DWTS AND REALITY SHOWS TO GO AS SENATOR BARES TEETH
DANCING With The Stars and other reality television shows are set for the chop next year under the new order at RTÉ, according to industry insiders.
Although a new series of the popular dance competition is slated for January, sources predict that this series of the celebrity dancefloor ratings hit will be its last.
Last week director general Kevin Bakhurst told the Oireachtas Media Committee that ‘good public service content’ must be at the centre of RTÉ’s new look.
A prominent source in the independent sector said this means ‘fewer shiny floor shows’ and more documentaries, drama and children programmes.
The source told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘The independent television production sector are the unsung people who have suffered from every single belttightening exercise at RTÉ.
‘But the noises we’re getting is they want to outsource more content and that will be part of Bakhurst’s new plan.
‘It’s good news because the “shiny floor shows” are concentrated with just a tiny number of production companies. It would be good if other smaller companies get a slice of the cake too. All these things will be important when RTÉ goes looking for handouts. ‘Reality shows are not good public service content. We may have seen the last of DWTS.’
Fine Gael Senator Micheál Carrigy questioned the lowbrow nature of some programmes. He said: ‘I recently read that a programme [Keith’s Teeth] will be broadcast involving someone from Boyzone [Keith Duffy] going to Turkey to explore Ireland’s relationship with teeth or something. I do not think it is value for money. We need to look at the content we are paying for.’