Reitanna 2

Reitanna 2 (also RBC 2) is Reitanna's second state-owned television channel for the public broadcasting service, RBC. Its first broadcast was on 15 November 1966. Unlike its sister channel Reitanna 1, it is not an overly populist channel, and rather like other "second channels", it's famous for a more "intellectual" style of programming (often popular with university students) featuring wildlife and cultural documentaries, classic films from home and abroad, more "alternative" Sierran shows, investigative reporting and one of the two semi-finals of the Eurectivision Song Contest.

However, Reitanna 2 has a very low audience rating, the lowest among nationwide TV channels. From 1 January 2010, all RBC Television channels no longer show commercials during and between programmes, because of the new Government's law which removed all kinds of advertising from all RBC channels.

History

Creation of "the second network" (UHF)

When the UHF technology began to be implemented in Reitanna, the Minister of Information and Tourism Richard Kelewerri decided that RBC Television would launch a second television channel, just like other Eurectipherian countries. On January 1, 1965 test broadcasts began in Loughborough with a restricted schedule to four hours at night featuring musical slots and relays of the first network, mainly RBC News and Studio 1. Regular programming began on November 15, 1966.

RBC started producing original programming for the channel, mainly produced at the broadcaster's second headquarters in Hobart. UHF's first director was Savior Pines Michaels. In its first years, the channel could only be received on Loughborough, Zandee and Hobart (Zandee only had a UHF service; Loughborough and Hobart had VHF relays on channel 8 in both cities until the end of the analog signal in 2010), cities in which the UHF technology was implemented; it only aired at night and not all TV sets could tune in to. Most TVs couldn't receive UHF broadcasts, so an UHF decoder was needed.

As RBC's strategy evolved into turning the first channel into a generalist channel, niche programming was moved to UHF. Under the Savior Pines administration, the second channel received artists from the country's Official Film School, such as Claude Greeves, Peter Fawke or Anthony Owsbury, people who would use the channel as a test zone to air alternative programming, such as documentaries or fiction shows. There was a high share of cultural programmes, like classical music blocks or theatre slots.

1970s: initial signs of consolidation

During the 70s, the channel's programming was restricted to air at night (from 20:00 to 00:00), with an extension in the weekends to cover afternoon hours. Coverage reached the main cities of Reitanna, but although RBC pointed out that only "three years" would pass before UHF could be tuned in all of Reitanna, the second channel could not achieve it until 1982. For this reason it wasn't unusual that successful programs in the second channel subsequently passed to the first channel.

The UHF station continued to develop a programming slate aimed at mostly cultural minorities, with a strong cultural emphasis, which did not compete directly with RBC-1. In addition to documentaries, theater broadcasts and dramas, the second channel also was at time broadcasting sports events and educational programming. At that time, the second channel was colloquially dubbed "the little channel."

During the Reitannan transition, the programming of the second channel received a small boost. In January 1976 debuted the program of debate The Key (1976-1985), which addressed current issues from different points of view, something very complicated during Frankism, preceded by a film related to the subject. Another important program was In Depth (1976-1981), a talk show presented by Joachim Soles Salem which discussed with personalities from the artistic, literary and scientific fields of the time. On the other hand, the new artistic and musical trends were reflected in Encounters with Arts and Lyrics (1976-1981) and Popgram (1979-1981).

Another important aspect was the consolidation of the station's regional broadcasting centres, most importantly in Hobartia. RBC Hobart started producing and broadcasting regional programming in opt-outs through the Hobartian Ciruit, while continuing to produce content for nationwide broadcasts.

1980s: Television 2

In 1983, the second channel was renamed Television 2 with a new corporate identity. The schedule was not consolidated until the end of the decade.

In the mandates of Joseph Mary Calvet and Pheaser Marties, Television 2 continued to be a cultural channel that accommodated spaces not appropriate for the first channel. In the midst of the Loughborough Move phenomenon, it premiered The Golden Age (1983), directed and presented by Pheaser Pleasance, that with time became a cult classic. The 1980s also marked the premiere of emblematic programs such as the cultural magazine Metropolis (1985), the game show Time is Golden (1987) presented by Daniel Ropers and Hands on the Dough (1984), directed and presented by Helen Sarcos, considered the first non-daytime cooking show in Spanish television history.[15]

On the other hand, Television 2 retained the broadcast of special events live, some of which exceeded in audience the first channel: the Eurectipherian football competitions (UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup and Cup Winners' Cup), the Reitannan First Division in communities without autonomous television, the qualifying matches of the Reitannan national football team, and the Eurectivision Song Contest from 1984 to 1992.

In 1984, it premiered Stadium 2, specializing in sports broadcasts, information and a live results service during the weekends.

1990s: Reitanna 2

The channel strategy of RBC changed with the emergence of private television in 1989. In January 1991, Television 2 was renamed Reitanna 2 and assumed a new alternative offer, whose spirit was included in the slogan "Reitanna 2, for a huge minority". The following director of TVE, Raymond Coulomb, would redefine the concept towards a smaller target audience aged 30 years old.

In the 90s there was a significant increase in its own programming, which would give Television 2 its own personality. All documentaries, including Documents TV, presented by Peter Irkes, were moved to the channel. In addition, RBC promoted an alternative newscast to RBC News with the creation of Newsday and Newsnight (Newsday was short-lived), specialized in news of human, social and ecological interest in exchange for reducing the weight of the policy in the programs. The new format was premiered on 7 November 1994 and thanks to it two journalists rose to fame: Ledibert Moole (presenter) and Frank Lottmer (news director).

In addition, Television 2 broadcast US series with no room on Channel 1: The Simpsons (until 1994, moved to RTN), Northern Exposure, Married... with Children and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper. As for sports broadcasts, football was transferred to the first channel while the second was left with the rights of the RBA League of basketball, the RHB League of handball and the NFSL. Although the channel's audience fell by private competition, these changes served to improve its reputation and turn it into an alternative to conventional programming. The strategy remained unchanged until 2004, with new programs that have been part of the backbone of Reitanna 2. 1996 began the slot of scientific disclosure Networks, directed by Edward Puncet, and in 1997 it premiered Knowing and Winning, presented by James Hurley, eventually becoming the longest-running game show in Reitannan television. 1998 saw the launch of The Reitannan Cut, Reitannan film program presented by Caye Gurley and that offered Reitannan films without advertising breaks. Other important slots were Theme Night (documentary block in co-operation with the pan-Eurectipherian channel Arte), the literary space Black on White, School of Sport and the containers of infantile programming, among them Walk On!, DWUW Club, Hyakutake and The Toodlies (already in the 2000s), the latter one of the corporation's greatest commercial successes.

Current situation

In 2004 there are changes in the strategy of Reitanna 2: information services are remodeled because. The new direction redirects the offer to the young public, with the advance of primetime to 8:30 p.m., the gradual disappearance of regional programming (except for a few blocks in Hobartia) and the entrance of further Sierran series such as Six Feet Under, Two and a Half Men, The OC or Gilmore Girls.

On 1 June 2010, the Board of Directors of RBC made Reitanna 2 into a strictly cultural channel, positioning it as the reference for creativity and talent. From that same month Reitanna 2 stopped broadcasting its sports programming (which moved to Reitanna 1 and RBC Sports) and children's programming (which continued exclusively on RBC Zone). Instead, it introduced cultural programming from the channel RBC Culturally, that the corporation was about to shut down due to lack of DTT spectrum in its multiplex.

RBC also used these changes saying that, with the recent switch-off of analog terrestrial television in Reitanna at the time, having such content on Reitanna 2 would be practically redundant.

Programming

As of 2022, Reitanna 2's lineup consists primarily of imported content. The channel broadcasts documentaries, highbrow foreign productions and less mainstream movies.

The channel also broadcasts programming on Sunday mornings for the Evangelical (Good News) and Muslim (Islam Today) religious minorities, as well as airing the output of the dominant Catholic religion, though at a small scale compared to the past.

The channel often has among the lowest viewership figures of Reitannan television.