TRN

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Teilifís Raidió Náisiúnta
Public broadcasting
IndustryMass media
Foundedas Raidió Náisiúnta (1922)
as TRN (1961)
Headquarters
Broadcasting House, Spálgleann
,
Area served
Caldia
Worldwide (via internet, satellite, digital and analogue services)
Key people
Liam Ó Branagáin, Executive Director
Kathleen Kelly, National Curator
ServicesRadio, television, online
Revenue€654.2 million (2015)
OwnerGovernment of Caldia
Number of employees
2,500 (2015)
ParentMinistry of Culture
DivisionsTRN Television
TRN Radio
Websitetrn.gl

Teilifís Raidió Náisiúnta (National Television [and] Radio; abbreviated as TRN) is the national public service broadcaster of Caldia. It produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet as part of its services. The radio service first began in 1924 while regular television broadcasts began in 1961. It is the oldest broadcasting company in Caldia and is among the oldest continuously operating broadcasters in the world.

TRN is financed by a television licence fee and through advertising. It is owned by the Caldish government and is part of the Ministry of Culture. The company is managed by a Directorial Board, which is appointed by the government and is headed by the Executive Director. It is regulated by the National Broadcasting Commission. Through its predecessor Raidió Náisiúnta, it is a founding member of the Euclean Broadcasting Federation.

History

The Broadcasting House, home to TRN since 1922.

TRN's earliest roots lie in the National Public Broadcasting Act of 1921, which sanctioned the creation of a national radio broadcaster. In 1922, it began operations as Raidió Náisiúnta and was the sole broadcasting company in Caldia until 1935, when the government allowed the creation of private broadcasting companies following the end of the Occupation of Caldia. During the occupation, it was used by both the government of Éamon Ua Buachalla and the leadership of occupying Asterian forces. Raidió Náisiúnta initially began reporting on the insurgencies during the Quasi-War, but reports on the SDL was prohibited by the government on the advice of the Asterian military. During the occupation jurisdiction was transferred from the Ministry of Communications to the Ministry of the Army.

Some of its earliest radio programming was written by Two Brothers Cartoon Studio. Many of its posters and advertisements were also designed by the studio.

After the Great War ended, jurisdiction over the network returned to the Ministry of Communications. In 1961 it was renamed when the National Radio and Television Broadcasting Act of 1960 came into force. This was when the broadcaster acquired its current name and its services expanded to include regular television broadcasts. Jurisdiction changed under the Instrument of Governance Act of 1965, which reorganised the government ministries.

Controversies

Operation

Budgets, finances, and expenditures

According to TRN's National Report in 2015, TRN received €361,788,490 in public funding from the licence fee and €254,200,000 in commercial revenue. It also received an additional €25,000,000 from the Ministry of Culture. For the 2015 fiscal year, its total funding was €630,988,490.

Expenditure in 2015 was placed at €640,952,490. Its revenue for the 2015 year was €654,284,000, with a net gain of €13,295,510.

It also reported a separate €8,604,404 in donations from the public for the 2015 fiscal year, raised from fundraising and donors.

TRN receives its funding from four main sources:

  • The television licence fee. Under Caldish law, a fee of €160 must be paid per annum to legally possess any piece of equipment capable of receiving any television signals. This money is collected on behalf of the Ministry of Culture. Through the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the government pays for TV Licence Inspectors who have the power to obtain and execute search warrants of private houses. Failure to possess a valid television licence can result in a fine and a criminal record.
  • Commercial revenue from advertising and sponsorship. Commercial revenue is limited only to its online services and some of its radio and television channels. Its flagship radio and television channels are commercial free.
  • The budget of the Ministry of Culture. As part of its budget, the Ministry of Culture allots €25,000,000 to TRN annually. This figure was reduced by the Walker government, which encouraged revenue from advertising.
  • Donations from patrons. Every fiscal quarter TRN holds a fundraiser on TRN Amháin, its flagship television channel.

Under the Walker government, there have been talks of semi-privitasing the company. The government would list TRN on the Spálgleann Stock Exchange and sell 25% of the shares to private investors. This measures has remained unpopular, and opinion polls taken online indicate that the majority of the electorate supports maintaining it as a fully state-owned broadcaster.

TRN Directorial Board

Liam Ó Branagáin has served as Executive Director since 2011.

The members of the TRN Directorial Board, the body responsible for the administration and operations of TRN, are as follow:

  • Liam Ó Branagáin, Executive Director of TRN
  • Kathleen Kelly, National Curator
  • Tara Carolan, Minister of Culture
  • Scott Carmichael, Board-member
  • Leslie Knapp, Board-member
  • Andrew Campbell, Board-member
  • The Laird Drimtarg, Board-member

The Executive Director is the president of the organisation and is the highest ranking of the board's members. They are responsible for administration and budgetary manors.The National Curator is responsible for all programming, including its selection, production, and distribution

Typically, the Minister of Culture only attends the first and final board meetings of the fiscal year. For all other meetings, a representative is sent in their place. However, the Minister is required to attend emergency meetings called by the Executive Director.

Channels

Television

  • TRN Amháin - having first debuted in 1961 as TRN TV, it is the flagship channel of TRN. It is the main channel for news, through its famous TRN Nuacht programme, and features many of the networks most popular programmes. It known in Estmerish as TRN One and is the oldest television channel in Caldia.
  • TRN Dhá - known in Estmerish as TRN Two, it broadcasts many new programmes for TRN, some of which may later be moved to TRN Amháin. It also shows popular programmes in syndication and rebroadcasts the TRN Nuacht programme an hour after it first airs.
  • TRN Acadúil - including documentaries, academic lectures, and old news broadcasts. Its target audiences include university professors, teachers, students, and those generally interested in academia. Its Estmerish name reflects this, as it is known as TRN Academia.
  • TRN Páistí - popularly known by its Estmerish name, TRN Kids, it airs many programmes aimed at young children.
  • TRN Saol - one of the more popular channels, it broadcasts home improvement, cooking, gardening, and reality shows. It's Estmerish name is TRN Life.
  • TRN Spórt - provides coverage for sports through live matches, live commentary, reports, and documentaries pertaining to athletes and sports teams.
  • TRN Stáit - news pertaining to national, county, and local government in Caldia. It airs the weekly Ceisteanna Taoiseach, or Taoiseach's Questions. Broadcasting related to the Royal Family is also aired here. Its Estmerish name is TRN Gov, but the direct translation is TRN State.

Radio

  • TRN Raidió Amháin - current popular music, usually songs from the Asterian and Euclean top forty
  • TRN Raidió Dhá - older popular music
  • TRN Raidió Trí - rock music
  • TRN Raidió Clasaicí - classical music, including folk music and bagpipes
  • TRN Raidió Nuacht - news, politics, and current events
  • TRN Raidió Spórt - sports, including live commentary

Notable programmes

Television

Radio

  • Raidió Nuacht (News, 1922-present)

Other services

Archives

TRN maintains an extensive archives service that collects and publishes information pertaining to its many broadcasts. This includes scripts, images, and recordings of old programmes. The archives are made open to the public and work in association with the Royal Archives.

Online

  • TRN.gl - responsible for providing online news pertaining to domestic and international events, business, weather, and sport.
  • TRNanois.gl - known in Estmerish as TRN Now, TRN Anois provides on demand and live streams of broadcasts from all of TRNs's national radio and TV networks.
  • TRNathfaire.gl - TRN Ath-faire (TRN Re-watch) is an online service that provides access to all of the programmes currently aired on TRN. It also includes a vast selection of previous programmes. It is accessible to households who pay for TRN through their television licence fee and for subscribers who pay a monthly €5 subscription fee.
  • TRNcartlanna.gl - as the website of the TRN Archives, it is an online repository for all TRN broadcasts and stills collected and preserved by the organisation's archives.

TRN Treoirleabhar

The TRN Treoirleabhar (TRN guidebook) is a weekly programming guide published by TRN. It provides a weekly schedule for broadcasting for both TRN's television and radio services as well as news pertaining to the company and broadcasting. A printed copy is distributed to households which pay the television license fee and an online copy is also posted on TRN's website.