RTÉ is to close its +1 television services and upgrade the RTÉ Player under plans released by the Irish public broadcaster.
A new document, A New Direction for RTÉ, has been published and a survey on the plans is open until Tuesday 28 November 2023.
The broadcaster says it wants a more streamlined, modern and simpler organisation, with fewer employees, reduced overheads and updated technology. The often criticised RTÉ Player will be upgraded, there will be a new audio app that will be launched in 2025, and an upgraded RTÉ News app with increased personalisation in the same year
RTÉ wants to transform RTE player to become one of the main ways that people watch live programming with an extensive on demand catalogue. It says it will improve the user interface as well as the “resilience and reliability” of the service across all platforms including smart TVs and mobile devices.
It means ‘timeshift’ television channels RTÉ One +1 and RTÉ2 +1 will close as will RTÉ Radio 1 Extra, RTÉ 2XM, RTÉ Pulse and RTÉjr Radio, to be replaced by on-demand playlists and podcasts via the new app.
RTÉ pulled its radio services from DAB in March 2021 after a report commissioned by the broadcaster found that just 0.5% of adults in Ireland listened to radio via DAB while 77% of adults in Ireland listened on FM.
The audio app will be accessible on all digital listening devices including on smart speakers and in-car. It will provide a platform for the launch of new services such as the potential new digital Irish language radio station targeting 15-34 years old listeners.
RTE says it is committed to operating the DTT platform Saorview and continuing to provide RTÉ One and RTÉ2 on Freeview in Northern Ireland, subject to renewals of licences. It is currently developing a next generation service for Saorview to provide an expanded choice of free channels and on-demand content, combining Digital Terrestrial Television and broadband. The plan is to launch the service in 2025 subject to regulatory approvals, and the development of the new service.
