one to become more creative.

Another aspect which indicates to us that we are telling the right stories in the right way is that we regularly have our documentaries aired by other broadcasters around the world - in America, Australia, other English speaking countries and a number of our docs will broadcast on the BBC World Service, BBC Scotland, and BBC radio 4 over the next while. CBC Radio 1 (national broadcaster over in Canada) broadcast our docs every Sunday crossing 6 timezones and 9,000km as well as on their international services. Any community radio station or indeed commercial station in Ireland or around the world is, with prior permission, more than welcome to take any documentary of ours and broadcast it – and some stations do, often focusing on docs specific to their locality/area etc. We do not look for money for these broadcasts, although we do expect on air credit as an RTÉ Radio 1 production etc. I guess what I’m saying is that we try to be as open as possible to everyone, by offering what we view as our quality programming, and in doing so return as much value as we can back to the whomever, wherever – be it in Ireland or around the world. We feel that it's incumbent on us as programme makers to give as many listeners as possible a chance to interact with our programming. As to whether people then wish to listen or not is completely up to each individual.

I hope the above goes some way to give you an understanding of where we’re coming from and answers any of your questions. If not, please feel free to email us documentaries@rte.ie I can even phone for a chat if you wish to talk through any further questions that you may have – no hassles.

If you’re not aware of our docs themselves you might give them a go – you’d never know – they may surprise you.

All the best,
Liam
Series Producer, Documentary on One, RTÉ Radio 1.
Reviews/mentions of our docs - http://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/review.html
Recent shout out from BBC blogger on our app - http://bowblog.com/2011/06/27/five-radio-station-iphone-apps-reviewed/ - and we will update the app as soon as we can

I have no connection with Radio whatsoever apart from being an avid listener.

As a member of the public, I resent paying €160/year for what I largely see as inflated salaries for people like Ryan Tubridy and for a bias towards local programming like Fair City or that All Ireland Talentless Show that is, frankly, rubbish.

RTE's docs are great though and it's nice to see the other side of the organisation as represented by Liam and his team. It's great to see some people excited about what they're doing, being very good at it and offering a public service.

It certainly presents a positive aspect to the TV licence. I'll at least feel not quite so bad having handed over my hard-earned €160.

Its great to hear two sides of a story

good to have you on board Liam, just curious, what are your favourite shows/presenters?
Are you allowed to go channel surfing in Montrose or do you have to stay tuned to the mothership?

I would like to see more docs on science/technolgy/business startups.

Well, I for one am OUTRAGED that the licence fee goes towards paying for someone to come on the internets and post 'touch base'! It's disgraceful, I'm ringing Joe..... oh.... wait... damn.