RTÉ 2FM News Plan Lacks Focus

RTÉ's decision to drop its late night news bulletins from 2FM claims to refocus its news strategy but fails to point listeners to RTÉ News online. RTÉ stopped its nightly news broadcasts on 2fm on Monday (December 18th, 2017). According to an RTÉ spokesperson the aim of the strategy is forward thinking saying "Our focus is on how we best serve our audience where they are, rather than where they were". According to RTÉ the measure has no cost savings and does not "reduce the level of news content offered by RTÉ" across its suite of services.

RTÉ's 2FM services has no direct link to RTÉ's other services, its brand and its on-demand service tends to be very different to other RTÉ services. There is no real link from 2FM to RTÉ News. In an interview with the Sunday Business Post, RTÉ's head of news, Jon Williams said "And in the evening, is the audience to 2FM really going to be getting their news from listening to a one minute or two minute bulletin on the air from 2FM or is that effort better used enhancing what we are doing in terms of coverage online". However that online news coverage for 2fm Audiences seems to be missing, RTÉ where unable to show how they retained the same amount of News Content and where 2fm news has gone or what has replaced it, in terms of news provision.

RTÉ have currently no plans to introduce any news and current affairs to RTÉ2, having quietly axing NewsFeed in 2016.

In queries to RTÉ about the plan they issued a statement saying: -

"RTÉ News has embarked on a “digital first” strategy - and, as part of that, has previously confirmed that it is reviewing how best to deliver news content to audiences on traditional and new platforms within existing resources.

All distribution channels, including the RTÉ News Now channel, are subject to review. Director of News and Current Affairs, Jon Williams said recently in an interview recently when asked about the future of the channel and delivering video news content: “If the answer is through a linear news channel, then fine. I happen to think there might be better ways to do that, but that is subject to lots of discussion.”

In regards to bulletins on 2fm, Jon Williams commented in the same interview: "as part of the process of creative renewal, we need to start with the audience. The audience to 2FM, where do they get their news from? And in the evening, is the audience to 2FM really going to be getting their news from listening to a one minute or two minute bulletin on the air from 2FM or is that effort better used enhancing what we are doing in terms of coverage online"

As part of the process of becoming a genuinely Digital First newsroom, we will from December 18, migrate some 2FM night time bulletins to RTÉ News online content. RTÉ 2FM will continue to broadcast news bulletins from 7am-7pm. RTÉ Radio 1 will meanwhile continue to broadcast hourly news bulletins through the night.

No changes are currently scheduled for RTÉ's Oireachtas Report programme."