Replying To CTGAA10: "RTÉ sent 41 different people to cover the World Cup play off game..is there anyway of finding out the cost involved? There is a World Cup coming up and every game will be available free to air..even on last day of group games when matches start at same time,RTÉ will cover them all.. I've mentioned the news channel before,it has been used so why not use this if matches clash,like next Sunday with 3 matches on at 2 in Leinster and 2 matches at 4 in Munster.. Watching some of RTÉ coverage at moment,it looks like everything being done on the cheap..Colm cooper watched the Munster final from Hyde park on the day of Connacht final,he was an analyst but watched it like I did.. For me even though I don't know what is being said most of the time,the coverage on tg4 is better.."
Pundits on an RTE Sunday double header have been watching the first match from the venue of the second match for donkey's years, so there was nothing unusual about Gooch's 'predicament' in that respect.
Replying To CTGAA10: "RTÉ sent 41 different people to cover the World Cup play off game..is there anyway of finding out the cost involved? There is a World Cup coming up and every game will be available free to air..even on last day of group games when matches start at same time,RTÉ will cover them all.. I've mentioned the news channel before,it has been used so why not use this if matches clash,like next Sunday with 3 matches on at 2 in Leinster and 2 matches at 4 in Munster.. Watching some of RTÉ coverage at moment,it looks like everything being done on the cheap..Colm cooper watched the Munster final from Hyde park on the day of Connacht final,he was an analyst but watched it like I did.. For me even though I don't know what is being said most of the time,the coverage on tg4 is better.."
The issue for RTE is not that they don't have enough channels to show multiple matches simultaneously or shortly after each other.
It's a costs issue. First buying the rights to show the matches in the first place, and then sending cameras/crew/etc. to the different venues, as well as having more production crew at work back in the studios.
The upcoming World Cup is different. Far cheaper on a per-match basis to buy a "ready to air" feed, which is why Virgin Media sought that from the GAA. And if they've bought a package that gives them the rights to show every match, would be foolhardy not to use every channel available (both broadcast & online) to actually show them.