Tag Archives: RTE

Staying In Tomorrow Night?

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From RTE:

Michelle Heaton; Aslan on celebrating 30 years in the music business;  the Irish couple who survived the capsizing of the Costa Concordia, and with Valentine’s only days away we have a panel discussing dating including chef Dylan McGrath, model Holly Carpenter, Geraldine O’Callaghan from The Apprentice and reporter Henry McKean.  Plus a performance from X-Factor winner Matt Cardle .

Sort of miss George Hook now.

An Internet Tax, You Say?

John Kennedy writes:

A proposed levy to replace the €160 a year TV licence is expected to being imposed on properties whether or not there is a TV on the premises. This is based on a perception that they are accessing programmes via the internet on iPads and iPhones.

Granted, I’m a big fan of State broadcaster RTE’s website and various iPad and iPhone apps. Especially the iPad app for RTE Player, it’s sublime. RTE has done a fantastic job with its internet and catch-up digital content strategy.

But that does not mean my next door neighbour gets his or her news or programming that way. This is a sweeping assumption by the State.

The idea of an internet tax to pay for the State broadcaster could be very unpopular if you conclude that the internet is an international phenomenon and has opened up a world of information – people can get news from anywhere, from blogs, from social networks and any number of overseas broadcasters or newspapers.

 

Do The Irish People Want To Pay An Internet Tax? (John Kennedy, Silicon Republic)

The RTE ‘Monkey Tennis’ Challenge: Day 2

Following the announcement of RTE’s new show ‘Undercover Bishop’, some new programme ideas have emerged:

‘The Angelus Redux’ - the longer, uncut version of the popular teatime favourite. Contains more bongs, more pauses and extra stills of religious icons. (Joe Donnelly)

‘Christy Dignam’s Crazy World’ – Aslan front man host two hours of the most inane videos from the internet. Cats, Farting Dogs, Lana Del Ray (James M Chimney)

‘Sell Your Granny’ - Have you got it in you? Jackie Lavin hosts (Dougdawg).

‘My Left Footloose’ - Cerebral Palsy sufferers get to judge the dancing prowess of Ireland’s literary elite (Cionn)

‘Lady Gaa Gaa’ - A six part ground-breaking documentary series exploring the sometimes secret, sometimes violent, sometimes heartbreaking world of ladies inter-county camogie (James M Chimney)

Do you have a telly show idea that deserves to be heard? The 10 considered most-surreal-yet-plausible will become part of a soon-to-be lovingly-designed parody of the RTE Guide listings. Make your pitch below.

Lines Close at 1pm (Extended to 4.45pm).

UPDATE: And here are the winning entries: RTE Guide. Only Better 

(Photocall Ireland)

Monkey Tennis?

This just in.

New shows on RTE this Spring.

From the RTE Spring schedule press release:

 A major new documentary looks at what life after the Euro might look like in Ireland Outside The Euro?

John Bowman’s definitive two-part documentary, Into the Light: The Battles that Shaped Our TV (working title), tracing how RTÉ’s confrontations with Government, the Church and other powerful forces have shaped our television.

Living Colour is a an extraordinary film exploring the world of an unusual artists’ collective in Callan, Co. Kilkenny, where the focus is on the artists’ abilities rather than their special needs.

Nomads No More is a one-hour documentary that sees two US anthropologists returning to Ireland after 40 years to revisit the Travelling community they studied and lived with all those years ago.

 There will also be a major new documentary on Nuala O’Faoilan.

A new six-part series of Reality Bites will give viewers a slice of Irish life looking at everything from our bedtime habits to distressed property auctions to the Irish rap scene.

New series Dead Money will follow the work of heir hunters as they try to track down the next-of-kin of intestate people to pass on unexpected inheritances.

John Kelly returns to present The Works a new Arts magazine alongside new reporters Sinead Gleeson, Nadine O’Regan and Kevin Gildea.

Also airing will be documentary Triúr and Masterpiece:  Ireland’s Most-Loved Painting is a major new programme that will kick off a five-week RTÉ-wide campaign to find Ireland’s favourite painting.

Fibín – Sétanta In The City follows the creative collaboration and the transfer of a new play by Paul Mercier from the old schoolhouse in Cois Fharraige to a sell out run in The Peacock in Dublin.

Aerphort is a new series looking at some of the stories behind the departure gates at our airports.

And finally (yes, it’s real):

Undercover Bishop asks searching questions about what the Church – and what a Bishop – is for, as one Irish bishop dispenses with the deference-inducing trappings of his job to mix with people unawares.

Do you have a telly show idea that deserves to be heard? The 10 considered most-surreal-yet-plausible will become part of a soon-to-be lovingly-designed parody of the RTE Guide listings. Make your pitch below.

Lines close 1pm tomorrow (Tuesday)

Staying In Tomorrow Night?

From RTE:

Journalist and broadcaster Brendan O’Connor will be joined by another great line-up of guests this Saturday on The Saturday Night Show on RTÉ One for an entertaining mix of lively chat, comedy and music.

Just some of the guests joining Brendan in studio this week include Rachel Allen in her only interview following the controversy that emerged this week over hunting pictures of her posted on Facebook.

Julian Simmons talks about his career as a flamboyant and much-loved continuity announcer on UTV, his passion for the airline industry and his recent recovery from a quadruple heart bypass.

Twitter may literally explode.

On The Dolio

Eamonn Young writes:

With the huge dole queues all over the country, you’d think RTE could have gotten a photo of an Irish dole queue for their article on the live register numbers dropping as opposed to a picture of a Spanish dole queue (above).

“As The Clock Struck Midnight, Just Short Of ONE MILLION People Tuned In.”

Broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan was celebrating last night after attracting record viewing figures when ringing in the new year.

RTE’s New Year’s Eve programme, traditionally a ratings disaster, bucked the trend this year, attracting an average of 689,000 viewers and a 52pc audience share. As the clock struck midnight, just short of one million people tuned in. The average figures were nearly double the number a year earlier when Grainne Seoige hosted a New Year’s Eve special of the ‘All Ireland Talent Show’, which attracted 375,000 viewers and 31pc share.

“I was really worried because New Year’s Eve is a funny night,” Ms O’Callaghan revealed. “I knew it was a challenge but we turned something which had small viewers last year into mega viewers this year.”

Record Ratings For Miriam On New Year’s Eve Show (Ken Sweeney, Irish Independent)

Previously: 2012: Already terrible

Unfortunately Timed Book Launch Of The Day

Top: John Bowman and Enda Kenny. Bottom: RTE Authority Chairman Tom Savage and Gay Byrne.

TELEVISION HAD “accelerated the massive social transformation” in Irish society over the past 50 years, broadcaster John Bowman said last night.

He was speaking at the launch of his book, Window and Mirror: RTÉ Television 1961- 2011, which looks at the key moments and controversies since RTÉ Television first began broadcasting.

Launching the volume, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said it was a wonderful read by a broadcaster who had “the kind of decency and integrity we all aspire to in our lives on a daily basis”.

Enormous impact: new book on RTÉ Television (Irish Times) 

Meanwhile, in other news…

(Sasko lazarov/Photocall Ireland)

Because You’re Not Worth It

MARIAN FINUCANE, who only broadcasts four hours a week, does not believe anybody is worth her salary of over €500,000.

The presenter did not seek to defend her salary when talking to freelance journalist, Sue Leonard, about her new book on 12 of her Saturday radio interviews.

The Marian Finucane Show on RTÉ Radio 1 is the highest-rating weekend radio show in Ireland and Finucane was one of the top four, best-paid presenters in 2009.

Finucane earned fees of €513,270 in 2009, down 10% from €570,000 the previous year.

Nobody worth €500k a year, says Finucane (Irish Examiner)

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