RTÉ Television
Encyclopedia
RTÉ Television is a department of Ireland
's state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann
.
The first channel to broadcast was Telefís Éireann which began broadcasting on 31 December 1961. Since the 1960s, RTÉ Television has rapidly changed to include further television channels and provide television services with the latest digital technologies.
, television services were available though limited from Northern Ireland
through BBC Northern Ireland
and UTV
.
Proposed Channels
With the launch of digital terrestrial television in the Republic of Ireland
. Saorview
will give RTÉ the opportunity to offer viewers greater choice. In the Republic of Ireland
and Northern Ireland
RTÉ aspire to provide viewers with additional channels which will include a high-definition channel RTÉ Two HD Select, RTÉ Plus
, a combined offering of RTÉ's children's services which includes RTÉjr
and TRTÉ
and RTÉ Aertel Digital which will include an enhanced digital teletext service. Existing services include RTÉ One
, RTÉ Two
and RTÉ News Now
.
RTÉ International
has been put forward for the last number of years. The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Recourses would like to see the roll out of this service in the near future however RTÉ's main area of International Broadcast has been to provide their services via their website and RTÉ Player
.
It was initially proposed that RTÉ Three
would be part of the forthcoming services as details of this channels were provided to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland
(BAI) with RTÉ NL's application for the commercial DTT Muxes with UPC Ireland
under the name EasyTV.
, plus five mountain tops as transmission sites, which were also equipped for FM radio transmission. However, since Éamon de Valera
was somewhat wary of television, nothing more of consequence was done until Seán Lemass
succeeded him as Taoiseach
in 1959. A year later, Radio Éireann was converted from an arm of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs
into a semi-state body
and given responsibility for television. Eamonn Andrews
was appointed as the new chairman.
Telefís Éireann began broadcasting at 19:00 on New Year's Eve
, 1961. (It was originally supposed to go on the air on Christmas
of that year, but Andrews gave the 'Radio Éireann' staff time off for Christmas.) The opening address by President de Valera
described the benefits and disadvantages of the new medium; he went on to say that 'Like atomic energy, it can be used for incalculable good, but it can also do irreparable harm.' There were other messages from Cardinal d'Alton and Lemass; following this, a live concert was broadcast from the Gresham Hotel in Dublin. The show, which was a countdown to the New Year, was hosted by Andrews, with appearances by Patrick O'Hagan, the Artane Boys' Band and Michael O'Hehir
.
Television opened up a completely new world to the Irish people. Topics which were hitherto not discussed in Ireland
, such as abortion, contraception and various other controversial topics, were now being openly discussed in television studios; The Late Late Show
, which began in July 1962 and continues to run on RTÉ One. Its original host, Gay Byrne
, pioneered many of these discussions, and has been credited with being a major influence in the changing social structure of Ireland
.
RTÉ was the first broadcaster to have public System I 625-line transmissions in 1962, two years before the launch of BBC Two
in that format. The broadcaster made its first official colour transmissions in 1969 – although a mistake in standards conversion may have transmitted the 1968 Wimbledon Men's Finals
in colour. The first programme made in colour by RTÉ was the documentary special "John Hume's Derry", under the 7 Days
banner. Since 1969 RTÉ could transmit programmes made in colour which were imported from UK & US which were shown on RTÉ Television. The next phase was outside-broadcasts in colour, and the first was Ireland's hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest 1971 & Railway Cup Finals 1971, the first of many such productions by RTE. The first studios at RTÉ's headquarters in Donnybrook went into colour in 1972. This was followed by the news studios in 1974. All of RTÉ's studios at Donnybrook
, Dublin were equipped for colour broadcasts by 1976. The last studio in RTÉ to go into colour was Studio 1 the then-home of Ireland's flagship talkshow The Late Late Show.
In 1977, a new government came to power, and as one of its many promises, the government quickly authorised a second channel to be run by RTÉ. RTÉ 2
's remit was to provide alternative television. As a consequence, the original RTÉ 2 schedule had many live relays of British programmes; however, there was also some original RTÉ 2 programming. The new television channel went on the air on 2 November 1978, and the opening night featured a gala variety show from the Cork
Opera House.
In 1987, RTÉ 2 was renamed Network 2, with the revamp intended to revive flagging viewership ratings, with many preferring to watch BBC Northern Ireland
or UTV
, both accessible within much of the Republic. All sports coverage was transferred to the newly renamed channel, along with all children's programmes. The few Irish-language programmes provided by RTÉ were now broadcast on Network 2, although RTÉ One now also broadcasts Irish-language programmes.
In 1992, RTÉ became a shareholder in Euronews
. The 24 hour pan-European news channel operated by members of the European Broadcasting Union
.
Although Irish language programmes, such as news bulletins (Nuacht) and the long-running documentary series Léargas ('insight'), have been an integral part of the schedule, a new Irish-language TV service, Teilifís na Gaeilge (now TG4
), began broadcasting in 1996.
Ahead of the 50th anniversary of RTÉ Television, John Bowman wrote a history of RTÉ Television called Window and Mirror. RTÉ Television: 1961-2011, which was launched by launched by Taoiseach
Enda Kenny
at the National Museum in Dublin on 23 November 2011.
. RTÉ Cork, opened in 1995 and became a huge success. It also became a large contributor to network output on both Radio One and RTÉ One.
, US
, Australia
, New Zealand
and Canada
. Foreign language movies (and more rarely, television shows) are occasionally aired, and are subtitled in English rather than dubbed. From 20 September RTÉ Two
's long running children's strand The Den
is to be replaced by RTÉjr
and TRTÉ
.
Great Britain
International
In the meantime, all RTÉ news and current affairs programmes, as well as specials like the St. Patrick's Day parade and Easter mass, started to stream live free around the world on 17 March 2007 at http://www.rte.ie/live/. RTÉ have since launched an international versions of the RTÉ player
which provides access to RTÉ News Now
as a live stream and access to made of their Irish programmes.
From the outset, RTÉ had faced competition from key European broadcasters, particularly the United Kingdom's BBC
. RTÉ's approach was pragmatic, as it introduced cable television
in the 1970s, initially known as RTÉ Relays, and subsequently (following mergers with other companies) as Cablelink, although it later sold its stake in the company, to NTL Ireland
which has now become UPC Ireland
. In the 1990s, further competition came from satellite television
, especially from Sky
. UK terrestrial TV channels are now commonly available throughout the Republic of Ireland, but the number of channels received varies depending on the region. Despite this availability, RTÉ still manages to achieve over 40% of the total TV audience for all channels.
) has been available online on RTÉ.ie
. In May 2009, RTÉ launched RTÉ player
which is an on demand catch-up service.
s for both RTÉ One and RTÉ Two in 2004 a move which has proven somewhat controversial despite TV3 using them from the outset and TG4 since 1999. In late 2004, RTÉ produced the third series of the talent show 'You're a Star' in widescreen (i.e. the aspect ratio of 16:9). This was RTÉ's first official 16:9 production but the programme wasn't actually available to viewers in 16:9 format even on digital platforms. Instead, it was broadcast like all other 16:9 programmes in the 14:9 'letterbox' aspect ratio. It was not until March 2005 that RTÉ One and RTÉ Two began broadcasting some programmes in true 16:9 format on digital platforms. This was followed by a complete switchover to 16:9 output on both television channels in May 2005 with the exception of a few programmes. This did not require a make-over of the on-screen identity of the two channels because all of the idents and other presentation output had already been created in 16:9 (as far back as September 2003 for RTÉ One and October 2004 for RTÉ Two) in anticipation of such a switchover. RTÉ's news bulletins (and the rest of the news and current affairs programming) were not broadcast in 16:9 until 28 August 2006 when RTÉ's news output was given a new look.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
's state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
.
The first channel to broadcast was Telefís Éireann which began broadcasting on 31 December 1961. Since the 1960s, RTÉ Television has rapidly changed to include further television channels and provide television services with the latest digital technologies.
History
In terms of radio, Ireland was one of the first countries in Europe to embrace this medium of communication, but was a relative late comer to television. Unlike its European counterparts the Government of Ireland did not utilize the medium of television until 1961. Countries such as the United Kingdom (1922), France (1935) and Italy (1954) embraced television before Ireland. Prior to the launch of the Republic of Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉRTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
, television services were available though limited from Northern Ireland
Northern 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...
through BBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland is the main public service broadcaster in Northern Ireland.The organisation is one of the three national regions of the BBC, together with BBC Scotland and BBC Wales. Based at Broadcasting House, Belfast, it provides television, radio, online and interactive television content...
and UTV
UTV
UTV is a television channel based in the UK region of Northern Ireland. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.- Terrestrial :* Analogue: Normally tuned to 3 * Freeview : 3...
.
Channels
- RTÉ OneRTÉ OneRTÉ 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...
(launched in 1961 as Telefís Éireann, or simply RTÉ when there was just one station) - RTÉ TwoRTÉ TwoRTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of...
(launched in 1978, known from 1988 to 2004 as Network 2, RTÉ Two HD in 2011) - RTÉ News NowRTÉ News NowRTÉ News Now is a 24-hour news television network in the Republic of Ireland operated byIrish public service broadcaster RTÉ. The channel launched as RTÉ News Now available exclusively online on June 12, 2008. The channel began broadcasting as a free-to-air channel on October 29, 2010 on...
(launched 12 June 2008; available online and on SaorviewSaorviewSaorview is the national free-to-air digital terrestrial television service in Republic of Ireland.The service began operation on 29 October 2010 on a trial basis with full launch on 26 May 2011. By legislation it was required to be available to approximately 90% of the population by end of...
) - RTÉjrRTÉjrRTÉjr is a children's channel operated by Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ Television, which targets a demographic between 2 – 6 years of age. The channel launched as part of Saorview's line-up on May 26, 2011. The channel broadcasts daily between 06:00 to 19:00, sharing broadcasting space with...
(launched on 27 May 2011) on SaorviewSaorviewSaorview is the national free-to-air digital terrestrial television service in Republic of Ireland.The service began operation on 29 October 2010 on a trial basis with full launch on 26 May 2011. By legislation it was required to be available to approximately 90% of the population by end of...
) - RTÉ One +1RTÉ OneRTÉ 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...
(launched 27 May 2011)
Proposed Channels
- RTE InternationalRTÉ InternationalRTÉ International is the working title of an international television service, to be created by the national broadcaster of Ireland, Raidió Teilifís Éireann , when economic conditions improve....
Suggested forthcoming channels
- Ireland
With the launch of digital terrestrial television in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. Saorview
Saorview
Saorview is the national free-to-air digital terrestrial television service in Republic of Ireland.The service began operation on 29 October 2010 on a trial basis with full launch on 26 May 2011. By legislation it was required to be available to approximately 90% of the population by end of...
will give RTÉ the opportunity to offer viewers greater choice. In the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and Northern Ireland
Northern 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...
RTÉ aspire to provide viewers with additional channels which will include a high-definition channel RTÉ Two HD Select, RTÉ Plus
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...
, a combined offering of RTÉ's children's services which includes RTÉjr
RTÉjr
RTÉjr is a children's channel operated by Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ Television, which targets a demographic between 2 – 6 years of age. The channel launched as part of Saorview's line-up on May 26, 2011. The channel broadcasts daily between 06:00 to 19:00, sharing broadcasting space with...
and TRTÉ
TRTÉ
TRTÉ is a programming block which airs on RTÉ Two targeting children between 8 and 16 years of age. It operates along its sister strand RTÉjr, which targets children of less than 8 years of age. The strand also appears on RTÉ Junior....
and RTÉ Aertel Digital which will include an enhanced digital teletext service. Existing services include RTÉ One
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...
, RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of...
and RTÉ News Now
RTÉ News Now
RTÉ News Now is a 24-hour news television network in the Republic of Ireland operated byIrish public service broadcaster RTÉ. The channel launched as RTÉ News Now available exclusively online on June 12, 2008. The channel began broadcasting as a free-to-air channel on October 29, 2010 on...
.
- Worldwide
RTÉ International
RTÉ International
RTÉ International is the working title of an international television service, to be created by the national broadcaster of Ireland, Raidió Teilifís Éireann , when economic conditions improve....
has been put forward for the last number of years. The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Recourses would like to see the roll out of this service in the near future however RTÉ's main area of International Broadcast has been to provide their services via their website and RTÉ Player
RTÉ player
RTÉ player is an on demand video service provided by RTÉ for programmes broadcast on RTÉ Television. RTÉ player is available in two formats; one for the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and another format for international audiences...
.
- Initial Plans
It was initially proposed that RTÉ Three
RTÉ Three
RTÉ Three was a proposed channel by RTÉ Television.It was the working title of a proposed general entertainment channel. It was initially proposed that the channel would air a variety of programming not currently being shown on RTÉ One and RTÉ Two as well as having access to the RTÉ archives, and...
would be part of the forthcoming services as details of this channels were provided to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland
Broadcasting Authority of Ireland
The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland was established on 1 October 2009 effectively replacing the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland ....
(BAI) with RTÉ NL's application for the commercial DTT Muxes with UPC Ireland
UPC Ireland
UPC Ireland is Liberty Global Europe's telecommunications operation in Ireland. UPC Ireland is the largest digital cable television provider within the Republic of Ireland. As of September 2010 the company offers broadband internet, digital television and digital telephony to over 531,000 customers...
under the name EasyTV.
History
In the late 1950s, a Television Committee was formed; their goal was to set up an Irish television service with as little financial commitment from Dublin as possible. It initially recommended setting up a service along the lines of ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, plus five mountain tops as transmission sites, which were also equipped for FM radio transmission. However, since Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
was somewhat wary of television, nothing more of consequence was done until Seán Lemass
Seán Lemass
Seán Francis Lemass was one of the most prominent Irish politicians of the 20th century. He served as Taoiseach from 1959 until 1966....
succeeded him as Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
in 1959. A year later, Radio Éireann was converted from an arm of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs (Ireland)
The Minister for Posts and Telegraphs was a senior post in the government of the Irish Free State and the Republic of Ireland from 1924 to 1984, when the post and the department was abolished....
into a semi-state body
State-sponsored bodies of the Republic of Ireland
A State-Sponsored Body is the name given in Ireland to a state-owned enterprise , that is to say, a commercial business which is benficially owned, either completely or majority, by the Irish Government...
and given responsibility for television. Eamonn Andrews
Eamonn Andrews
Eamonn Andrews, CBE , was an Irish television presenter based in the United Kingdom.-Life and career:...
was appointed as the new chairman.
Telefís Éireann began broadcasting at 19:00 on New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
, 1961. (It was originally supposed to go on the air on Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
of that year, but Andrews gave the 'Radio Éireann' staff time off for Christmas.) The opening address by President de Valera
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
described the benefits and disadvantages of the new medium; he went on to say that 'Like atomic energy, it can be used for incalculable good, but it can also do irreparable harm.' There were other messages from Cardinal d'Alton and Lemass; following this, a live concert was broadcast from the Gresham Hotel in Dublin. The show, which was a countdown to the New Year, was hosted by Andrews, with appearances by Patrick O'Hagan, the Artane Boys' Band and Michael O'Hehir
Michael O'Hehir
Michael James Hehir was an Irish hurling, football and horse racing commentator and journalist. Between 1938 and 1985 his enthusiasm and a memorable turn of phrase endeared him to many...
.
Television opened up a completely new world to the Irish people. Topics which were hitherto not discussed in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, such as abortion, contraception and various other controversial topics, were now being openly discussed in television studios; The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
, which began in July 1962 and continues to run on RTÉ One. Its original host, Gay Byrne
Gay Byrne
Gabriel Mary "Gay" Byrne is a veteran Irish presenter of radio and television. His most notable role was first host of The Late Late Show over a 37-year period spanning 1962 until 1999...
, pioneered many of these discussions, and has been credited with being a major influence in the changing social structure of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
in that format. The broadcaster made its first official colour transmissions in 1969 – although a mistake in standards conversion may have transmitted the 1968 Wimbledon Men's Finals
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
in colour. The first programme made in colour by RTÉ was the documentary special "John Hume's Derry", under the 7 Days
7 Days (Ireland)
7 Days was a Radio Telefís Éireann current affairs programme presented by Brian Farrell, Brian Cleeve and John O'Donoghue and broadcast in Ireland from 1966 until 1976.-Background:...
banner. Since 1969 RTÉ could transmit programmes made in colour which were imported from UK & US which were shown on RTÉ Television. The next phase was outside-broadcasts in colour, and the first was Ireland's hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest 1971 & Railway Cup Finals 1971, the first of many such productions by RTE. The first studios at RTÉ's headquarters in Donnybrook went into colour in 1972. This was followed by the news studios in 1974. All of RTÉ's studios at Donnybrook
Donnybrook, Dublin
Donnybrook is a district of Dublin, Ireland. It is situated on the southside of the city, in the Dublin 4 postal district, and is home to the Irish state broadcaster RTÉ. It was once part of the Pembroke Township...
, Dublin were equipped for colour broadcasts by 1976. The last studio in RTÉ to go into colour was Studio 1 the then-home of Ireland's flagship talkshow The Late Late Show.
In 1977, a new government came to power, and as one of its many promises, the government quickly authorised a second channel to be run by RTÉ. RTÉ 2
RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of...
's remit was to provide alternative television. As a consequence, the original RTÉ 2 schedule had many live relays of British programmes; however, there was also some original RTÉ 2 programming. The new television channel went on the air on 2 November 1978, and the opening night featured a gala variety show from the Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
Opera House.
In 1987, RTÉ 2 was renamed Network 2, with the revamp intended to revive flagging viewership ratings, with many preferring to watch BBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland is the main public service broadcaster in Northern Ireland.The organisation is one of the three national regions of the BBC, together with BBC Scotland and BBC Wales. Based at Broadcasting House, Belfast, it provides television, radio, online and interactive television content...
or UTV
UTV
UTV is a television channel based in the UK region of Northern Ireland. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.- Terrestrial :* Analogue: Normally tuned to 3 * Freeview : 3...
, both accessible within much of the Republic. All sports coverage was transferred to the newly renamed channel, along with all children's programmes. The few Irish-language programmes provided by RTÉ were now broadcast on Network 2, although RTÉ One now also broadcasts Irish-language programmes.
In 1992, RTÉ became a shareholder in Euronews
EuroNews
Euronews is an international multilingual news television channel.It covers world news from what it claims to be a 'European' perspective.Criticisms are that the perspective is in fact that of the European Commission - a major and growing funder of Euronews....
. The 24 hour pan-European news channel operated by members of the European Broadcasting Union
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...
.
Although Irish language programmes, such as news bulletins (Nuacht) and the long-running documentary series Léargas ('insight'), have been an integral part of the schedule, a new Irish-language TV service, Teilifís na Gaeilge (now TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
), began broadcasting in 1996.
Ahead of the 50th anniversary of RTÉ Television, John Bowman wrote a history of RTÉ Television called Window and Mirror. RTÉ Television: 1961-2011, which was launched by launched by Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...
at the National Museum in Dublin on 23 November 2011.
Studios
RTÉ developed its only major studio complex outside Dublin in CorkCork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
. RTÉ Cork, opened in 1995 and became a huge success. It also became a large contributor to network output on both Radio One and RTÉ One.
Scheduling
Presently, both RTÉ One and RTÉ Two provide round-the-clock broadcasts seven days a week, providing comprehensive coverage of news, current affairs, sport, music, drama and entertainment. Most of the broadcasts are in English, including programming imported from the UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Foreign language movies (and more rarely, television shows) are occasionally aired, and are subtitled in English rather than dubbed. From 20 September RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of...
's long running children's strand The Den
The Den (television)
The Den was the brand of the children's television strand on Irish public broadcaster RTÉ Two. It first broadcast on 29 September 1986 on RTÉ One, before moving to RTÉ Two in September 1988. The strand began to diversify throughout the late 1990s and the 2000s...
is to be replaced by RTÉjr
RTÉjr
RTÉjr is a children's channel operated by Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ Television, which targets a demographic between 2 – 6 years of age. The channel launched as part of Saorview's line-up on May 26, 2011. The channel broadcasts daily between 06:00 to 19:00, sharing broadcasting space with...
and TRTÉ
TRTÉ
TRTÉ is a programming block which airs on RTÉ Two targeting children between 8 and 16 years of age. It operates along its sister strand RTÉjr, which targets children of less than 8 years of age. The strand also appears on RTÉ Junior....
.
| Hours | RTÉ One | RTÉ Two | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Morning | 05:00 - 06:00 | EuroNews EuroNews Euronews is an international multilingual news television channel.It covers world news from what it claims to be a 'European' perspective.Criticisms are that the perspective is in fact that of the European Commission - a major and growing funder of Euronews.... |
Euronews EuroNews Euronews is an international multilingual news television channel.It covers world news from what it claims to be a 'European' perspective.Criticisms are that the perspective is in fact that of the European Commission - a major and growing funder of Euronews.... |
| Morning | 06:00 - 08:30 | Lifestyle / Repeats | TRTÉ TRTÉ TRTÉ is a programming block which airs on RTÉ Two targeting children between 8 and 16 years of age. It operates along its sister strand RTÉjr, which targets children of less than 8 years of age. The strand also appears on RTÉ Junior.... /RTÉjr RTÉjr RTÉjr is a children's channel operated by Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ Television, which targets a demographic between 2 – 6 years of age. The channel launched as part of Saorview's line-up on May 26, 2011. The channel broadcasts daily between 06:00 to 19:00, sharing broadcasting space with... |
| 08:30 - 09:00 | RTÉjr RTÉjr RTÉjr is a children's channel operated by Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ Television, which targets a demographic between 2 – 6 years of age. The channel launched as part of Saorview's line-up on May 26, 2011. The channel broadcasts daily between 06:00 to 19:00, sharing broadcasting space with... |
||
| 09:00 - 12:00 | US Lifestyle (e.g. Dr. Phil) | ||
| Daytime | |||
| 12:00 - 13:00 | |||
| 13:00 - 13:30 | News | ||
| 13:30 - 15:30 | Soap Operas | ||
| 15:30 - 16:00 | TRTÉ TRTÉ TRTÉ is a programming block which airs on RTÉ Two targeting children between 8 and 16 years of age. It operates along its sister strand RTÉjr, which targets children of less than 8 years of age. The strand also appears on RTÉ Junior.... |
||
| 16:00 - 17:30 | 4 Live 4 Live Four Live is RTÉ One's live flagship daytime show. The show launched on Monday, September 20, 2010. It replaces The Afternoon ShowThe television show is presented by Maura Derrane. With a mix of lifestyle, information and fun items. The show includes cookery, fashion, health, fitness, parenting,... /The Daily Show The Daily Show The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998... |
||
| 17:30 - 18:00 | Nuacht RTÉ RTÉ News RTÉ News and Current Affairs , is a major division of Raidió Teilifís Éireann responsible for news programming on television, radio and online within the Republic of Ireland. It is, by far, the largest and most popular news source in Ireland - with 77% of the Irish public regarding it as their main... |
Two Tube Two Tube Two Tube is an Irish youth-aimed programming strand broadcast on RTÉ Two in Ireland, from 17:35 - 19:00, on weekdays. Two Tube replaced TTV, which was basically the same show with few differences, on Monday 7 September 2009... |
|
| Prime Time | |||
| 18:00 - 19:00 | Six One RTÉ News: Six One RTÉ News: Six One is the evening news programme broadcast each night on Irish television channel RTÉ One... |
||
| 19:00 - 21:00 | Lifestyle/Soap | Documentaries/Sports | |
| 21:00 - 23:00 | RTÉ News and Current Affairs, Chat Shows, Irish Drama and Arts | First Look American Drama, Irish Comedy and alternative entertainment | |
| Late Night | 23:00 - 06:00 | Repeats Prime Time and Daytime, Movies (British, Canadian and Australian Drama) | RTÉ News, Alternative Music, First look US programming |
Availability outside the state
Northern Ireland- RTÉ One and RTÉ Two are also available in most parts of Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern 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...
via terrestrial overspill from the Republic or on cable (coverage and inclusion on cable systems varies). Since 23 April 2002 (18 April 2005 in Northern Ireland), the channels have also been available via satellite on Sky DigitalSky Digital (UK & Ireland)Sky is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting's digital satellite television and radio service, transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28.2° east and Eutelsat's Eurobird 1 satellite at 28.5°E. The service was originally launched as Sky Digital, distinguishing it from the original...
, although these are encrypted and anyone wishing to view the channels needs to obtain a Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland subscription (they are part of the Variety Mix under the new pricing system, or the Family Pack in the pre-2005 system). In addition, some sports programmes are blocked to NI viewers due to rights issues which conflict with the UK. There are also plans between the UK and Irish governments to bring RTE1 and RTE2 to Northern Ireland via Freeview after the terrestrial TV system in Northern Ireland has been switched off.
Great Britain
- Unlike its radio stations, RTÉ's television channels are not available to Sky subscribers in Great BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. The television channels are not available due to the cost of television rights. However, between 1997 and 2002, under a joined agreement between RTÉ and Liberty Global they operated Tara TVTara TelevisionTara Television was an Irish cable and satellite channel aimed primarily at the Irish Diaspora living in Britain, it was set up in 1996 and began broadcasting a year later before being finally wound up in April 2002 by the High Court....
. This channel mainly targeted audiences within the United Kingdom carrying RTÉ One and RTÉ Two programmes. The channel ceased broadcasting in 2002 due to a payment dispute. While both the Irish government and RTÉ have expressed an interest in launching a similar service to Tara, no serious attempt has been made to establish one. In the meantime, a thriving grey marketGrey marketA grey market or gray market also known as parallel market is the trade of a commodity through distribution channels which, while legal, are unofficial, unauthorized, or unintended by the original manufacturer...
in Irish-registered Sky Digital receivers means that Irish people in Britain and much of Europe are able to watch RTÉ and the other Irish channels, provided they import an Irish-registered Sky Digital box. Wales is currently able to receive RTE television via overspill from the Republic. This will cease to occur when Ireland has completed it transition towards digital terrestrial television by 2012.
International
- In January 2007, RTÉ announced plans to launch a channel, with the working title of RTÉ InternationalRTÉ InternationalRTÉ International is the working title of an international television service, to be created by the national broadcaster of Ireland, Raidió Teilifís Éireann , when economic conditions improve....
, which would offer programmes from RTÉ One and Two as well as TG4. It would be initially available in Britain, before expanding into the rest of Europe, North America and Australia. The Irish government, while supporting the initiative by proposing new legislation, stated that no extra funds would be available, leading to a deadlock where RTÉ will not provide the service until extra funds are made available, despite there being a legal requirement for RTÉ to provide such a service.
In the meantime, all RTÉ news and current affairs programmes, as well as specials like the St. Patrick's Day parade and Easter mass, started to stream live free around the world on 17 March 2007 at http://www.rte.ie/live/. RTÉ have since launched an international versions of the RTÉ player
RTÉ player
RTÉ player is an on demand video service provided by RTÉ for programmes broadcast on RTÉ Television. RTÉ player is available in two formats; one for the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and another format for international audiences...
which provides access to RTÉ News Now
RTÉ News Now
RTÉ News Now is a 24-hour news television network in the Republic of Ireland operated byIrish public service broadcaster RTÉ. The channel launched as RTÉ News Now available exclusively online on June 12, 2008. The channel began broadcasting as a free-to-air channel on October 29, 2010 on...
as a live stream and access to made of their Irish programmes.
From the outset, RTÉ had faced competition from key European broadcasters, particularly the United Kingdom's 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...
. RTÉ's approach was pragmatic, as it introduced cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
in the 1970s, initially known as RTÉ Relays, and subsequently (following mergers with other companies) as Cablelink, although it later sold its stake in the company, to NTL Ireland
NTL Ireland
NTL Communications Limited was a cable television and Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service company in the Republic of Ireland. As of 2005 it was owned by Liberty Global Europe , having been divested by NTL...
which has now become UPC Ireland
UPC Ireland
UPC Ireland is Liberty Global Europe's telecommunications operation in Ireland. UPC Ireland is the largest digital cable television provider within the Republic of Ireland. As of September 2010 the company offers broadband internet, digital television and digital telephony to over 531,000 customers...
. In the 1990s, further competition came from satellite television
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
, especially from Sky
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
. UK terrestrial TV channels are now commonly available throughout the Republic of Ireland, but the number of channels received varies depending on the region. Despite this availability, RTÉ still manages to achieve over 40% of the total TV audience for all channels.
Online content
From March 2007, content from RTÉ One (and its sister network RTÉ TwoRTÉ Two
RTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of...
) has been available online on RTÉ.ie
Rte.ie
RTÉ.ie is the brand name and home of RTÉ's online activities, located at the URL http://rte.ie. The site began publishing on 26 May 1996. According to RTÉ, it operates on an entirely commercial basis, receiving none of the licence fee which funds much of RTÉ's activity. The site, it says, is funded...
. In May 2009, RTÉ launched RTÉ player
RTÉ player
RTÉ player is an on demand video service provided by RTÉ for programmes broadcast on RTÉ Television. RTÉ player is available in two formats; one for the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and another format for international audiences...
which is an on demand catch-up service.
Presentation
RTÉ introduced digital on-screen graphicDigital on-screen graphic
A digital on-screen graphic is a watermark-like station logo that many television broadcasters overlay over a portion of the screen-area of their programs to identify the channel...
s for both RTÉ One and RTÉ Two in 2004 a move which has proven somewhat controversial despite TV3 using them from the outset and TG4 since 1999. In late 2004, RTÉ produced the third series of the talent show 'You're a Star' in widescreen (i.e. the aspect ratio of 16:9). This was RTÉ's first official 16:9 production but the programme wasn't actually available to viewers in 16:9 format even on digital platforms. Instead, it was broadcast like all other 16:9 programmes in the 14:9 'letterbox' aspect ratio. It was not until March 2005 that RTÉ One and RTÉ Two began broadcasting some programmes in true 16:9 format on digital platforms. This was followed by a complete switchover to 16:9 output on both television channels in May 2005 with the exception of a few programmes. This did not require a make-over of the on-screen identity of the two channels because all of the idents and other presentation output had already been created in 16:9 (as far back as September 2003 for RTÉ One and October 2004 for RTÉ Two) in anticipation of such a switchover. RTÉ's news bulletins (and the rest of the news and current affairs programming) were not broadcast in 16:9 until 28 August 2006 when RTÉ's news output was given a new look.
RTÉ television genres
Since 2003, RTÉ has branded its television programmes under a number of different genres. Each genre operates broadly under a Commissioning Editor, except for RTÉ News and Current Affairs which are separately structured and controlled. The genres are;- RTÉ Arts – producing culturalCulture of IrelandThis article is about the modern culture of Ireland and the Irish people. It includes customs and traditions, language, music, art, literature, folklore, cuisine and sport associated with Ireland and Irish people today. However, the culture of the people living in Ireland is not homogeneous...
shows and documentaries. - RTÉ Diversity – producing programming which promotes intercultural dialogue, Irish languageIrish languageIrish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
and people with disabilities. - RTÉ Religious – producing religious programming.
- RTÉ Drama – producing soap operaSoap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s and other drama series and shows. - RTÉ Education – producing educational programming aimed at both children and adults.
- RTÉ Entertainment – producing chatshows, comedyComedyComedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
shows and realityReality televisionReality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
shows.. - RTÉ Factual – producing present-day documentaries, nature documentaries and scientific programming.
- RTÉ History – producing historical documentaries.
- RTÉ Music – producing shows on all types of music, including Classical, traditional Irish and pop/rockPopular musicPopular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
. - RTÉ News and Current Affairs – producing all of RTÉ's news and current affairs programming.
- RTÉ SportRTÉ SportRTÉ Sport is a cross platform, integrated business division of Irish broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann, responsible for the provision of sport coverage on RTÉ Radio, RTÉ Television, and RTÉ.ie....
– covering both IrishSport in IrelandIn Ireland many sports, such as boxing, hockey, rowing, cricket, rugby union, Gaelic football and hurling, are organised in an all-island basis, with a single team representing the whole of Ireland in international competitions...
and international sporting events. - RTÉ Young People's Programmes – producing shows for children and teenagers.