TWENTY YEARS after it was first mooted – but just eight days in final construction – a state-of-the-art news studio was unveiled by RTÉ yesterday.
The studio, opened in time for RTÉ’s 1pm news bulletin yesterday, aims to give the station a contemporary look. It includes a “video wall” screen behind the presenter that can be used for computer graphics.
The new studio is 75 per cent bigger than the old one which it replaces, but for viewers it will look even bigger than that. Composite pictures of the RTÉ newsroom, the Dublin skyline or Leinster House and a studio-wide camera will give the whole set a panoramic feel.
The studio wall format has been used successfully for several years by the likes of Sky News and BBC News, and RTÉ has conceded its news bulletins looked old-fashioned by comparison.
“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel here. It is a tried and tested technology,” said Ray Purser, director of operations for news.
The studio, which was constructed on the site of the old one just eight days ago, has cost €1.3 million. The figure also includes a new look for its news programmes and funding was secured before the recent severe downturn in television advertising.
RTÉ News managing editor Cillian De Paor said: “For us, €1.3 million is a lot of money. We got approval for this project last year because RTÉ ran a small surplus in previous years.”
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