Piaras Kelly PR - Public Relations in Ireland

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy - Martin Luther King

RTE, Ireland’s national broadcaster, is a bit of a mixed bag these days. It’s come a long way in a short space of time and 2005 marked a renaissance of sorts for the organisation.

In terms of TV output the bar has noticeably been raised over the last twelve months. Eddie Hobb’s Rip-off Republic was the talk of the nation; Pure Mule encapsulated the vast improvement of RTE drama; and even The Late, Late Show has been in fine form.

At the same time though, The Late, Late Show highlights the fact that whoever is manning the quality control switch in RTE tends to nod off at times.

For those unfamiliar with the show, it could be described as a mixture of a chat show and current affairs. Parkinson meets David Frost as it were, although that’s putting it kindly.

What’s interesting about the show is that it is trying to be controversial and more relevant for the Irish audience. One of the best examples of this is the Sunday Times story that ran a few weeks ago about Mary Harney, our minister for Health, pulling out of an appearance because she could have been confronted by people on waiting lists. That’s something quite edgy, especially when you consider the fact that Pat Kenny is described as a plank in some quarters.

But for all the effort the show’s producers and researchers put into it being more relevant, they line up guests like Dickie Rock, Ireland’s watered down version of Cliff Richard. From the photos on the linked site, it’s quite obvious <sarcasm>what an A-list celeb</sarcasm> Dickie is.

If RTE is going to move on with the times, then it’s got to leave the old days behind. I don’t care if an older generation who Dickie Rock still appeals to is part of the Late, Late Show audience - more people will tune out, than tune in if he appears. Is it any wonder that Killinaskully, an RTE comedy broadcast on Sunday night, pulled in more viewers than the station’s flagship show last weekend?

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