RTE focuses attention on Northern audience

RTE has begun a marketing campaign to recruit viewers in Northern Ireland. Only 50 per cent of households in the North even tune in to RTE never mind actually watch it, and the station aims to expand that figure by 25 per cent.

As well as press and TV advertising, TV retailers will be targeted in the month-long campaign giving them the technical details required to tune sets to receive RTE. Only 19 per cent of homes in the North have cable television and in order to receive RTE, viewers must tune their sets or adjust their aerials.

"The advertising features sports because that's common to the island and RTE's coverage of GAA would be a strong reason to tune in," says Mr Gerry Dunne, RTE managing director, commercial.

Interestingly given the scheduling crossovers, with several competing stations offering the same programmes, RTE has already built up a significant audience in the North relative to its penetration. For example, both RTE and UTV screen Coronation Street at the same time but 10 per cent of adult viewers in the North choose to watch it on RTE.

RTE's homegrown soaps also score well. Fair City attracts an average of 7 per cent of the adult population in the North as against 20 per cent of the adult population in the Republic. Curiously Winning Streak attracts 8 per cent of the adult population in the North even though National Lottery scratch cards are only sold in the 26 counties. Other programmes that rate well are those that RTE shows first, particularly Friends, the Simpsons, Sabrina and ER.

RTE's push into the North is also an attempt to counter UTV's strong presence in the Republic. Some 64 per cent of Irish homes receive UTV and its penetration has been a strong selling point for the station to advertisers looking for a 32-county reach.

Mr Dunne, who is directing the new marketing push, came to the station from the more immediate marketing world of fast moving consumer goods or FMCG. He worked mostly in the food industry, in Avonmore and Cow & Gate before joining the station and sees the move as an opportunity to apply FMCG techniques to television marketing. "Marketing came from the food industry, moved into financial services and is now key in the entertainment industry," says Mr Dunne. "The way people consume television is not passive any more which is why marketing is so important."

One factor prompting the push into the North is, says Mr Dunne, the desire of the station to "embrace its remit to serve the entire island of Ireland".

"We believe that the current climate is ideal in which to realise a long-held aspiration to serve all the people on the island of Ireland. It also makes commercial sense."