Why do people boast about not watching RTÉ?

Fann Linn · 09-11-2019 1:22pm

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

It would do your head in. It’s like some sort of badge of honour.

Not really. I have the complete Sky package including the sh1te channels like Dave and Comedy Gold etc. I put RTE in the same category.

Would I miss it if Dave, Comedy Gold or RTE were gone from my TV line up?
I don't think so, I 'd still have more than enough to keep me entertained.

storker · 09-11-2019 1:23pm

I watch very little RTE. It's not something I'm either proud or ashamed of, it's just a neutral fact. If RTE showed more things I wanted to watch, I'd be watching it. With so much time taken up by work, commuting and family, the idea that scarce, precious leisure time be spent watching something you've no interest in for the sake of "the common good" is just laughable. I do care about what happens in the country but the OP seems to suggest that you can only inform yourself by watching RTE, which is equally laughable.

09-11-2019 1:24pm

Fann Linn wrote: »

Not really. I have the complete Sky package including the sh1te channels like Dave and Comedy Gold etc. I put RTE in the same category.

Would I miss it if Dave, Comedy Gold or RTE were gone from my TV line up?
I don't think so, I 'd still have more than enough to keep me entertained.

That’s not what was said. I’d say you don’t go out of your way to tell everyone you don’t watch Dave at every opportunity like so many do with RTÉ.

smelly sock · 09-11-2019 1:24pm

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

It would do your head in. It’s like some sort of badge of honour.

I think its to do with wanting something in return for subsidising multiple salaries in excess of 100,000 euro.

But yeh its another reason for Tubridy and co to label us a whingers and call any kind of online criticism as toxic and bullying.

SnazzyPig · 09-11-2019 1:28pm

completedit wrote: »

Every time a discussion about RTÉ comes up, you’ll get the usual types who say ‘I just watch Netflix’, can nobody see how bad this is for society?
It’s important to have an engaged public, a public who cares about what’s happening in the country, whose engaged in some way in public discourse and one important medium this can be achieved is through a national broadcaster.
It was a much more interesting time when people actually were engaged in what was going on, and not just consumed by the latest binge series viewing on Netflix(which is ****e btw)

Making a sweeping statement about Netflix being ****e is a good indication of how dis-engaged you are. I don't watch much on Netflix, but I do know that it's the choice of the viewer that makes it good or bad.

Fr Tod Umptious · 09-11-2019 1:29pm

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

You don't need RTE to be engaged, informed or involved on public discourse

For people who don't watch RTE may I ask where do you get your Irish news from ?

Commercial TV ?
Commercial radio ?
Newspapers and their online presence ?

Oasis1974 · 09-11-2019 1:35pm

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

For people who don't watch RTE may I ask where do you get your Irish news from ?

Commercial TV ?
Commercial radio ?
Newspapers and their online presence ?

Unless Ireland is about to sink there simply is no news. Unless Gay Byrne died then it's the man who cured cancer mentality from the Irish press.

alchemist33 · 09-11-2019 1:39pm

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

For people who don't watch RTE may I ask where do you get your Irish news from ?

Commercial TV ?
Commercial radio ?
Newspapers and their online presence ?

There's probably a percentage who think you get news from twitter and youtube. FWIW I think there's a lot of waste at RTE but public service broadcasting is invaluable, especially news and current affairs.

Bobblehats · 09-11-2019 1:40pm

Turned on the other night. Heard ‘proud sponsor of Dublin murders’. I thought that doesn’t seem right and quickly turned off

Somedaythefire · 09-11-2019 1:41pm

SnazzyPig wrote: »

Making a sweeping statement about Netflix being ****e is a good indication of how dis-engaged you are. I don't watch much on Netflix, but I do know that it's the choice of the viewer that makes it good or bad.

He pretty much ruined his own post with that last line.

JohnnyFlash · 09-11-2019 1:44pm

People seem to want a future where Google, Facebook, and Twitter set, define, and present the news supported by a financial model based on data driven advertising. Where stats on what you consume and who you are define what you’re shown. Where you don’t pay for a licence, but pay with information that is sold to advertisers.

I think that’s a frightening and appalling future, but I’m in a minority it would appear.

Roger_007 · 09-11-2019 1:45pm

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

For people who don't watch RTE may I ask where do you get your Irish news from ?

Commercial TV ?
Commercial radio ?
Newspapers and their online presence ?

RTE is a commercial enterprise, is it not. That's the problem with RTE. It's masquerades as a public service broadcaster but it's takes advertising just like the other commercial broadcasters.

JohnnyFlash · 09-11-2019 1:51pm

Roger_007 wrote: »

RTE is a commercial enterprise, is it not. That's the problem with RTE. It's masquerades as a public service broadcaster but it's takes advertising just like the other commercial broadcasters.

Because it needs to do both. Would you be in favour of it just being funded by the licence fee? Loads of public service broadcasters also use advertising. The BBC doesn’t, but has the financial punch to produce shows like Sherlock that are sold all around the world. So it competes with HBO etc.

Loafing Oaf · 09-11-2019 1:55pm

_Brian wrote: »

Yea, yea.
My point is that because it has content for some many or indeed most people watch little and lots watch no RTE.

It should move to a subscription service. That way the revenue would match the demand and so be used to produce content for those interested. Give the pensioners a free pass.

No way it would be able to provide anything like its current offering on that basis though. Income would collapse with former licence fee payers opting out and they would have to take a scythe to arts, documentaries, Irish language etc. You'd end up with something like Virgin Media II.

EmmetSpiceland · 09-11-2019 1:59pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

Because it needs to do both. Would you be in favour of it just being funded by the licence fee?

I don’t want to go back to the days of RTÉ showing those weird “eastern bloc” cartoons.

Fr Tod Umptious · 09-11-2019 2:00pm

Roger_007 wrote: »

RTE is a commercial enterprise, is it not. That's the problem with RTE. It's masquerades as a public service broadcaster but it's takes advertising just like the other commercial broadcasters.

When I say commercial I mean privately owned.
Owned by an individual, a company etc.
Like Communicorp own Today FM and Newstalk, like Liberty Global (or something) own Virgin Media.

In that regard RTE is not commercial.
It has commercial revenue to supplement it's income.

The owner of a commercial broadcaster can have far more editorial clout than a government can have in a state owned broadcaster.

But you probably knew that already and we're just being obtuse for the sake of it.

Fr Tod Umptious · 09-11-2019 2:02pm

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

I don’t want to go back to the days of RTshowing those weird “eastern bloc” cartoons.

That's why for someone like myself today is a very important 30 year anniversary.

We grew up with the Eastern Bloc as part of European geography and politics, and those Czechoslovakia cartoons were part of it.

SnazzyPig · 09-11-2019 2:10pm

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

For people who don't watch RTE may I ask where do you get your Irish news from ?

Commercial TV ?
Commercial radio ?
Newspapers and their online presence ?

All of the above and more.

If I relied on RTE to remain informed I'd consider myself in an information wasteland.

Charles Babbage · 09-11-2019 2:11pm

sKeith wrote: »

Rte dont work in my home.
I pay my tv license.
I have an ad blocker.
I have whitelisted rte from ad blocker, but thats not good enough for rte. Rte want me to remove add blocker completely from my network in order to watch Rte just cause they don’t host the ads they want me to watch.

When rte fix this. Ill be able to watch rte. Until then, its rtes broken sites fault.

They do broadcast it, you know.

Fr Tod Umptious · 09-11-2019 2:15pm

SnazzyPig wrote: »

All of the above and more.

If I relied on RTE to remain informed I'd consider myself in an information wasteland.

But is RTE one of the "and more" ?

And if not why exclude the national broadcaster form ones news sources ?

ZeitgeistGlee · 09-11-2019 2:18pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

Because it needs to do both. Would you be in favour of it just being funded by the licence fee? Loads of public service broadcasters also use advertising. The BBC doesn’t, but has the financial punch to produce shows like Sherlock that are sold all around the world. So it competes with HBO etc.

Why? It makes no sense to fund RTE on the basis of competing with Sky, Virgin Media, Netflix or any of the other plethora of internet content providers.

If RTE's mandate and purpose is to produce cultural content and keep the public informed (as seems to be the eye-rollingly worded thrust of the OP) then what is it doing buying the rights to British, American and Australian programmes to pad out its own line-up. It might have a bit more money to produce more decent own dramas if it wasn't airing Hawaii Five-O at 2 in the morning.

Like I and many others have asserted, if RTE can't fill the timeslots of its channels without resorting to buying in content then maybe it should cut down the number of channels rather than yowling for a doubled licence fee. If Tubbs or Ray Darcy won't work for less 400k per year I can't say I'd be too broken up to see them go private and stop dipping their fingers into my pocket.

ChikiChiki · 09-11-2019 2:18pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

People seem to want a future where Google, Facebook, and Twitter set, define, and present the news supported by a financial model based on data driven advertising. Where stats on what you consume and who you are define what you’re shown. Where you don’t pay for a licence, but pay with information that is sold to advertisers.

I think that’s a frightening and appalling future, but I’m in a minority it would appear.

I don't think I have ever agreed with anything you posted but this is definitely something we have common ground on. Absolutely 100% correct.

Huntergonzo · 09-11-2019 2:20pm

I occasionally watch sport on RTE, but short of that I could probably count on one hand the amount of times I turn it on and watch it in a year.

But if you want to be engaged with public discourse or care about what's going on in your country then there are more options than RTE! Our state broadcaster is as full of shít and pushes as many agendas as any other broadcaster.

RTE selects what's 'important' and 'relevant' and presents it in a biased manner that suits them, so if you like their brand of BS then have at it but you shouldn't criticize other people for not being interested.

Personally I'm not overly interested in current affairs because it's a never ending cycle (for eg, can you really remember that 'scandal' from 2014 or even last week for that matter!) and to me it's just not worth the hassle, plus a large portion of it is either lies or not relevant to me.

Ps, I don't have netflix either, nothing against it, I just wouldn't use it enough to justify paying for it.

storker · 09-11-2019 2:23pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

People seem to want a future where Google, Facebook, and Twitter set, define, and present the news supported by a financial model based on data driven advertising. Where stats on what you consume and who you are define what you’re shown. Where you don’t pay for a licence, but pay with information that is sold to advertisers.

I think that’s a frightening and appalling future, but I’m in a minority it would appear.

In that case I'm in there with you. Anyone who relies on Facebook for current affairs knowledge is an idiot. And Twitter is not news. The content deciders of mainstream media should all commit that to memory and write it out a thousand times and stop giving it an importance it doesn't deserve, lazily lifting "stories" from it as if some fool's opinion actually means something just because it gets a wide audience. Ironically, by giving Twitter such prominence, they may be contributing to their own demise.

Raconteuse · 09-11-2019 2:26pm

I think RTE television is fairly poor overall but if I like something on it, I watch it. This "Must not watch it because it's on RTE" thing - why would you be bothered? Also it's obviously gonna be the best source overall of Irish news stories, biased news features or not.

Prime Time and Prime Time Investigates are great imo. And they do some very good one-off historical documentaries (e.g. about northern Ireland).

storker · 09-11-2019 2:27pm

pgj2015 wrote: »

they are just self hating Irish people usually, RTE is Irish so they pretend not to watch it.

And the evidence for this wild, sweeping assumption...?

I won't hold my breath.

storker · 09-11-2019 2:36pm

Raconteuse wrote: »

I think RTE television is fairly poor overall but if I like something on it, I watch it. This "Must not watch it because it's on RTE" thing - why would you be bothered?

I don't even know anyone who thinks like this. I suspect that people who watch no or very little RTE don't watch it because with so much choice available, that's just how their viewing tends to work out. I wouldn't assume either that people are boasting they say how little they watch RTE. I suspect that the OP is either trolling here or has such a big (but obviously not very sharp) axe to grind that he/she can't conceive of someone's non-RTE watching being a result of anything other than wilful ignorance.

GooglePlus · 09-11-2019 2:41pm

RTÉ is terrible.

The news is probably the only half decent thing on it and even that's embarrassing at the best of times. I only watched a piece on Gay Byrne during the 6:01 and the audio failed in many parts.

People aren't watching RTÉ anymore because they now have better options, there is nothing more to it.

The fact that they even ask for a TV licence fee baffles me, as the quality of programming has been in decline for years, so where does the money actually go?

You have BBC dishing out the likes of Planet Earth and Line of Duty, which is time better spent in comparison to learning how to weave a basket watching Nationwide every evening.

It's nothing to do with society, RTÉ is just a terrible channel that's stuck in time.

Always Tired · 09-11-2019 2:42pm

completedit wrote: »

Every time a discussion about RTÉ comes up, you’ll get the usual types who say ‘I just watch Netflix’, can nobody see how bad this is for society?
It’s important to have an engaged public, a public who cares about what’s happening in the country, whose engaged in some way in public discourse and one important medium this can be achieved is through a national broadcaster.
It was a much more interesting time when people actually were engaged in what was going on, and not just consumed by the latest binge series viewing on Netflix(which is ****e btw)

You think RTE tells you whats really going on? Ah, lad.

Huntergonzo · 09-11-2019 2:43pm

GooglePlus wrote: »

RTÉ is terrible.

The news is probably the only half decent thing on it and even that's embarrassing at the best of times. I only watched a piece on Gay Byrne during the 6:01 and the audio failed in many parts.

People aren't watching RTÉ anymore because they now have better options, there is nothing more to it.

The fact that they even ask for a TV licence fee baffles me, as the quality of programming has been in decline for years, so where does the money actually go?

You have BBC dishing out the likes of Planet Earth and Line of Duty, which is time better spent in comparison to learning how to weave a basket watching Nationwide every evening.

It's nothing to do with society, RTÉ is just a terrible channel that's stuck in time.

Ye but RTE has Pulling With My Parents and Sunday Mass :-)

billyhead · 09-11-2019 2:46pm

banie01 wrote: »

To justify not paying a license fee?
To signal they don't buy into "state propoganda"?
To signal that they are far too smart for the sheeple Shepards?
To signal they are intellectual and require intelligent discourse?
To label those that do, as contemptible?

But...

I'm gonna go with the 1st 1

You still need a tv license to watch netflix.

Leg End Reject · 09-11-2019 2:52pm

billyhead wrote: »

You still need a tv license to watch netflix.

If you watch it on a TV.

Bob24 · 09-11-2019 2:55pm

billyhead wrote: »

You still need a tv license to watch netflix.

On a laptop? On a phone? On a tablet? On a projector or a large monitor which has no tuner and is getting Netflix through an Apple TV or another similar device?

No you don’t need a licence.

Zird · 09-11-2019 2:58pm

I think people who don't follow Irish politics are lucky because it's all an act anyway. Two identical parties being both in government and leading the opposition for the best part of the last 100 years.

Bowlardo · 09-11-2019 2:59pm

I give out about paying the €160 every year but €13.50 a month is fair enough.

RTE claim they are losing out €50 million a year on unpaid fees-
Very easy to solve that lump it on to the property tax and every house hold pays it.

2fm, RTE 2 need to be shut down/sold.
Ray Darcy CHOP ... away with you who likes him or listens to him?
Miriam CHOP you absolute pain in the hole.

I also don’t believe them when it will cost more to set up a green site somewhere off the m50

Bob24 · 09-11-2019 3:04pm

Bowlardo wrote: »

RTE claim they are losing out €50 million a year on unpaid fees-
Very easy to solve that lump it on to the property tax and every house hold pays it.

Changing the collection method in itself wouldn’t help with unpaid fees as it wouldn’t solve the problem of identifying who is liable and not paying.

If you are suggesting to make every household liable no matter what, then it is not a discussion about collecting unpaid fees anymore, but one about extending liability it a new ground of people - very different.

SnazzyPig · 09-11-2019 3:07pm

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

But is RTE one of the "and more" ?

And if not why exclude the national broadcaster form ones news sources ?

Yes, RTE would be one of the 'and more', but more a source of verification of news I will have picked up somewhere else, and solely for Irish news.

I should say that I get my RTE news entirely from their website, and can't remember the last time I watched their TV channel news.

They rank somewhere between 8 and 10 as a news source for me.

donegal_man · 09-11-2019 3:16pm

Huntergonzo wrote: »

Ye but RTE has... Sunday Mass :-)

In fairness I'd argue that showing Mass and Divine Service is part of it's public service remit. My exes father has been unwell for some time and like many older people his religion is important to him so being able to "attend" Sunday Service via RTE brings him comfort and pleasure.

jenna_haze · 09-11-2019 3:18pm

Had Sky TV years ago , cancelled Sub, got a Freeview sat box, i have no way to watch RTE, have not seen it in 5+ years, i dont feel i have missed anything.
Dont Listen to Radio, its Spotify and audiobooks for me.

Loafing Oaf · 09-11-2019 3:19pm

donegal_man wrote: »

In fairness I'd argue that showing Mass and Divine Service is part of it's public service remit. My exes father has been unwell for some time and like many older people his religion is important to him so being able to "attend" Sunday Service via RTE brings him comfort and pleasure.

So finally we have an answer to the question

EmmetSpiceland · 09-11-2019 3:26pm

donegal_man wrote: »

In fairness I'd argue that showing Mass and Divine Service is part of it's public service remit. My exes father has been unwell for some time and like many older people his religion is important to him so being able to "attend" Sunday Service via RTE brings him comfort and pleasure.

A few churches do live streams now. Let the pious get their comfort there.

Last thing we need is the classic RTÉ “balance” and end up having Jewish and Islamic services broadcast as well.

God has no place in State broadcasting.

Alf Veedersane · 09-11-2019 3:27pm

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

For people who don't watch RTE may I ask where do you get your Irish news from ?

Commercial TV ?
Commercial radio ?
Newspapers and their online presence ?

A variety of sources.

I've nothing against RTE and i occasionally watch it but I can't think of a time where I found out anything new through RTE or heard an opinion that was different to anything I'd heard/read already.

Do you think that you need RTÉ to be informed, engaged and capable of engaging in public discourse?

09-11-2019 3:31pm

pgj2015 wrote: »

they are just self hating Irish people usually, RTE is Irish so they pretend not to watch it.

So much truth in this.

Huntergonzo · 09-11-2019 3:34pm

donegal_man wrote: »

In fairness I'd argue that showing Mass and Divine Service is part of it's public service remit. My exes father has been unwell for some time and like many older people his religion is important to him so being able to "attend" Sunday Service via RTE brings him comfort and pleasure.

Personally I disagree that it's part of the public remit to spread outdated superstition.

Also given the horrendous abuse and damage caused by the Catholic cult, I think it's astonishing and disheartening to see our public broadcaster still facilitating them.

However I do not/will not ever be watching it, so while I completely disagree with broadcasting mass, I'm not the type to go around looking to be outraged, so if aul Jim or Mary wants mass, let them have mass.

Kivaro · 09-11-2019 3:42pm

Emery Gentle Babel wrote: »

RTE's coverage of issues is hopelessly biased.

E.g., if the topic of Travellers comes up, RTE will represent them as victims of settled society, air a few sob stories, interview someone from Pavee Point who will say "ethnic minority" a dozen times, and then call for more spending on this or that to benefit them.

100% guaranteed that RTE will make no mention of Traveller criminality, feuding, bare-knuckle fighting, anti-social behaviour, marrying off girls to their cousins at 16, etc. No mention of how elderly people in rural Ireland have been terrorized by Traveller gangs.

Numerous issues are whitewashed in the same way.

RTE is not objective, and should not be trusted to engage the public in an honest, balanced dialogue. Everything is slanted towards their own insular D4 point of view, and anyone with a contrary opinion rarely gets a look in.

This.

I would imagine that if RTE provided us with impartial reporting then there would be some sympathy from the general public for their cause, and some might even support their TV License fee increase request.
But they are so obviously liberally biased in their reporting and the way they give us the liberal slant in pretty much all news items is nothing but a disservice to the people in this country that have to pay for RTE hierarchy views.

Because of this disservice, I would like to see RTE shut down completely, and rebooted as a service that the people of Ireland want, and not what the executive board of RTE believe we should have.

Huntergonzo · 09-11-2019 3:44pm

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

So much truth in this.

I'm absolutely brilliant at pretending not to watch RTE, I'm so dedicated to pretending that I actually stopped watching it for real!

It's been tough, I'm missing so many quality programs but I gotta keep this ruse going dammit!!

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 09-11-2019 3:45pm

Better presenters, less nepotism, better documentaries and I’ll start watching again. I had the popcorn out practically rewatching retro LLS debates this week. That can be replicated with the right talent. Not Tubs.

nkl12xtw5goz70 · 09-11-2019 3:53pm

Bowlardo wrote: »

RTE claim they are losing out €50 million a year on unpaid fees

It's worth noting that RTE arrives at that €50 million figure by adding together the households that don't have a TV with the households that have a TV but evade the licence fee.

This is disingenuous maths. Households without a TV are not required to pay the licence, and so this should not be calculated as revenue "lost" to RTE.

Huntergonzo · 09-11-2019 3:57pm

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

Better presenters, less nepotism, better documentaries and I’ll start watching again. I had the popcorn out practically rewatching retro LLS debates this week. That can be replicated with the right talent. Not Tubs.

Tubridy is just awful, I honestly didn't think RTE could get worse than Pat Kenny when it comes to hosting a light entertainment chat show but fairplay to them, somehow they done it.

At least Kenny had cringe, fish out of water moments that made him inadvertently funny, but Tubridy is just nothing, crickets and tumbleweed!

Bobblehats · 09-11-2019 3:59pm

When Francis is dropped off in the jungles of Borneo with nothing but a piece of flint and his own instincts for a compass then my fee will be justified.

Why do people boast about not watching RTÉ?

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