RTE News - Ireland

The integration of the Frontline with Prime Time is going to be reversed in the New Year, with the Frontline effectively returning with the new name of Claire Byrne Live. Prime Time will be back to a Tuesday/Thursday affair.

Yes. It will have a new set, graphics and new additional features in front of a live studio audience on Monday nghts at 10:30pm on RTE One and RTE News Now.

At least she will be the much better choice other than Miriam O'Callaghan as I can't stand her doing current affairs programmes.

Fiona Mitchell has been appointed as RTE's new London Correspondent. She will begin the post in January and will be based in ITN's HQ in London.

http://iftn.ie/news/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4287781&tpl=archnews&force=1

The revamp of RTE News Now has finally happened. Only took seven months to redo the side and bottom bars. Oh, and the DOG now reads "RTE News NOW"

When the channel goes to RTE ad breaks the new music for the business bed comes on for it's duration. I heard it there in full before the 6.1 this evening and it is quite good piece to listen in your free time.

Ray Kennedy and Sharon Tobin are presenting this evening's 6.1 News with Dave Kelly for the sports news.

A nice change of scene for today. It's mad thinking they are all in RTE now because they all worked in TV3 long ago.

Launched tonight and more right than I thought. Format wise it is exactly the same as the Frontline, it even has a very similar theme tune (although I'm not sure if its actually a re-arrangement of the Frontline's theme or just similar in style).

However it comes with a set straight out of a 1980s/early 1990s gameshow and graphics which are very purpley. And why are they beginning a current affairs programme with an interview with Colin Farrell?

Did anyone see the St Patrick's Day intro for the 6.1 News today?

My verdict is that RTE's new intro for the day that's in it is by far the worst set of titles that I have ever seen in my lifetime. It feels like a spaceships of aliens has hit Ireland from the realms of outer space with that type of output.

Although the rest of the graphics & the studio do not look too bad while been aired for one day a year from the state broadcaster.

What is your verdict on the newer graphics for this Paddy's day?

Didn't see the intro, though back in the 1990s it wasn't uncommon for the usual intro to be replaced with a St Patrick's Day themed intro and the usual music replaced with a trad piece.

The graphics have been given a green tinge where there is usually blue but are otherwise the same as normal.

Far more annoying is Sharon Ní Bheolan dropping into Irish to introduce every second package. If I wanted the news in Irish I'd have watched Nuacht RTÉ or Nuacht TG4.

EDIT: And bits of green, white, and orange confetti over the RTÉ endcap. Cheesey.

I'd agree with the annoying Six-One Tonight. I don't mind a few words of Irish here or there but it's a English language bulletin. I want to know what's going on but my Irish is poor. There is a Irish Language Station where you could have a full round up in Irish, indeed if you want a Irish Language Bulletin on RTE1 that's fine too, but 90% plus of of the country Can't speak Irish to the level were they could understand that bulletin. I have friends that did Honour's Irish in School 20 years ago and almost none of them can string a sentence together today.

Just to point out I have no problem with shows that try to promote the Irish Language in that manner. An updated Trom agus Eadrom ( bilingual chat show) might be a good idea, but token gestures like this only annoy most of your viewing public.

TV3 had no News whatsoever today, (Normal for them and operations may be winding down there so no surprise) so it was off to UTV Ireland to get a round up of parades in English.

TV3 are very quietly adding an 8:00pm news bulletin next week, not sure if it's an experiment or a permanent fixture.

I'll think that it's a permanent fixture, for those who want the news at 8 and not at 9.