RTE News - Ireland

This bit is quite ironic that they should do this on the day of a UK election...RTÉ's own rules prohibt them from doing this on the day of an Irish general election! From midnight on the day before polling day through to when the count begins, RTÉ is not allowed to broadcast any coverage of any political issues due to its self-imposed "moratorium". The only thing they are allowed broadcast in this line is the usual pictures of the leaders entering their polling stations and putting their ballot paper in the ballot box. So there is no Prime Time on the night of an Irish general election and coverage doesn't begin till mid morning the next day, cause we don't do overnight counts (although political news will reappear from 9am or so onwards).

You are aware that the Republic of Ireland is a separate country from the UK and therefore, election rules for UK media doesn't apply to us.

Yes - however I believe RTE and the BBC accept that there is overspill in their broadcast areas and thus respect each others voting laws in many respects - particularly on polling.

RTE will be looking at it logically with the 'what can we get away with'

After all, who will be watching RTE at 9.35 on Polling Day who still hasn't been out to vote. If it was someone who made a point of watching Prime Time you would make sure not to see the first five minutes and then go 'ooh I'll go vote for X'

Interestingly, they look like they're going to use the BBCs OBs since the BBC are the only ones to be live at all the counts.

They're at the key ones, for sure, but not all of them - I suspect the number of counting centres may outnumber the number of satellite uplinks in the country.

I believe the BBC have rented some trucks from Belgium and Denmark for tomorrow night. I'm not sure if UKI-1, the country's first portable satellite uplink, is out and about - but I know that, for instance, Wood Norton's training flyaway will be used.

Well there's 8 count centres in NI on the evening, so between a mixture of SNG, Terrestrial and using RTEs trucks I'd say that's more than covered.

It also wouldn't surprise me if there was some agreement in place to get UTVs truck out that night in return for some pictures.

The RTE Coverage in Belfast is seemingly now from their Belfast Studio in the Centrepoint building. Anyone in the area couldn't miss the large 'Observe' OB trucks that are parked up behind...

Just came across this recently, a look at the RTE belfast offices & studios at it Centrepoint facilities. There is also photos of the News studio 3 in Donnybrook and gallery.
http://www.tuohyconstruction.com/rte2.html
http://www.tuohyconstruction.com/rte1.html

They recently got planning permission to redevelop their HQ in Dublin with work starting in a year: http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/rte-gets-green-light-for-8364350m-montrose-overhaul-2141970.html

Ah, sorry, I was referring to the whole of the UK, not just NI.

Er, I was talking about the election rules for the IRISH media!!!!! Never mentioned the UK rules once.
Trying to point out that RTÉ would not be allowed run a Prime Time special on the night of an Irish GE, least not before the polls had closed at any rate.

What point would there by in a Prime Time Special on the night of the election if the count doesn't take place until the next day.

RTE carry out an exit poll and it's embargoed for Morning Ireland on the morning of the count. Each country has their own way of doing these things, they're not always the same.