Here - RTÉ

ANNUAL REPORT & GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2008
The Late Late Toy Show, watched by over one
million people, was the most popular show on
television in Ireland in 2008.
Euro 2008 Championship, Liam Brady’s last
appearance on RTÉ Sport as a commentator
before taking up his role as Assistant Coach to
the National Soccer Team.
RTÉ Entertainment
Once again The Late Late Toy Show topped
the ratings with 1,199,000 viewers; it was
the most-watched programme in Ireland
at any time over the past seven years.
RTÉ Entertainment broadcast a number
of experimental initiatives on RTÉ Two,
with Katherine Lynch’s Wonderwomen,
Langerland.TV, Your Bad Self and Soupy
Norman invigorating the schedule alongside
returning favourites Naked Camera, The
Podge and Rodge Show, The Panel and
Dan and Becs.
RTÉ Young People’s
In 2008 RTÉ brought younger viewers
almost 800 hours of original, home-produced
programming. One Minute Jr, RTÉ’s unique
international multi-platform exchange, enabled
youngsters to make their own short films
while Teenology was a new weekly series of
animated shorts outlining what it takes to be
a card-carrying member of our teen-nation.
Aisling’s Diary followed the life of an Irish
American teenager, obsessed with Irish dance,
as she returns with her family to live in Ireland
and attempts to fit in. Jam The Musical,
Watch Your Language, Sattitude, Quizone,
Eye2Eye, TTV and The Café all formed part of
this age-diverse and energetic schedule.
RTÉ Sport
RTÉ Sport broadcast almost 1,000 hours
of output in 2008. RTÉ’s coverage of
the Beijing Olympics showcased the
world games with up to 16 hours of daily
programming throughout the two weeks.
The Sunday Game Live covered almost 40
live games from the 2008 Championships,
while The Sunday Game offered
comprehensive highlights, discussion and
analysis. The All Ireland Hurling Final was
the most-watched sporting event of the year
with 709,000 viewers, a share of 64% of
the available audience. The Road to Croker
visited GAA clubs throughout the country as
the GAA Championships came to a climax
while Sunday Sport followed the national
hurling and football leagues.
In soccer, RTÉ brought viewers coverage
of all 31 games in the Euro 2008
Championships, 27 of which were live
on RTÉ. As well as all of Ireland’s home
matches in the World Cup qualifiers, RTÉ’s
Champions League continued to chart the
culmination of the 2007/2008 season on
both Tuesday and Wednesday nights and,
in addition to the live games, RTÉ provided
comprehensive highlights and reports from
all games in the competition. In domestic
soccer, RTÉ aired ten live Eircom League
matches as well as 33 hour-long highlights
programmes in the new weekly series MNS.
The Road to Croker, once more toured the length
and breadth of the country at the height of the
Championship season.
Source: RTÉ
The 6 Nations Championship was an
undoubted highlight, with coverage of all 15
games alongside live coverage of the Autumn
Internationals and extensive highlights of all
Munster and Leinster games in the Heineken
Cup. Munster’s friendly clash with New
Zealand, the match that officially opened
the new Thomond Park, was a particularly
memorable occasion.
RTÉ Sport also continued its commitment to
Horse Racing with 31 days of live coverage
of the most significant days in the domestic
flat and national hunt seasons. In Boxing
RTÉ Sport had live coverage of Bernard
Dunne and live coverage of the Irish Amateur
Championships.
There was also coverage of
the National Athletics Championships, the
European Cross-Country Championships and
the Irish Indoor Championships. In addition
OB Sport
catered for many of the so called
“minority” sports with its fortnightly round-up
of the action from around the country with
a regular focus on the performances of Irish
athletes abroad.
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