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RTÉ News

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File:RTÉ News and Current Affairs.png
Current English-language logo and house style.

RTÉ News and Current Affairs (Irish: Nuacht agus Cúrsaí Reatha RTÉ), is a major division of Radio Telefís 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 source of both Irish and international news.[1] It broadcasts in English, Irish and Irish Sign Language.

History

Early history

On January 1, 1926, Radio Athlone started broadcasting 2RN. It was Ireland's first radio station. On May 24, 1926, there was the first advertised news bulletin on 2RN. Then on February 26, 1927, the first ever daily news report was broadcast on the station.[2]

During the The Emergency, because of the Emergency Powers Act 1939, media censorship of radio broadcasts effected news bulletins. Before all news bulletins were broadcast, the scripts of the bulletins were read over the phone to Head of the Government Information Bureau, Frank Gallagher. Censorship brought in under the Act was lifted on May 11, 1945.[3]

Television history

In December 1961, when Telefís Éireann moved into the new Montrose studios, the News Service was the first to move in. The studios were still being completed, so construction work was heard during news bulletins. When Telefís Éireann opened on December 31, 1961, Charles Mitchel read his first news bulletin on televsion. [4]

In April 1966, Telefís Éireann's first flagship news programme was broadcast. Seven Days had a production team with people such as Eoghan Harris, Brian Cleeve, Brian Farrell and John O'Donoghue. In 1967 the programme merged with another television programme, Division, and became 7 days. Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).

RTÉ

When Radio Éireann and Telefís Éireann merged in the the 1970s, RTÉ News was expanded, providing coverage to new stations RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and RTÉ Radio 2.[5]

In the early 1980s, in the space of two years, there were three general elections. This demanded a larger schedule of current affairs. New programmes Morning Ireland and Today Tonight were launched. [6]

The 1990s saw the first Washington DC correspondent Mark Little, Teilifís na Gaeilge, RTÉ lyric fm and RTÉ.ie.[7]

RTÉ News and Current Affairs

As a major division Ireland's National Broadcaster, RTÉ News and Current Affairs provides a range of national and international news and current affairs programming in Ireland. The station is also a source of definitive commentary on current affairs. RTÉ News is based at the RTÉ Television Complex in Donnybrook, Dublin, Ireland. However, the station also operates regional centres across Ireland and the world.

The RTÉ News Studio in 2009

RTÉ News faces competition from within Ireland and abroad. For local news TV3 News provides competition in the television sector; as do Independent Network News, Newstalk, Today FM and 4fm in the radio sector. As Ireland is a predominantly English-speaking nation, international news channels (CNBC Europe, CNN International, EuroNews, France 24, BBC News, Sky News, etc.) compete with RTÉ with regards television news coverage of international events. Despite this competition however, RTÉ News remains the most popular source of news in Ireland.

In September 2003 "RTÉ News" was merged with "RTÉ Current Affairs" to form "RTÉ News and Current Affairs". RTÉ News continues as the brand on regular TV and radio news programming. Also in September 2003, all RTÉ news reports in English on all networks were rebranded to RTÉ News, ending the separate branding of News 2 and 2FM News.

During the 2004 European Parliament election, Ivana Bacik, a Labour candidate for Dublin, appeared on three various RTÉ in the space of 24 hours, while others candidates reported never receiving phone calls from RTÉ unless they were involved in a particular controversy.[citation needed] Bacik's website listed "Oonagh Smyth, editor and producer, RTE," among her supporters. RTÉ's internal guidelines say that staff such as producers cannot participate in political activities, "to guarantee to the listening and viewing public that RTE is impartial and objective." [8]

RTÉ News and Current Affairs produces over 1000 hours of television programming and 2,000 hours of radio programming a year.[1]

In December 2008, RTÉ News moved out of their usual Studio Three in RTÉ Studios in Donnybrook, Dublin and moved into a temporary studio, while work was carried out Studio Three for the relaunch. The new look was unveiled at the One O'clock news programme on Monday 9th February 2009.

In March 2009, RTÉ was involved in controversy over a report about the placing of naked paintings of Taoiseach Brian Cowen in two Dublin Art Galleries. Initially, the station carried a television news report that displayed the pictures and treated the topic in a humorous light. However, after complaints from within the governing Fianna Fail party, the station aired an apology to the Taoiseach[9].

Programming

RTÉ News and Current Affairs is responsible for all the news bulletins on RTÉ One, RTÉ Two, TG4, RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2fm, RTÉ lyric fm, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, RTÉ Digital Radio News and RTÉ Europe. The division also provides written news updates on RTÉ's teletext service, Aertel, RTÉ Mobile and RTÉ.ie

Television

RTÉ News and Current Affairs television programmes include: English-language

Irish-language

Irish Sign Language

  • RTÉ News with Signing

The department also broadcasts numerous special programmes such as election coverage and breaking news bulletins.

Radio

RTÉ News and Current Affairs radio programmes include: English-language

Irish-language

Online

Main article: RTÉ.ie

RTÉ News content is also available worldwide on the internet. In addition to written content, virtually all of RTÉ's radio and television news programming since 1998 is subsequently made available in the form of RealPlayer audio and video clips which can be streamed, also, live news programming can be received live via streaming media in both Real Player and Windows Media Player formats. All television news content is available on RTÉ player for 21 days.[10]

RTÉ News Now

On 12 June, 2008, RTÉ officially launched RTÉ News Now, a 24-hour live news service available around the world on RTÉ's website. The station broadcasts all of RTÉ's news bulletins and current affairs programmes live; as well as live coverage of special events and breaking news. It also provides up to the minute weather and business news.

It broadcasts both Irish-language and English-language news programming. There is also a daily news bulletin in Irish Sign Language.

It is currently only available online, and on some mobile phone service providers; and the Irish DTT system whenever it launces as a free-to-air channel.[11]

Bureaux

RTÉ have studios and offices in the following locations[12]:

Ireland

International

The team

Newsreaders

Reporters

Regional

General

  • Robert Shortt

International

Specialist Correspondents

Former newsreaders

References

  1. ^ a b RTÉ News and Current Affairs
  2. ^ "History of Irish Public Service Broadcasting - Timeline". RTÉ Libraries and Archives. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
  3. ^ "Radio Éireann during the Emergency : 1939-45". History of RTÉ. RTÉ. Retrieved 2008-07-19.
  4. ^ "MOVE TO MONTROSE: 10 DECEMBER 1961". RTÉ Libraries and Archives. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
  5. ^ "RTÉ Archives: 1970s". RTÉ Libraries and Archives. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
  6. ^ "RTÉ Archives: 1980s". RTÉ Libraries and Archives. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
  7. ^ "RTÉ Archives: 1990". RTÉ Libraries and Archives. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
  8. ^ http://www.independent.ie/opinion/editorial/ivana-bacik-the-media-supergirl-479005.html
  9. ^ Naked taoiseach paintings removed
  10. ^ "RTÉ Press Release: [[RTÉ player]]". RTÉ. 21/April/2009. Retrieved 2009-05-03. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  11. ^ Sunday Business Post - RTE to launch 24-hour online, mobile-accessible news channel
  12. ^ RTÉ Studios
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