RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock
 |
| RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock | |
|---|---|
 On-screen logo 2009 | |
| Presented by | Anne Doyle Eileen Dunne |
| Country of origin | Republic of Ireland |
| Original language | Englsh |
| Production | |
| Production location | Donnybrook, Dublin |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 25 mins |
| Original release | |
| Network | RTÉ One |
| Release | 31 December 1961 – present |
| Related | |
| RTÉ News: Six One RTÉ News on Two | |
RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock is RTÉ's main nightly news programme. It is the most watched news bulletin on Irish television.
Early History
In the December 31, 1961 of the station the main bulletin was broadcast on the half-hour, at 21:00, as were the station's radio bulletins, where were broadcast at 13:30 and 18:30. In the 1970 it was decided to move the main news to 21:00. The radio bulletins were also moved, in stages, with the 18:30 news, being moved until 1990.[1]
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 21:30 news readers were Charles Mitchel and Maurice O'Doherty. By the 1970, when the broadcast was moved to 21:00, 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.
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 Doyle and Eileen Dunne.
RTÉ's news-style is heavily modelled on the BBC. It places less emphasis on set and graphics than bulletins on Sky News or ITV 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. [2]
Controversy
On Sunday January 7, 2007, the programme was embroiled in controversy after reporting that Northern Irish 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 a Anne Doyle to state that she could neither confirm nor deny his death. He then died the following day.[3]
References
- ^ "Irish Public Service Broadcasting - 1960s". RTÉ Libraries and Archives. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
- ^ "Nine News". RTÉ. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
- ^ "'It was all my mistake and I regret the hurt,' says Gorman". The Irish Independent. January 9 2007. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
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