RTÉ to broadcast online-only channel

RTÉ is to launch an internet-only television channel for broadcast across the world later this year, bringing shows such as Fair City, Podge and Rodge, and Off the Rails to a global audience.

The station said its internet television channel would run a separate programming schedule to the existing RTÉ One and RTÉ Two channels on terrestrial, cable and satellite television.

“The station will be available worldwide,” said RTÉ publishing marketing manager Niamh Nic Liam.

“It’s in the very early stages of development at the moment and we will have more to say in the coming weeks and months.”

The Irish Examiner understands the state broadcaster is also looking to set up a facility similar to BBC Television’s iPlayer on the internet.

Viewers in Britain and the North can log onto the BBC website and watch television programmes from the last seven days on the iPlayer section.

But the BBC programmes cannot be viewed online outside Britain or the North as the corporation does not own the rights to broadcast programmes like Premier League highlights to overseas viewers.

RTÉ’s internet channel as well as its version of the iPlayer will only be able to broadcast shows for which the station has full worldwide rights.

This means the internet channel and RTÉ’s iPlayer will broadcast chiefly RTÉ’s own original output like Podge and Rodge but not imported programmes like CSI Miami, which is made by CBS in the US.

“We already make all our current affairs and news programmes available online and we stream an awful lot of events live like the Budget,” said Ms Nic Liam.

“For this year’s GAA championships we have a dedicated media player and we will be (broadcasting) all the live matches as well as highlights.”

A week ago RTÉ placed an ad, in the London-based Guardian newspaper’s media section, for what it called a platform manager.

The new manager’s job will be to set up the internet television channel as well as develop the RTÉ website Aertel and the broadcaster’s services for mobile phones.

RTÉ said the platform manager’s job would involve planning, implementing and scheduling shows for the channel, which has a temporary name of IPTV (short for internet protocol television).

The job will also require the manager to buy the internet rights to non-RTÉ shows, opening up the prospect that the channel will have a greater variety of programming than RTÉ’s own output like Fair City.

Viewers of the RTÉ internet television station will not need to buy a television licence to watch programmes on their computer screen.

Currently only viewers who have a standard television set are required to get a licence, which is €160 a year.

RTÉ Publishing, which is responsible for the station’s internet service, relies solely on advertising and commercial revenue.