Random. Off topic and Broadcast Musing

But the "non availability of UK tv along the east coast" is a myth.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055605025

slegs wrote: »

So they install the equipment, put all the transmission in place and test succesfully and then turn off.

Sorry, but I don't see this happening. If they already have all this is place it would not make sense to turn off based on power (these are not independent sites - there is already power bills so they wont save that much) and transmission (there are significant build costs that are spent - will the monthly backhaul costs save them that much?).

Wouldn't be the first time they've done it with a project.

slegs wrote: »

The difference here is that the majority of the country could have a quality service without much extra effort/cost from RTE. All the main transmitters are active with I think > 75% population covered for the PSB services. The remaining transmitters to be rolled out were very low percentage pop coverage each and its understandable that the current economic climate would slow this down without the planned PAY TV revenue to RTENL.

They may not have any money to spend on capital rollout until the PAY TV provider comes in but it really would make no sense not to continue some momentum on this with the active transmitters and the PSB MUX.

If they shut it down then I give up on RTE, BCI and the government.

Yes they wouyld have no money it all goes to Gerry Ryan and co. :mad:

just a little rant here but i have hated RTE ever since they jammed the piraate kings Nova and Sunshine in the 1980s.

Shower of S**TS :mad:

Deleted User wrote: »

Waterford City and Kilkenny are without 4fm...
Speaks for itself as to the mindset at the BCI to be honest.

[not that I'd listen if It got past Bray but then...]

one of them isn't a city, though

IrishHomer wrote: »

Yes they wouyld have no money it all goes to Gerry Ryan and co. :mad:

just a little rant here but i have hated RTE ever since they jammed the piraate kings Nova and Sunshine in the 1980s.

Shower of S**TS :mad:

Funny, was just talking about that today - June 1982 - "they" started "testing" on Nova's link from Herbert Street to Green Arces....seems like only yesterday !

I've made this sticky thread for Posts of a somewhat off topic nature.

We'll move posts that spoil the flow of threads here (Moderators' Decision Final), but feel free to post here too. A sort of Bar, but without actual Beer.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2009/0709/1224250318512.html

Instead of making good programs, raking in Advertising they want more of the Licence fee?

It appears, from published accounts, that TV3 was purchased at a very high multiple and the acquisition financed almost entirely through bank debt: €140 million is owed to Anglo Irish Bank and €160 million owed in mezzanine funding to Mellon Corporation, giving total bank debt of about €300 million. It is estimated the annual interest bill in 2007 would have been of the order of €30 million if all covenants were met.

Even if the entirety of licence fee funding for 2008 was given to TV3, it would still have potentially challenging levels of debt. The company and its investors accepted the original licence and the business risks, and the new investors have done likewise since 2006. The Irish television licence fee-payer is now being asked to contribute more to TV3 in this scenario.

It's the same evils as have beset eircom. TV3 has it easier than RTE. Less conditions on programs. More Adverts allowed. It could be profitable. Basically the Parasitical "so called" investors borrowed to buy and want the licence fee to pay their debts.

Leveraged buyouts and all similar funding for takeovers should be illegal. It's not "Investing", it's "Asset stripping".

Maybe he is measuring non-pay TV analogue only households. Which if you add pirate cable, pirate MMDS, Off Air UK Terrestrial reception, Freesat, FTA and cancelled Sky Digiboxes still in use is maybe only 20%

They also won't include the 20% of population with NO TV3 analogue coverage!

So that gets you that

TV3 has 26% viewing on the percentage of analogue only viewers that can get TV3. (15% approx of population?)
10% of the "multichannel" (free and pay TV) Market, 15% of payTV market?. (80%+ of Population?)

Just my thoughts...

The monies we have secured from the BCI is less than half the reduction in government advertising on TV3 in the first half of 2009. The decision-making process is opaque and overall to date we have secured only 15 per cent of the fund. Our audience share is about 27 per cent. Not only should we be getting our share of audience, we should be getting way above that.

TV3 are actually getting their audience share of the BCI sound and vision fund. BBC should also be given 15%, UTV 7% and C4 7% NO QUESTIONS ASKED :rolleyes:

Elmo wrote: »

But sure than your really just using statistics for you own ends. I believe that McRedmond was talking about the best day that TV3 had had in 2009 which had them on 26% of the audience for one day during prime time, kind of like TG4 saying they have 7% of the audience because of St. Patrick's Day. Or RTÉ ONE saying they have 50% because of The Toy Show :rolleyes:

Of course perhaps he was taking about TV3 share of the Advertising revenue If the report had said 26% of the audience in 4 TV land fine but it didn't.

Exactly.. My thoughts.

Statistics are useless without knowing where they come from and hwo they are gathered.

Ta. That's the article I was quoting and meant to link

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Statistics and hard facts were useless when McRedmond was in eircom, he simply lied through his teeth and the average Irish journalist uncritically wrote it down and never checked a thing

Why would it be different now he is lying for TV3 instead of eircom . ??

Perhaps someone could explain to me why Irish Journalist don't ask difficult questions. Generally their hard questions of RTÉ are ones we already know the answer to and often are just asked to give a quick kick to RTÉ. In saying that I don't really understand why the Irish Times let RTÉ write a full article filled with its own PR, but it seems to be more truth in what they are saying.

However take the following from RTÉ responce: -

It was notable in RTÉ’s view that TV3 secured BCI funds for highly populist programming such as Paul Williams’s series on gangland crime, Dirty Money.

I am sorry but the Licence Fee is used across RTÉ even for their populist programming.

The original reporter and the editor should both have been quick to point out TV3's erroneous statistics and RTÉ's superficial use of the licence fee.

I do agree that some of the funding that TV3 have received from the BCI for programming seems highly questionable: -

Something for the Weekend
Some celeb Parents talking about their celeb kids
Dirty Money
Living with Murder


Why not just give TV3 some money towards The Apprentice and Total Exposure.

watty wrote: »

Alternatively why give them any money?

Cathal Goan: because it our money,

(PR gather round the DG)

Cathal Goan: my money sorry I mean my money

(PR gather round the DG again)

Cathal Goan: What RTÉ means to say is the public money for a public company.

David McRedmond: I successfully told you we successfully rolled out Broadband when I was in Eircom, I will now successfully tell you how successfully we are at rolling out DTT.

Hilarious.

Looks like Setanta Hibernian is back in business and all
good for Irish DTT I'd say now their main objective is resolved. If they can get 2 two new investors on board that'll be good. I'd say I'd not be suprised if Doughty offloaded to Liberty TV3 in a few years...and being involved in DTT might suit Liberty in using cable capacity for broadband while pushing pay DTT using T2 and MPEG4 for the subs. They've a better future in that that cable TV and a way to expand nationwide. I'd say it wouldn't be long before new owner of Eircom might lose interest in DTT anyways maybe...so I think Setanta together with its local channels and DTT could work nicely for it and I see TV3 and UTV as the next targets for Liberty and perhaps an Irish news channel. That's probably where Liberty can take things with UPC becoming a broadband telecoms provider and internet TV/broadband and DTT. When you think of it that is Liberty's direction or strategy I would imagine. Its more strategic provided Setanta's Irish business is solid than waiting for Onevision to fail and also means less investment needed from it in DTT.
See: http://www.independent.ie/business/media/setanta-ireland-avoids-the-drop-with-rights-deal-1824468.html
In a statement, the Premier League said Setanta "was allowed to enter the sales process as a newly formed company and after having met certain criteria".

The newly formed company is understood to be known as 'Setanta Hibernian', and is backed by Setanta founders Leonard Ryan and Mickey O'Rourke, and concert promoter Denis Desmond, a long-term 20pc shareholder in the Irish business. The new company will also look to bring in fresh investment. UPC-owner Liberty Global and two other potential investors are already mulling over business plans.

Cable has no shortage of capacity to do BB and TV. DSL is used Hybrid with DTT, but not cable anywhere.

Also any interest Liberty might have for Setanta would be to do with having more cable content under their control instead of under Sky's control.

TV3 when you consider Debt is losing money. DTT pay would lose 40M+ the first year and 20M a year thereafter. I think in current realistic climate and post Setanta International collapse no investor will have the appetite for Pay DTT.

The reason I support Pay DTT, is for it to provide an alternative to UPC and Sky. Also combo boxes would aid switching between Sky and pay DTT. With cable/mmds its just that. You rent or disconnect. Pay DTT compliments FTA satellite. To be honest I think if necessary RTÉ should run pay DTT and also support combo boxes purely to offer an alternative, if Onevision don't go ahead. Otherwise DTT will be an unprofitable network and we might aswell all go MMDS and just not bother with DTT at all. So either go full hog or not at all. None of this fTA DTT only. That would be a waste of money. That means then FTA MMDS. If you're going to have a network it should pay and FTA elements and get the most return on capacity.

Regarding TV3 being loss making etc...if you look at Liberty, Channel South, City Channels, now Setanta, you can see why I'd say TV3 next. I'd add UTV to that. If there could be a merger of TV3 and UTV an all island channel would certainly have strengths. You also have spectrum released.

I agree with that Elmo....just don't want us to have later launch like Freeview and Top-up TV. I agree with RTÉ and we should have pay TV boxes at launch. Otherwise it makes the pay DTT end difficult to get going. I think the new Broadcasting Act is right. But I believe ComReg and the BAI should merge as An Bord Snip Nua and also Deputy Coveney submitted in debates. I think there's scope for pay DTT which mostly will be sport and movies. However I believe that RTÉ should have gotten 2 muxes and pay 2 not 3 and 1.

I believe that TG4 should be part of the RTÉ company albeit it with a seperate board , but just not a seperate company similar to CIE. I have suggested to the Minister that the Irish Film Channel should be part of TG4 for cost saving reasons, expertise etc...Why not. Likewise the Oireachtas Channel.

To be honest I think we should do away with the TG brand and make it RTÉ2. Current RTE2 should be CRTÉ brand instead.

You save on central advertising rates by bringing TG4 ad gather costs back into the RTÉ fold you save on branding. Then with the Irish Films Channel using Baile na HAbhainn.

BTW RTÉ Nuacht starts from TG4 studios today! I'd have thought that TG4 news should be coming from Montrose, ie the other direction given the cost savings of same, centrality of Dublin, guests etc..

Why not MMDS then, is it inferior to DTT? I'm not for only FTA DTT. No reason to only have cable or satellite choice. That's why I think am for Liberty as part of Onevision, that way at least you have two strong players. Sky on one hand, Liberty on the other. Of course not having liberty would be good but the thing is, less likely pay DTT goes bust with Liberty involved cos pay DTT is just good for UPC expanding subscriptions and areas where no cable is. So my answer watty is someone like UPC involved avoids pay DTT going bust so they wouldn't depend on it. Also for those with no cable, the combo option of satellite and pay DTT is an easy way snap people off Sky with only the box needing change for the customer, so convenient alternative with lots of free channels too and the Irish channels. Also by default a fta dtt combo box should be done by UPC just to save spectrum costs so that UPC get staying in the house regardless of subscription or not. It means you have the possibility at any time to sign the person up but you also have the free DTT channels similar to what sky do after 1 year sub

scath wrote: »

I believe that TG4 should be part of the RTÉ company albeit it with a seperate board , but just not a seperate company similar to CIE. I have suggested to the Minister that the Irish Film Channel should be part of TG4 for cost saving reasons, expertise etc...Why not. Likewise the Oireachtas Channel.

To be honest I think we should do away with the TG brand and make it RTÉ2. Current RTE2 should be CRTÉ brand instead.

You save on central advertising rates by bringing TG4 ad gather costs back into the RTÉ fold you save on branding. Then with the Irish Films Channel using Baile na HAbhainn.

BTW RTÉ Nuacht starts from TG4 studios today! I'd have thought that TG4 news should be coming from Montrose, ie the other direction given the cost savings of same, centrality of Dublin, guests etc..

And I cannot disagree with you more .

TG4 and the supporters for the Irish Language would hate to see RTÉ 2 become RTÉ á Dó, in the late 1980s and early 1990's RTÉ 2 or Network 2 was providing some Irish Language programming but not allot. It didn't work then.

And it cannot be CRTÉ because of the word would be leanaí hence LRTÉ or RTÉL.

Both TG4 and RTÉ have excellent children's brands in Cula4 and The Den no need to rebrand those brands. IMO.

RTÉ could sell advertising for TG4 as TG4 have never sold their own advertising, RTÉ Sales may have even tendered for it as TV3 may have also.

Nuacht RTÉ has been broadcasting since last Monday for BnaA.

I would hate to see more re-branding RTÉ isn't a strong brand and TG4 for operational reasons is better off out of the RTÉ mind set, as proven by their programming.

In saying all of this I believe that TG4 are currently over funded and their funds from the exchequer could be reduced to at least 30,000,000.

I think the lose of TG4 would be a far greater loose that you could imagine.

Also TV would be forgotten about if the BAI and ComReg became one. Over regulation of the Network with no regulation of Content.

watty wrote: »

ComReg over-regulate?

These people don't think so http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=682

What I mean is that they would be far more focused on Networks, energy providers, broadband etc than they would be for television content.

I mean they are Regulators in a deregulated world what are you expecting?

TG4 and the supporters for the Irish Language would hate to see RTÉ 2 become RTÉ á Dó, I agree, it is important for TG4 to be run seperately of RTE and programming shows that. I'm only saying to have 1 holding organisiation and 1 brand not two but 2 devolved subsidaries if you like, actually 3 add RTÉ Oireachtas and the Irish Film Board. I mean Radio Telifis Eireann means Radio Television Ireland. That implies Irish and English so I think a CIE situation where you have RTÉ English and RTÉ Irish (RnaG and TG4) so that TG4 just in terms of assets and overview they would have to seperate board but they would be one company brand as RTÉ. Its about saving money, saving money on branding while preserving the creative benefits of 2 seperate boards. That's my purpose, not to have RTÉ take back TG4....mind you they did a good job while TG4 was under RTÉ ownership of leaving it to do its thing. They also trained the TG4 staff so they must be given some credit but obviously there is more passion in TG4 probably to be cost effective rather than just a job its more a work of passion for people there.

I agree regarding RTEL (Leanai) but okay then CulaDen if you want a good brand made by RTÉL but Irish and english language kids programming should be mixed for the benefit of bilingual encouragement for kids. I take your point on that. But nieching is the way to go.


Nuacht RTÉ has not been broadcasting since last Monday from BnaA. Nope, is today, think u got that date wrong..see link: http://www.iftn.ie/broadcast/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4282318&tpl=archnews&force=1 says July 20th. That's today.

You probably thought I meant merge TG4 operationally into RTÉ mind set No, i just mean the brand and as a seperate subsidiary, with the powers it currently has, just the brand. I Moving TG4 to an RTÉ2 position would benefit TG4 in my opinion and move RTÉ2 to position 4 in ATT and DTT era.

I'm not talking about merging TG4 into RTÉ, just remove the TG4 brand. I would have favoured TG4 having the devolved power in their own right but within the RTÉ holding brand.

Regarding MMDS thanks Black Briar then you can see why DTT is a better option for UPC than MMDS. So they would only be replacing MMDS with DTT and so their imperative of profitability would not be much more than it currently is which is why probably or DTT it is better to have them involved in pay DTT. Cable has most to lose with pay DTT which is why with Liberty they would not push as hard for pay DTT except with those outside of cable land. They would then switch of their MMDS signal and return the spectrum

I agree have gone off topic. To be honest I just think TG4 is a pigeon hole for them.....I like the seperate graphics all that just I think more use of RTÉ brand should be made. It saves money in terms of advertising to use the same brand. I'd also like to see it repositioned to position 1 instead of RTE1 currently. I'd move RTÉ2 for now to position 4. okay...i sent idea to them. Let u know if hear back. They didn't like my last as I didn't consult before sending to minister. Mind u I was wrong, I didn't intend to not consult before submitting, just forgot to. Reason over-enthuisiasm lol

What happened?

I cann't see all the posts?