RTE(Ireland) not happy with interfering Channel 5(UK)

[Cal]

What, really, is the big deal here? RTE being "held to ransom" would be Five preventing them from showing the show at all, or enforcing a larger gap between the episodes. Describing a two episode gap with such and force is really, quite pathetic. Although it may seem like some huge deal, there are some pretty big things going on in the world and for this to provoke such an outcry really make me wonder sometimes where people's priorities lie.

I don't ant this to turn into an arguement I'm only saying I really think this is something being made out of nothing.

Seriously, if you don't want to cause an argument, then don't call it 'Pathetic' and don't call it an 'Outcry'. You (and fellow UK'ers) are not on the receiving end of this and you don't know what the impact of the show is like over here, so I don't think you are able to pass judgment on our views of the situation.

As for the record, I don't have a problem with the 2 episode gap, it's the fact that we have to do whatever Channel 5 does that annoys me.

[Ryan]

Cal, us UK'ers were the ones that were forced to miss the show for over 12 months because it changed channel, so

Five might not have the right, but Seven do, and after Five made the request to Seven, Seven accepted it, so maybe your vitriol should be aimed towards Seven.

[Cal]

Cal, us UK'ers were the ones that were forced to miss the show for over 12 months because it changed channel, so

Five might not have the right, but Seven do, and after Five made the request to Seven, Seven accepted it, so maybe your vitriol should be aimed towards Seven.

I know that, but changing channel was their (5/ITV's) own decision, right? Or were they forced to change channel by Seven and other broadcasters? I don't know the details on the channel move in the UK, so I can't comment on that.

Channel Five had attempted to stop RTÉ from transmitting the show altogether when the UK were lagging way behind. That's a bit of a sly dig if you ask me. And the fact that they requested to Seven that they have the Rights (knowing damn well that it would affect our braodcast) annoys me. Yes, Seven made the final decision, and they couldn't really say no because Five fund it....but it took our rigts away because Five couldn't face the fact that they didn't have them.

[Mistified]

RTE haven't exactly fought for it either though. They have never treated their Home and Away loyal viewers with much respect if you ask me. I refer yet again to the Flynn dying episodes!

[kristoph]

What, really, is the big deal here? RTE being "held to ransom" would be Five preventing them from showing the show at all, or enforcing a larger gap between the episodes. Describing a two episode gap with such and force is really, quite pathetic.

It's nothing to do with the "two episode gap" between Ireland and the UK. The "big deal" as explained in the first post is that Ireland could (and has been in the past) showing episodes only a day behind Australia. But now it can't because it is forced to stay behind Channel 5 which is several months behind Australia.

What I'm saying is, why is it a big deal? "Several" months = 2 and half months which I think is pretty fair dinkum for an international show. Most American shows for example are shown six to twelve months ahead of their US premiere. What astounds me is that people are making such a big deal about having to wait two more days to see an episode than another country. Fair enough, five's tactics probably aren't "the norm" but at the same time, they pay at least half the production costs, whereas RTE pay absolutely nothing towards the actual production of the show. And as I said in my previous post, it's two days....two months I could understand but two weeks? Fuss over nothing.

Although it may seem like some huge deal, there are some pretty big things going on in the world and for this to provoke such an outcry really make me wonder sometimes where people's priorities lie.

This arguement could be applied to just about any opinion on any messageboard on the internet. SO you have either you've just made an earth shattering realisation, or a completely pointless one.

No, thats not applicable to any opinion given on any message board. It's given to the ones made so vehemently over something so insignificant. I fully back up strong opinions on things that are really really important but lets face it.....this is hardly an earth shattering crisis is it? All I meant was, people seem to be acting like it is when really, its quite a pathetic in the grand scheme of international news and issues.

I don't ant this to turn into an arguement I'm only saying I really think this is something being made out of nothing.

Seriously, this guy is a moderator?

What sort of moderator verbally bashes people and opinions (ones relating to an issue that has NO effect on him whatsoever) because he personally deems them as unimportant?

[Dan F]

And "Ryan" you are right, in 2000 RTE did have "World Premiere". They never realised they where an episode ahead of Seven in OZ, but they never got in trouble though...they have a good relationship with the OZ networks!! haha...nice one RTE...lol

Actually they received a rather hefty fine if I recall correctly.

[JamesF]

I've got to say in agreement with a couple of others, I really don't get what the big deal is here particularly as RTE viewers are not going to be any worse off than those watching on Five.

What people don't seem to be grasping is the amount of money that Five pumps into the show gives them a right of ownership over the product in European territories and why wouldn't they protect that investment? Why would you pay a fortune for something and then wittle away your premiere rights to someone else? I know the argument is that "hardly anyone" in Ireland gets Five but some people do and as far as legalities are concerned, you can't just leave it as a loophole because numbers are small.

It's not a persecution vendetta against RTE. In fact it's not even "interference" because the rules have been the same for all since the UK channel changeover. It's Five protecting their own investment and if the shoe was on the other foot, RTE would do exactly the same thing.

[kristoph]

I really don't get what the big deal is here particularly as RTE viewers are not going to be any worse off than those watching on Five.

It's got nothing to do with being better or worse off than Five! Argh!! Five can be running one day behind or 3 years behind for all we care!

What's annoying is that they are forcing us to be several (yes several = more than one) months behind Australia when in the past we have run parallel to Aus.

Legalities don't come into it. Sure they come into it in discussions between Five and RTE. But they don't come into our right to find it annoying. I'm sorry that it seems to offend so many people that we have an opinion about something.

I lurked here for ages because there are SO many topics on this board that don't interest me or I find pointless and make a big deal out of nothing. So what did I do, I didn't post in them! I didn't presume to tell people they had no right to feeling a certain way simply because I found the subject irrelevant.

Now I find a topic that actually affects and interests me, so I break my "lurking" and post in it. Only to be told "this is a stupid thing to get worked up about."

[JamesF]

I'm not saying I don't understand why you find it annoying. Okay, you'd like to be level with Australia (who wouldn't?).

But this whole thread is predicated on the notion that Five are somehow "interfering" with RTE so of course legalities come into it. Maybe not from your perspective, but definitely as far as the general discussion is concerned.

I'm sorry if you wanted the thread to solely be about people agreeing but in the second post aussie_bum even said "I would really love to hear your opinions on this!" I don't agree that there's an issue so I too have a right to say so.

aussie_bum's argument was "Do you think it right just because Channel 5 flash some extra cash at Seven to help with production costs, they can steal the "First Transmission" rights from RTE??" My answer is yes to the first part and I don't think it's stealing to the second. I'm entitled to say it. It has absolutely nothing to do with telling you you have to feel a certain way and if I thought the subject was irrelevant, I wouldn't be posting about it.

[Foxy]

As a moderator, I think I'm perfectly entitled to hold an opinion. I'm not saying the the issue is "unimportant" I'm just saying it's not as important as a lot of people seem to be making it, and I'm not going to change my opinion on that - it's a television show, it's not like Channel 5 is preventing aid from reaching developing countries. And such is the TV market....it's competitive, and channels are craving to find the best possible audience (think Sky One and 'Lost'), it's just a fact of today's multi-channel climate.

And as a UK-er, I think I'm more than entitled to an opinion on this: I missed out on the show for four years because I lived in an area that couldn't receive channel five.

As I said in my previous post (something which everyone chose to ignore) - I don't believe five's behaviour is "the norm" but five pay at least half the production costs of the show, whereas RTE pay nothing towards the production. In effect, they have as much right as seven to premiere it, as the second of the major contributors. And as someone else pointed out, five did have to get seven's agreement on this....and they agreed. And its not because "they had to" because I'm certain if they didn't like what five were doing, they could've found their production investment elsewhere, so it's as much seven's doing as fives.