Annual Report Tuarascáil Bhliantúil Radio Telefís Éireann “ Quality home produced programming will be the cornerstone of our services.” TELEVISION TEILIFÍS CONTENTS CLÁR 2000 Television 42 Teilifís Awards 48 Gradaim Radio Telefís Éireann Radio Telefís Sports Programmes 50 Cláir Spóirt Tuarascáil Bhliantúil Tuarascáil Progress on Sub-Titling 52 Dul chun cinn ar Fhotheidealú TELEVISION / TEILIFÍS TG4 54 Annual Report 40 TEILIFÍS TELEVISION Cathal Goan Stiúrthóir na Teilifíse Cathal Goan Director of Television Dhírigh Rannóg na Teilifíse ag RTÉ arís ar an-chuid dúshlán i 2000 chun a sheasamh mar phríomhrogha RTÉ’s Television Division continued to face many challenges in 2000 in maintaining its position as the lucht féachana na hÉireann a choinneáil. Cé go mbeidh tábhacht mhór le cláir a cheannófar isteach sa primary choice for Irish viewers. While acquired programming will remain a key element of successful sceidealú iomaíoch rafar, is cláir bhaile a bheidh mar chloch choirnéil dár seirbhísí do phobal na tíre. competitive scheduling, quality home produced programming will be the cornerstone of our services to the Irish public. Dhein an rannóg comhaontú nua le grád na Léiritheoirí/Stiúrthóirí d’fhonn béim a chur ar lárnacht ról RTÉ i soláthar clár ardleibhéil don lucht féachana. The division negotiated a new agreement with the Producer/Director grade with a view to underlining the centrality of RTÉ’s role in providing the viewing public with quality programming. Cuireadh struchtúr bainistíochta in áit chun feidhm a thabhairt d’fhíric úr na tábhachta a bhaineann le cláir a fhaightear ón earnáil neamhspleách léiriúcháin inár sceidil. A management structure was put in place to give effect to the new reality of the importance of programming sourced from the independent production sector in our schedules. Thosaigh obair fhorbartha ar chláir nua i réimsí na drámaíochta agus na siamsaíochta ar a mbraitheann rath RTÉ sna blianta romhainn. Chuir Údarás RTÉ cistiúchán suaithinseach ar leataobh dá leithéid d’fhorbairt, Development work began on new programming in the areas of drama and entertainment that are vital for agus scaoileadh cúlchistí le ciste léiriúcháin straitéiseach a bhunú le go mbeadh Fair City ann ceithre hoíche RTÉ’s future success. The RTÉ Authority released reserves for the establishment of a strategic production sa tseachtain go léireofaí sraithdhráma nua clainne, sraith siamsaíochta nua agus formáid “réaltachta” nua. fund that would see the increased production of Fair City to four nights per week; the production of a new 2000 2000 family drama serial; a new entertainment series and a new “reality” format. Sa bhliain 2000, chraol RTÉ scata sárchlár: an tsraith faisnéise Seven Ages; an dráma ardmholta cheithre pháirt Relative Strangers; fiosrúcháin Prime Time – ar toscaí mharú John Carthy le hurchar i Mainistir In 2000, RTÉ broadcast many programmes of distinction: the documentary series Seven Ages; the Radio Telefís Éireann Radio Telefís Leathrátha, ina measc, striapachas leanaí i mBaile Átha Cliath, domhain-iniúchadh ar an gcóras sláinte; acclaimed four-part drama Relative Strangers; PrimeTime investigations, including the circumstances of the Éireann Radio Telefís Questions & Answers treisithe; cláir thréana fhaisnéise i True Lives mar aon le Would You Believe, Ear to fatal shooting of John Carthy at Abbeylara, Child Prostitution in Dublin, and an in-depth look at the health the Ground agus Léargas. 1 Who’s That Standing system; an enhanced Questions & Answers; a powerful run of True Lives documentaries as well as Would Beside John Murphy? Tuarascáil Bhliantúil Tuarascáil part of the True Lives You Believe, Ear to the Ground and Léargas. Bhliantúil Tuarascáil documentary series. Who’s That Standing Beside John Murphy? ón Annual Report 1 Miriam O’Callaghan – sraith faisnéise True Lives. Annual Report 1 2 42 Prime Time. 43 2 Ear to the Ground 2 John Bowman – reporter Emma Hannigan. Questions and Answers. Emma Hannigan, tuairisceoir 3 Brian Farrell and Ear to the Ground. Vincent Browne. 3 Noeleen Kavanagh with 4 Karina Buckley, her daughter Laura who John Eagleton and were featured on Would You Jean Byrne. Believe. Noeleen, a single woman who suffers from cerebral palsy, adopted 3 4 1 1 2 3 Laura, a Romanian baby, nine years ago. Noeleen Kavanagh lena hiníon Laura a chonaiceamar ar Would You Believe. D’uchtaigh Noeleen, bean shingil a bhfuil pairilís cheirbreach uirthi, Laura, leanbh ón Rúmáin, naoi mbliana ó shin. TEILIFÍS TELEVISION Ar leanúint Continued I measc na gclár nua, bhí an seó faisin Off the Rails, The Healthy Village, a dhein monatóireacht ar New programming included the fashion show Off the Rails, The Healthy Village, which monitored the shláinte na ndaoine a ghlac páirt ann ó Inis Tíog, Co. Chill Chainnigh, Wanderlust, seó taistil/déiteála health of participating people in Inistioge, Co Kilkenny, Wanderlust, the web-based dating/travel show, gréasánbhunaithe, It’s Not the Answer, spraoichlár mór-ráchairte ceisteanna do theaghlaigh, The It’s Not the Answer, the popular family quiz game, The Blizzard of Odd, a quizzical look at media Blizzard of Odd, spléachadh íorónta, ceistitheach faoi chúrsaí na meán, agus, ar ndóigh, leagan na matters, and, of course, the Irish production of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?. hÉireann de Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?. New children’s drama featured in the co-production with BBC of Custer’s Last Stand-Up and the Bhí drámaíocht do dhaoine óga i gceist sa chomhléiriúchán le BBC de Custer’s Last Stand Up agus production for television of the entire canon of Samuel Beckett’s stage plays was completed in 2000. críochnaíodh na léiriúcháin teilifíse de dhrámaí ardáin uile Samuel Beckett le linn 2000. I measc na New initiatives included the broadcasting of regional “opt-outs” in Nationwide and the year witnessed mbeartas nua bhí craoladh na “scar-roghanna” réigiúnacha i Nationwide agus d’éirigh go geal le significant achievements in Sports broadcasting with Euro 2000, The GAA Championship and 270 hours craoltaí Spóirt le Euro 2000, Craobhacha CLG agus 270 uair an chloig de chlúdach ó Chluichí of coverage from the Sydney Olympics. Oilimpeacha Sydney. Other successful programmes this year included Townlands, a wide-ranging summer regional I measc na gclár eile ar éirigh go breá leo i mbliana bhí Townlands, sraith faisnéise réigiúnach documentary series, the comedy series Bull Island, which continued to poke fun at many aspects of Irish leathan-réimeach samhraidh – agus leanadh den bpriocadh ar ghnéithe iomadúla de shaol agus de life and politics, and Paths to Freedom, a six-part comic documentary following the contrasting 2000 2000 pholaitíocht na hÉireann sa tsraith grinn Bull Island. Lean an sraith docuiméadach grinn Paths to experiences of two fictitious ex-prisoners. Freedom saol bheirt iar-phriosúnach bréige. Other successful programming included the highly praised documentary There’s No Place Like Home, Radio Telefís Éireann Radio Telefís Radio Telefís Éireann Radio Telefís I measc na gclár eile ar éirigh go seoigh leo bhí an clár faisnéise ardmholta There’s No Place Like Home, RTÉ’s entry in the annual European Broadcasting Union Young People’s Documentary event, in which iontráil RTÉ in imeacht bliantúil Aontas Craolacháin na hEorpa do Chlár Faisnéise do Dhaoine Óga, clár producer Marion Creely captured the contrasting emotions of a Dublin family in its move to a rural inar aimsigh an léiritheoir Marion Creely mothúcháin chontrártha clainne as Baile Átha Cliath agus iad resettlement home. The programme was taken up by all member stations of the EBU. The same producer Tuarascáil Bhliantúil Tuarascáil Tuarascáil Bhliantúil Tuarascáil ag athlonnú chun na tuaithe. Ghlac na stáisiúin eile ar fad san ACE leis an gclár. Thaistil an léiritheoir also travelled to the Galapagos Islands to film wildlife inserts for the Sunday morning Disney Club, and céanna go dtí Oileáin Galápagos chun míreanna fiabheatha a scannánú do Disney Club mhaidin also made a timely documentary on the islands which was transmitted in early 2001. Annual Report Annual Report 1 44 Dhomhnaigh, mar aon le clár faisnéise tráthúil ar na hoileáin a craoladh go luath 2001. 45 1 Fiona McShane and Liz Bonin – presenters of Off the Rails. Fiona McShane agus Liz Bonin – láithreoirí Off the Rails. 1 Custer’s Last Stand-up. 1 2 1 2 3 2 Pat Kenny presenter 2 Bull Island – the cast. of a special tribute Foireann Bull Island. Late Late Show for Mike Murphy, with 3 Gay Byrne with Gay Byrne. Naimee Coleman on The Pat Kenny a láithrigh Gay Byrne Music Show. Late Late Show Gay Byrne le Naimee comórtha ar leith do Coleman ar An Gay Byrne Mike Murphy, le Music Show. Gay Byrne. TEILIFÍS TELEVISION Ar leanúint Continued I measc na mbuaic-chraoltaí eile do dhaoine óga i 2000 bhí Telethon carthanachta na nDaoine Óga Young people’s highlights in 2000 also included the fund-raising Children’s Telethon in which every inar ghlac gach aon láithreoir i rannóg na nDaoine Óga páirt, Gradaim Lá na nÓg Indigo, láithrithe ag Young People’s presenter took part, and the Indigo National Children’s Day Awards, hosted by Mary Mary Kingston agus Ray D’Arcy, inar tugadh aitheantas agus inar moladh éachtaí speisialta na n-óg. Kingston and Ray D’Arcy, in which the special achievements of children were recognised and saluted. D’éirigh chomh maith sin le cláir in ainneoin go raibh an iomaíocht agus na costais ag méadú. This programming success was achieved against a back-drop of increased competition and increasing costs. Leanfaidh an pátrún sin, agus géaróidh air i 2001. In ainneoin an dúshláin atá ann, tá faoi Rannóg That pattern will continue and accelerate in 2001. Notwithstanding the challenge involved, the Television na Teilifíse leanúint de léiriú clár ardchaighdeáin. I measc na gcomhléiriúchán a bhí pleanálta do Division is committed to continued production of quality programming. Drama co-production planned for 2001 bhí mór-chomhléiriúcháin idirnáisiúnta drámaíochta agus clár faisnéise, mar aon le stair 2001 included major international co-productions in dramas and documentaries, as well as a television theilifíse d’Éirinn sa chéad mhílaois.