RTÉ Increase Repeats

RTÉ television continued to increase the average number of repeats on both RTÉ ONE and RTÉ2 in 2017. Documents provided to CCÉ by RTÉ under the Freedom of Information act show tha RTÉ One aired 23% repeats during prime time hours on the channel in 2017, this compares to 20% in 2016, an increase of 10%. RTÉ2 goes over the 50% mark with 52% of its programming during prime time consisting of repeats, an increase of 15% from 2016.

Across the 5 hours of television in Prime Time RTÉ2 has on average 2hours and 36mins of repeats or a 22minute increase from 2016.

Over on RTÉ One this falls to 1 hour and 6 mins, an increase of 6mins per day. However, when you take into consideration that RTÉ broadcast at least 2 hours of news and current affairs during this time period, along with an hour of soap and at least an hour of weekly chat shows, over the course of a 52 week period on average, this 1 hour and 6 mins of repeat programming sits among just 2 hours of TV, or 50% of programming outside of regular schedules.

In 2016 BBC One reported repeats of 4% in peak hours and 25% on BBC Two. While Channel 4 had 12% of repeats in peak hours in 2016.

During the TRTÉ slot on RTÉ2 had 67% of repeats in 2016, a year when RTÉ reduce it spending on Children's TV by 25%, but reduced this down to 48% in 2017.

TG4 maintain 55% of repeat across the day with 80% of repeats on childen's slots cula4 and cula4 na Nog. TG4 spent just 250,000 on original Irish children's programming in 2016 and 534,000 in 2017.