Predictable response for predictable programming

Advertising agencies have greeted RTE's new autumn schedule with muted enthusiasm. They regard it as strong and able to deliver audiences, even if it is somewhat predictably reliant on old favourites.

This schedule differs from all others because the ultimate "old favourite" Gay Byrne is no longer the bankable star of Friday night. His new show Make 'em Laugh, an archive programme based on comedy clips, is thought to be a smart move, however. Mr Stuart Fogarty, managing director of AFA, says the show is likely be a ratings grabber "as it is helping to sustain Gay's already well-established audience".

RTE's apparent indecisiveness on what to do with the vacant Saturday night slot has been widely and negatively remarked upon.

Kenny Live consistently delivered audiences for advertisers but the station seems to be buying time when it comes to figuring out what to do with the prime slot.

It announced the show would be replaced by Saturday Live, a new entertainment programme fronted each week by a different personality.

Mr Ciaran Shanley, of Shanley Media Solutions, questioned the idea of revolving presenters.

"They have tried this in the past and it didn't work," he said. "Light entertainment programmes like the one they seem to be suggesting is a passe formula that really doesn't work anymore."

He went on to say, however, that it would ultimately depend on the presenters. As with all agencies, he welcomed the high number of home-produced programmes which, he says, are always good rate pullers.

"The new series DDU which is the follow up to the previous crime series Making the Cut sounds good," he says.

"And it seems as if RTE is spending money on the autumn schedule and, with media inflation running at the rate it is, they are going to have bumper season revenue-wise so its good to see them spending some money."

Commenting on the schedule, Mr Steve Shanahan, media director of QMP, said he did not expect any great surprises and there were none. "Their schedule plays to their strengths," he says.

"The Irish programmes sound good and the movies on offer are predictably strong."

The movies include Scream, I Went Down and Last of the High Kings but RTE tends to get the same movies as ITV and commentators often see this as a weakness.

Mr Shanahan feels, however, that these movies are a key part of the schedule for advertisers.

"Viewers now know that RTE shows movies as they were made for cinema with no cuts or whatever," he says. "And even if a film is on UTV three days earlier, I believe that viewers hang on to see the RTE one."

Ms Fiona Scott of MCM summed up the schedule - "What we're looking for is an audience, and this will deliver it."