RTÉ Guide

{{short description|Irish television and radio listings magazine}}

{{Infobox magazine

|title = RTÉ Guide

|logo = 200px

|image_file = RTÉ Guide 7-13 December 2024 cover.webp

|image_alt = Cover of the RTÉ Guide from 7 December 2024

|image_caption = Cover of 7–13 December 2024 issue

|frequency = Weekly

|category = TV and radio listings magazine

|company = RTÉ Commercial Enterprises Ltd

|firstdate = 1 December 1961

|language = English
Irish

|country = Ireland

|website = http://www.rte.ie/rteguide/

|issn = }}

The RTÉ Guide is a television and radio listings magazine in Ireland published by RTÉ Commercial Enterprises Ltd, a subsidiary of Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ).

The magazine offers detailed programme listings for RTÉ channels, as well as Virgin Media One, TG4, Virgin Media Two, BBC One, BBC Two, UTV, and Channel 4, as well as less detailed listings for variations of BBC Wales, ITV Wales, S4C and a number of satellite and cable channels. RTÉ Radio programme listings are also published. Lifestyle and celebrity articles are also included in the magazine.

History and profile

The RTÉ Guide began publication on 1 December 1961 as the RTV Guide{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/laweb/brc/brc_1960s.html|title=RTÉ Archives - Daily stories from television and radio records of Irish life|website=RTÉ.ie|access-date=2 October 2017}} and changed its name to the current name on 8 July 1966.{{cite web|title=Business Name Registration number 39315|url=http://www.cro.ie/search/CompanyDetails.aspx?id=39315&type=B|publisher=Companies Registration Office (Ireland)|access-date=15 October 2011}} Initially, listings were carried for Radio Luxembourg, AFN and BBC Northern Ireland but these were later dropped after a few years and only RTÉ programme listings were carried.

From 8 January 1977, the RTÉ Guide switched from tabloid format to a compact magazine size and also changed from monochrome into colour. After United Kingdom listings magazines such as Radio Times and TV Times were deregulated from 1 March 1991, the magazine began carrying BBC, UTV/HTV Wales and Channel 4/S4C listings from 13 April of that year,P45 (Copyrighted material) of Media and the Law by Tom Crone as well as three more services include Teilifís na Gaeilge (31 October 1996), Channel 5 (30 March 1997) and TV3 (20 September 1998) were also added.

A special Christmas double issue of RTÉ Guide is published every year to cover the Christmas and New Year period since 1970.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyedge.ie/rte-christmas-guide-cover-2016-3125960-Dec2016/|title=9 important thoughts we have about this year's RTÉ Christmas Guide cover|date=8 December 2016|work=The Journal|access-date=8 December 2016}}

In April 2018, the design of the RTÉ Guide was changed for the first time in a number of years.

On 19 May 2019, it was reported that RTÉ was considering selling the RTÉ Guide.{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/edition/ireland/montrose-bosses-chew-over-sale-of-beloved-magazine-rte-guide-6w5clkztz|title=Montrose bosses chew over sale of beloved magazine RTE Guide|first1=Gavin|last1=Daly|first2=Sean|last2=Pollock|date=19 May 2019|newspaper=The Times|url-access=subscription}} On 16 June 2019, it was reported that the Sunday Business Post owner, Enda O’Coineen, might acquire the RTÉ Guide.{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/sunday-business-post-owner-enda-ocoineen-may-snap-up-rte-guide-5smjdngkj|title=Sunday Business Post owner Enda O'Coineen may snap up RTE Guide|first=Gavin|last=Daly|date=16 June 2019|newspaper=The Times|url-access=subscription}} However by 5 December 2019, RTÉ had abandoned the proposed sale.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/rt%C3%A9-abandons-proposed-sale-of-rt%C3%A9-guide-1.4105888|title=RTÉ abandons proposed sale of RTÉ Guide|first=Laura|last=Slattery|date=5 December 2019|newspaper=The Irish Times|url-access=subscription}}

Circulation

The Audit Bureau of Circulations circulation figures for the RTÉ Guide were:

130,327 for July 2002 to December 2002{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/business/irish/rte-guide-circulation-falls-by-12000-26016467.html|title=RTE Guide circulation falls by 12,000|newspaper=Irish Independent|first=Samantha|last=McCaughren|date=13 February 2004}}
118,263 for July 2003 to December 2003
102,795 for the first six months in 2006{{cite book|author=Wolfgang Truetzschler|editor=Georgios Terzis |title=European Media Governance|date=2007|publisher=Intellect Ltd|isbn=9781841502915|page=35 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s8xRDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA7|chapter=The Irish Media Landscape}}
61,881 for 2012{{cite web|url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/just-137-out-516-uk-consumer-magazines-put-sales-year-year-full-breakdown-all-titles|title=Mag ABCs: 137 out 516 consumer mags put on circ year on year, full breakdown|website=Pressgazette.co.uk|access-date=2 October 2017}}
53,695 in 2014{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/46996765.pdf|title=RTÉ Guide Combined Total Circulation Certificate January to December 2014|publisher=Audit Bureau of Circulations|page=2}}
51,413 for 2015{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/47517747.pdf|title=RTÉ Guide Republic of Ireland Combined Total Circulation Certificate January to December 2015|publisher=Audit Bureau of Circulations |page=2}}
48,089 for 2016{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/48115027.pdf|title=RTÉ Guide Republic of Ireland Combined Total Circulation Certificate January to December 2016|publisher=Audit Bureau of Circulations |page=2}}
45,861 for 2017{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/48708007.pdf|title=RTÉ Guide Republic of Ireland Combined Total Circulation Certificate January to December 2017|publisher=Audit Bureau of Circulations |page=2}}
43,195 for 2018{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/49284382.pdf|title=RTÉ Guide January to December 2018|publisher=Audit Bureau of Circulations|page=1}}

Figures subsequent to 2018 are not available because the RTÉ Guide is no longer registered with the Audit Bureau of Circulations.{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.org.uk/product/2962|title=RTÉ Guide|publisher=ABC|quote=RTE Guide (ROI Consumer Magazines), is no longer registered with ABC}}