A chara, It is the norm for news programmes to be broadcast by radio and television stations at fixed times each night of the week. The anchor points for such broadcasts are normally on the hour or half hour. The current programme schedule shows that the two main news bulletins in English on RTE One are broadcast every night of the week at 6.01 p.m. and at 9.00 p.m.
The nightly television news programme in Irish is, however, broadcast at varying times - at 6.55 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, at 8.30 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, at 7.00 p.m. on Wednesday, and again at 8.30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. The main news bulletin in Irish on RTE Radio 1 suffers a similar fate - it is broadcast at 5.00 p.m. on Saturday, at 5.15 pm. on Sunday and at the strange anchor point time of 5.54 pm. on each of the other days.
It would appear that those who plait programme schedules for RTE are either of the view that Irish speakers have prodigious memories for broadcasting times, or that they and the bulletins in Irish can be dealt with in a haphazard manner. They also appear to consider that a bulletin lasting five minutes is sufficient to keep Irish speakers au fruit with news, weather, sports and business developments at home and abroad.
Worse still, special sports events often reduce the five minute main television news bulletin in Irish to a two minute headline slot, as happens on Wednesday nights. It is imperative that the RTE Authority ensure that a proper news programme in Irish is broadcast at a fixed, and easily recalled, time of the night and late afternoon on RTE television and radio respectively. Is mise le meas,
Ard-runai,
Conradh na Gaeilge, 6 Sraid Fhearchair, Baile Atha Cliath 2.