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RTÉ2 Figures Show Significant Rise Among Key Demographic of 15-34 Year Olds’
06 Nov 2014 : Seán Brosnan
Irish broadcaster RTÉ2 has recorded a significant growth of 3% in their key demographic of 15-34 year olds since they launched their re-brand on September 22nd.

With indigenous home-produced shows like ‘Damo and Ivor’ and ‘Connected’ proving popular among young audiences this Autumn and with a slew of Irish programming on the way, it can be tentatively said that September’s re-brand has proved a success.

Channel Controller at RTÉ2 Bill Malone explains to IFTN that the work began in earnest over a year ago.

‘I was appointed Channel Controller just over a year ago’, says Malone, who was formerly Commissioning Editor for Entertainment in RTÉ Television. And an appointment of a Controller at the channel essentially meant that someone was minding the shop and focusing on the individually great talent we have at RTÉ2 and making us collectively stronger. We always had unrivalled sports programming, fantastic international acquisitions and very noisy and productive comedy that proved popular with 15-34 year olds. However, individually, they were all doing their own thing and nothing was consolidating them. So, we did a lot of research on who our audience is. Who are the 15-34 year olds? What do they like? Are our perceptions of them correct? From that, we built a concise idea of what our channel is and what it should be.’

Even before the re-brand, RTÉ2’s viewing figures grew as the channel zoned in on their target audience. From September 2013 to December 2013, there was a 2% growth in viewing figures in the target audience of 15-34 year olds, which was, Malone notes, ‘the first growth the channel had seen in years’. They also had rising year on year figures for the months of May, June, July and August of this year.

We feel obliged to cater for all audiences and not just the typical viewing audiences, continues Malone. We feel the younger audience in Ireland is underserved with indigenous content from all Irish broadcasters. I don’t think it is right that the only provocative and engaging shows for these viewers are coming from the US and the UK. Obviously, to make an appealing schedule for young people we do need some of the best international acquisitions such as ‘Vikings’ (filmed in Ireland) but we want to concentrate on Irish creativity. We are Irish, we want Irish talent. We want to make Irish content, Irish stories, Irish conversations with Irish people. We want RTÉ2 to be a hub for the experimental, for the provocative and for bold, new Irish comedy and shows that will engage and entertain.

This desire led to the re-brand of RTÉ2 on September, 22nd which has proved so far to be a success for Malone and his team. The launch week itself saw a rise of 30% in viewing figures, while the consolidated year on year figures shows that this year has seen a rise of 16% overall, with a peak timeshare of 10.2% in 15-34 year olds, up from 8.8% last year. A 3% rise in 15-34 year olds has been recorded since the launch and that number is growing, according to Malone.

‘This has been a really positive start to the re-brand. I think we have really solidified what this channel is about. The figures ultimately show that and our content has been appealing to young people and to people who think young, such as myself!’

Key shows in the demographic have been ‘Damo and Ivor’ - with some episodes of this season garnering a 49% share of 15-24 year olds, while 15-34 year olds viewing the show is up to 26%, up from 23% last year.

Malone says of the show, ‘Damo and Ivor’ has been a big hit for us. It has really grown from last year. It was consistently the number one programme among our key demographic on Monday nights beating out ‘Coronation Street’, ‘Emmerdale’ and everything else and that’s great to see from a home-produced show.

Another significant show for the broadcaster has been ‘Meet The McDonagh’s’, which increased 15-34 year old viewing figures in its slot by 122%. Reality series ‘Connected’ has also been popular with young audiences.

‘A lot of people are calling ‘Connected’ the reality show of the year and it certainly has been a very noisy show for us. It’s a fresh and innovative look at young women living in Ireland. There has been so much press and traction on it and obviously part of this is down to one of the young women being a sex worker. But there are many more facets to her life as well and I think the show dealt with this in a very productive way. I think developing and airing ‘Connected’ definitely shows what RTÉ2 is all about. It has certainly been provocative and engaging.

RTÉ2’s Autumn slate looks set to up the ante with indigenous programming aimed at young audiences. Shows currently airing featuring young presenters include ‘Angela Scanlon: Full Frontal’, ‘The Republic Of Telly’ and Darren Kennedy’s fashion advice show ‘#Trending’.

Irish shows that are due to air over the coming months on RTÉ2 include:

  • A one off reality series with Vogue McFadden entitled ‘Vogue Does The Afterlife’
  • ‘Bressie’s Teenage Kicks’ funded by the BAI Sound and Vision Scheme which sees Bressie going to disadvantaged areas in Limerick and using music to enhance young people’s lives
  • ‘Norah’s Travel Academy’ will see businesswoman Norah Casey mentoring young traveller women in the world of business
  • ‘Maia Dunphy’s What Women Want’ will return for a second season
  • Neil Delamare to host a new comedy show called ‘Holding Out For A Hero’
  • A new, untitled comedy panel show yet to be announced
  • ‘Exiles’, which follows young Irish people emigrating to Vancouver and trying to make it there
  • ‘The Notorious’, a six part series focusing on UFC fighter Conor McGregor (the original ‘Notorious’ documentary which aired last year just sold to Fox who will soon air it in the US)

Malone says of these future shows, We just want to keep making the best Irish content we can that will be watched by as many young people as possible. I love this industry. I love television and I want to make it as vibrant as possible. The lynch-pin, anchor and core focus of RTE2 going forward will be home produced shows. Being Irish and youthful is what RTÉ2 is about. We are not about making money for the share-holders, money will be pumped back into producing content and making relevant Irish productions. I think our current slate of shows are brave, engaging and bold and we have been reaping the rewards of that.





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