Is RTÉ axing the Voice?
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RTÉ looks set to cancel the Voice Of Ireland, despite it being the most watched show on Sunday nights.
The Irish Mail on Sunday can reveal that the national broadcaster has invited submissions from independent production companies to tender for the Sunday-night slot currently held by the Voice Of Ireland.
The notice has been placed on the RTÉ website inviting independent production companies to pitch for the coveted Sunday-night slot, believed to be worth €2m.
The statement reads: ‘RTÉ Entertainment invites expressions of interest from suitably qualified companies for the provision of production services to RTÉ in respect of the provision of a flagship Sunday night studio based family entertainment show. RTÉ Entertainment wishes to proceed over the coming weeks with a tender to engage an independent production company to undertake the production and delivery of this programming to RTÉ for January 2016.’
There is a closing date for submissions, listed as Friday, March 6, at noon.
A well placed source told the MoS that staff on the Voice were ‘dismayed’ at the news, as they had been celebrating top ratings for the blind audition stages. ‘It is a big blow,’ said the source. ‘We are enjoying a major spike in viewership. Over 40% of the people watching television on a Sunday night are watching the Voice. We just can’t understand why you would want to change that. The show is working, people like it and the talent is there.
‘Una and Rachel are clearly working with the general public and the viewership figures clearly back this up. We have submitted for the slot with the Voice but it certainly looks like RTÉ has different ideas.’
For the past six weeks, the public has been tuning into the popular talent show.
On the first week, 571,000 tuned in, an audience share of 33.95%. By week two, that had risen to 589,100, a share of 35.56%. By week six, that figure had risen again to 636,900, a 41.45% audience share for the Sunday-night slot. A spokesman for the show told the MoS: ‘We are proud of the show. We are committed to putting together the best series that we possibly can and clearly the public enjoy the show. We are confident that series four of the Voice Of Ireland will be the biggest and best yet.’
The ‘Battles’ stage of The Voice of Ireland begins on RTÉ One tonight at 6:30pm, with singers from Dublin, Kildare, Wexford, Waterford, Clare, Mayo, Leitrim, Donegal and Antrim taking part. Each coach – Bressie, Kian Egan, Úna Foden and Rachel Stevens – now has 14 singers on their respective teams and team members must compete against each other to survive on the show.
However, any singer sent home can be ‘stolen’ by one of the other coaches.
The Battles will run until March 15, with the live shows beginning on March 22 and running until April 26.
It may, however, be the final time the show appears on the RTÉ.
‘The Voice is a home-grown programme and a big employer in this country,’ the source added.
‘It looks like an expensive show but RTÉ gets over 40 hours of television for the price tag (believed to be €2m). We hope that they will go with the public and realise that the Voice is the perfect option for next year’s Sunday night slot.
‘Otherwise it will mean the loss of jobs for a lot of people as well as the end of a vehicle for some very talented people.’
‘We can’t understand why you’d change it’