now you can support RTE2FTA by buying a very nice pin of the Brigit’s Cross (an old old RTE logo) for just €4 incl p+p on paypal
[SOLD OUT]
One of my very first memories is the RTE logo. The waste paper baskets of RTE made their way to my class room (junior infants 1974) in Bayside National School. My very first paintings were on RTE letterhead with the old Logo. I can’t find the exact logo online anywhere but it was blue lines on white the lines of the cross shrinking as they went to the centre.

Wear it with pride not just on February 1st but all year round. As classic an Irish symbol as the celtic cross, Fáinne or claddagh this beautiful Brigit’s Cross could be yours for just €4. And there’s more, we will include a guide on how to get Free to Air Aertel in the British Isles (without a sky box) and how to get FTA DTT on the Irish North East Coast for under £30 in equipment charges no subs.

sign the online petition here

analogue switch off is looming, free to air public service TV is a right, I don’t see why we have to pay sky high prices to see our national tv broadcaster. Ask your election candidates on the hustings why RTE is not FTA.

I was questioned over on my personal blog as to how much research i had done re RTE2FTA. A commenter with a mistaken email address or one that never worked pointed out to me that if RTÉ go FTA imported TV shows will cost more. Not that they would be blacked out but cost more no less no more - more.

and this was my reply

RTÉ is available in Northern Ireland.? border spill analog. RTÉ is available in Northern Ireland digitally on the Sky EPG also. so they pay more to rights owners ?

BBC ITV C4 SKY are in Ireland via DTH DVB Satellite do they pay more? they get paid by NTL & Sky to be here. RTE will go International as they have been re regulated to do so. This will bring RTE output to the DTH DVB satellite in the UK. While I personally am not so keen on Hollywood TV, there could be a case to park that type of import on Analog Terrestrial for the next say 7 years before switch off.

There is a very valid case for free to air RTÉ

And after 7 years on bunnies ears, desperate housewifes would be lost and would return to Irish digital programmes made by Irish people for Irish people. in 7 years, or next year you will be able to buy these shows long before transmission here from apple TV, so no big sponsors like ER hadn’t last year and the shows will become extra terrestrial, time to phone home, anyone know the area code for Donnybrook Dublin 4.

[sources: BBC Trust + BBC Press Office] “Envisaged as a joint venture, “Freesat” will ensure the public remain in control of how they access the BBC’s television channels and radio networks for which they have already paid. “Freesat” is guaranteed to remain subscription free, ensuring that the benefits of digital television do not equal “pay television”.

–

rather than take the attitude ‘if you cant beat them join them’ the BBC got into bed with Sky but got out again and the trial separation worked, freesat is coming. NO COSY DEALs - the BBC work with Sky on projects like FreeView but under the DGship of Dyke the BBC pulled the encryption saving money for the licence payer in the process.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? lets have some of that spirit here, we are a republic we are not subjects with charters, we are citizens with constitutional rights.

Paying to see RTÉ on Sky makes less and less sense.

[extra: what is Freesat? read more about it on this wiki]

we have added a badge for you to place on your site. (see our side bar ->)

the code for the badge is here http://www.rte2fta.com/code.html

many thanks to those that have supported us as we push past 100 signatures.