RTE football coverage blocked in the North

**lofty9** · 21/10/2006, 3:31 PM

Last night RTE or sky blocked the eircom league match to be shown in the North. Why? Strange, as it would have got lots of viewers and have been an advert for our league, and it was available online throughout the world.

Today, The premiership match of Chelsea v Portsmouth is on Sky via Rte. This is always blocked in the North.

Anyone know?

**Dodge** · 21/10/2006, 5:34 PM

Well Sky have the exclusive rightsto the premiership in the UK (relax, their word) do thats why thats blocked. Dunno about our league

**pete** · 22/10/2006, 9:31 AM

Originally Posted by lofty9

Last night RTE or sky blocked the eircom league match to be shown in the North. Why?

Can't think of any reason why that would be done.

**Strabane_Harp** · 22/10/2006, 10:22 AM

more than likely somebody f**ked up

**Mr_Parker** · 22/10/2006, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by Strabane_Harp

more than likely somebody f**ked up

Yep and not for the first time either.

**A face** · 23/10/2006, 12:58 AM

Originally Posted by Mr_Parker

Yep and not for the first time either.

More like RTE are a complete Fúck Up ..... pathetic ..... that fact we put up with them/the whole situation speaks volumes for us.

RTE - Fúck Up

**Soper** · 23/10/2006, 1:03 AM

email them and complain.

**brendy_éire** · 23/10/2006, 1:06 PM

It wasn't blocked on NTL. NTL don't block Saturday's RTÉ Premiership matches either, or Ireland matches for that matter.
Only thing I've ever had blocked on NTL was an episode of Home and Away on RTÉ2. I was gutted, to say the least.

**Mr_Parker** · 23/10/2006, 1:45 PM

Originally Posted by Soper

email them and complain.

Been there, done that, got the 'T' shirt.

**NY Hoop** · 23/10/2006, 1:55 PM

All EL fans should not pay their tv license fee (which is a scam anyway) because of their patronising attitude to the league.

KOH

**Dodge** · 23/10/2006, 2:02 PM

Yep, that'll learn 'em

**David** · 23/10/2006, 2:02 PM

I think it is only a problem when Derry City are at home now. The game is being played in the UK so technically cannot be broadcast live in UK for some reason.

**dcfcsteve** · 23/10/2006, 2:13 PM

Originally Posted by David

I think it is only a problem when Derry City are at home now. The game is being played in the UK so technically cannot be broadcast live in UK for some reason.

Sorry David, but that's nonsense.

How come RTE have been able to televise previous Derry home matches in the north before ? How come they can show SPL matches in both the north and south ? Any issue re showing English/Scottish matches live in the North is not at all reciprocated in the instance of showing EL matches live in the north. There is no embargo against showing Irish TV live, which there is in parts of the UK for English/Scottish football with certain Kick-off times.

There are also certainly no political grounds on which they wouldn't be able to do so. So I can think of absolutely no grounds on which your statement could have the impact you're suggesting.

Let's just face it - it was an RTE balls-up....

**Krstic** · 23/10/2006, 2:17 PM

TG4 don't scramble their Eircom games from being shown in Northern Ireland through the Digital format, therefore there can be no reason why RTE should.

**David** · 23/10/2006, 2:39 PM

Originally Posted by Krstic

TG4 don't scramble their Eircom games from being shown in Northern Ireland through the Digital format, therefore there can be no reason why RTE should.

Despite what Steve says there is no problem when the game is played in ROI but there is when it is played in Northern Ireland for some reason. RTE have confirmed this to me in the past when I emailed them about it.

**dcfcsteve** · 23/10/2006, 2:50 PM

Originally Posted by David

Despite what Steve says there is no problem when the game is played in ROI but there is when it is played in Northern Ireland for some reason. RTE have confirmed this to me in the past when I emailed them about it.

Was the League Cup Final last month not live in the north ??

Setanta and TG4 have had no problems showing Derry home games in the north this year. RTE had no problem showing Derry home games in the north last year.

I suspect RTE have been spinning you a yarn David.

**David** · 23/10/2006, 2:55 PM

Setanta are not a solely southern company so it is different for them, they have UK subscribers in Northern Ireland. Have any Derry home games been shown live on TG4?

**David** · 23/10/2006, 2:57 PM

I just checked, none of the Derry home games have been on TG4 this season.

**dcfcsteve** · 23/10/2006, 3:06 PM

Originally Posted by David

I just checked, none of the Derry home games have been on TG4 this season.

At least 2 Derry home league games were shown live on RTE last season, and aired in the north - vs Pats (12th Nov 05) and Cork (19th Aug 05).

I am aware of no law or rights changes in the 11 months since then that would have made such broadcasts no longer possible.

A lack of Derry home games is genuinely more a reflection of RTE's unwillingness to leave The Pale.

When did you email RTE about this ?

**dcfcsteve** · 23/10/2006, 3:09 PM

Originally Posted by David

Setanta are not a solely southern company so it is different for them, they have UK subscribers in Northern Ireland. Have any Derry home games been shown live on TG4?

But if it was a legal or rights issue, it would be an issue for Setanta - regardless of where their subsribers are. If they show 3pm Premiership games on a Saturday, for example, their English/UK customers have the signal blocked.

It therefore can't be a legal or rights issue. So I can see no reason why RTE would need to block the broadcast of an EL game into the north.