RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock
Encyclopedia
RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock (also known as the Nine O'Clock News) is the flagship evening news programme for Irish television channel RTÉ One
. It is presented by Anne Doyle
, and deputised by Eileen Dunne
. It is the final comprehensive news programme of the day on RTÉ One. The main evening news was previously broadcast at 10:00pm.
It is broadcast Monday to Sunday from 9:00pm to 9:30pm and features thirty minutes of Irish national and international and regional news. On Saturday the main evening news is broadcast at a different time to accommodate other programmes.
RTÉ followed the BBC in having its news bulletins presented by newsreader
, (ie, professional readers, often actors) who took no part on news gathering but simply read a script presented to them.
Among the most prominent 9:30pm news readers were Charles Mitchel
and Maurice O'Doherty
. By the September 23, 1974, when the broadcast was moved to 9:00pm, they were joined by Don Cockburn, while Derek Davis
and others took on the task in the 1980, as first Mitchell and then O'Doherty retired.
and Eileen Dunne
.
RTÉ's news-style is heavily modelled on the BBC
. It places less emphasis on set and graphics than bulletins on ITV News
or Sky News
.
Traditionally three separate elements were incorporated within the bulletin: news, sports results and the weather forecast. The weather forecast was subsequently separated and is now broadcast directly after the news bulletin. There is usually no sports mentioned unless a major event is occurring with the main night sports bulletin being broadcast on RTÉ News on Two
instead.
politician David Ervine
had died following complications from a heart attack. His death was given extensive coverage on RTÉ News: Nine O' Clock that night, with newsreader Anne Doyle
going so far as to say he had just died as she was reading the headlines, and tributes beginning to pour in from RTÉ's Northern Editor Tommie Gorman
, but this was retracted at the end of the bulletin. Whether he was alive or dead was to be disputed as confusion and panic arose following the broadcast, prompting Anne Doyle to state that she could neither confirm nor deny his death. He then died the following day.
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
. It is presented by Anne Doyle
Anne Doyle
Anne Doyle is a newsreader for the Irish broadcaster, Raidió Teilifís Éireann . She currently presents RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock. She is "the most popular television newsreader for a generation" and is regarded as an icon....
, and deputised by Eileen Dunne
Eileen Dunne
Eileen Dunne is an Irish newscaster and radio presenter. She currently presents RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock on RTÉ One and is afternoon newsreader on RTÉ Radio....
. It is the final comprehensive news programme of the day on RTÉ One. The main evening news was previously broadcast at 10:00pm.
It is broadcast Monday to Sunday from 9:00pm to 9:30pm and features thirty minutes of Irish national and international and regional news. On Saturday the main evening news is broadcast at a different time to accommodate other programmes.
Early history
In the December 31, 1961 of the station the main bulletin was broadcast on the half-hour, at 9:00pm, as were the station's radio bulletins, where were broadcast at 1:30pm and 6:30pm. In September 23, 1974 it was decided to move the main news to 9:00pm. The radio bulletins were also moved, in stages, with the 6:30pm news, being moved until 1990.RTÉ followed the BBC in having its news bulletins presented by newsreader
News presenter
A news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather...
, (ie, professional readers, often actors) who took no part on news gathering but simply read a script presented to them.
Among the most prominent 9:30pm news readers were Charles Mitchel
Charles Mitchel
Charles Gerald Mitchel was an Irish actor and broadcaster best known as a newsreader for the RTÉ News from 1961 until 1984. He was the first person to read the news on Telefís Éireann.-Early life:...
and Maurice O'Doherty
Maurice O'Doherty
Maurice O'Doherty was an Irish broadcaster best known as a newsreader for the RTÉ News from 1966 until 1983. As a contemporary of Charles Mitchel the two men made the Nine O'Clock News the most watched news programme on Irish television....
. By the September 23, 1974, when the broadcast was moved to 9:00pm, they were joined by Don Cockburn, while Derek Davis
Derek Davis
Derek Orlando Davis is an Irish broadcaster. On television, he has co-hosted Live at 3, presented Out of the Blue and won Celebrity Bainisteoir.-Early life:...
and others took on the task in the 1980, as first Mitchell and then O'Doherty retired.
Current programme
The bulletin usually runs for 30 minutes, including an advertising break which divides the broadcast in two. Though a number of presenters read bulletins, the principal newsreaders for the 9 O'Clock News are Anne DoyleAnne Doyle
Anne Doyle is a newsreader for the Irish broadcaster, Raidió Teilifís Éireann . She currently presents RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock. She is "the most popular television newsreader for a generation" and is regarded as an icon....
and Eileen Dunne
Eileen Dunne
Eileen Dunne is an Irish newscaster and radio presenter. She currently presents RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock on RTÉ One and is afternoon newsreader on RTÉ Radio....
.
RTÉ's news-style is heavily modelled on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. It places less emphasis on set and graphics than bulletins on ITV News
ITV News
ITV News is the branding of news programmes on the British television network ITV. Since 1955, ITV's news bulletins have been produced by Independent Television News . The channel's news coverage has won awards from the Royal Television Society, Emmy Awards and BAFTAs. Between 2004 and 2008, the...
or Sky News
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
.
Traditionally three separate elements were incorporated within the bulletin: news, sports results and the weather forecast. The weather forecast was subsequently separated and is now broadcast directly after the news bulletin. There is usually no sports mentioned unless a major event is occurring with the main night sports bulletin being broadcast on RTÉ News on Two
RTÉ News on Two
RTÉ News on Two is RTÉ's late evening news programme. The program is broadcast Monday-Thursday on the Irish RTÉ Two TV channel. It does not have a regular time slot, but is usually broadcast at some point between 22:45 and 23:30. It runs for 22 minutes....
instead.
Controversy
On Sunday January 7, 2007, the programme was embroiled in controversy after reporting that Northern IrishNorthern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
politician David Ervine
David Ervine
David Ervine was a Northern Irish politician and the leader of the Progressive Unionist Party .-Biography:...
had died following complications from a heart attack. His death was given extensive coverage on RTÉ News: Nine O' Clock that night, with newsreader Anne Doyle
Anne Doyle
Anne Doyle is a newsreader for the Irish broadcaster, Raidió Teilifís Éireann . She currently presents RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock. She is "the most popular television newsreader for a generation" and is regarded as an icon....
going so far as to say he had just died as she was reading the headlines, and tributes beginning to pour in from RTÉ's Northern Editor Tommie Gorman
Tommie Gorman
Tommie Gorman is an Irish journalist. He has worked for RTÉ News and Current Affairs since 1980. He is currently the Northern Ireland editor for RTÉ....
, but this was retracted at the end of the bulletin. Whether he was alive or dead was to be disputed as confusion and panic arose following the broadcast, prompting Anne Doyle to state that she could neither confirm nor deny his death. He then died the following day.