utv still being blocked by tv3!!!

PK - the king

Did anyone see the article in the Sunday Times today? It has some guy from UTV saying that it was "disappointed" that it could not join sky digital in the Republic. It said that tv3 is to blame, and is the cause of UTV not being on sky here. It's pretty damning towards tv3. Bloody tv3 - nothing but crap. It rambled on about the fact that utv tried to persuade tv3 that they should enter NI's area on sky & ntl.

I'll post it here tomorrow...

Dac51

What section of the Sunday Times is this article in?

PK - the king

Page 10 of the Business Section.

EKRIUQ

Its OK PK call off the mob, I'm back
Look

Tv3 will always block UTV's move onto the Irish Sky EPG:mad: And even tonight Ramseys Kitchen Nightmares is on TV3 So IMO TV3 will either become a region of the Granda Empire or ITV will follow down the road of BBC and go FTA

PK - the king

Originally posted by TIPPTOP
Its OK PK call off the mob, I'm back

I have ammended my signature.

PK - the king

I don't think utv will got free to air. It's not like the bbc. They depend totally on regional variations for regional advertising. If they go fta, the box won't be able to tell which version of itv you are meant to be receiving.

tuxy

Originally posted by PK - the king
I have ammended my signature.

but cricket it crap?

PK - the king

No, I'n not saying cricket as a game is crap. It's pretty crap watching it on TV, but it's by far, much more interesting to actually be there live where it's being played, and it's even better to play it. I'm just warning others ... :ninja:

EKRIUQ

Originally posted by PK - the king
I don't think utv will got free to air. It's not like the bbc. They depend totally on regional variations for regional advertising. If they go fta, the box won't be able to tell which version of itv you are meant to be receiving.

I don't think it will come onto the Irish EPG it will be like the BBC chanels that you have to go to other chanels and tune them in

PK - the king

yeah but they can't go fta (see my above post)

Our man in Havana

I dont ever want UTV on my television. I have no time for that Northern outfit ever. Any other ITV region except UTV!

Oh Hang on a minute, I receive ITV Meridian. Phew, that was close!

Mossy Monk

Originally posted by PK - the king
If they go fta, the box won't be able to tell which version of itv you are meant to be receiving.

the different BBC1 regions seem to cope well with it, so why wouldn't ITV

byte

Originally posted by Mossy Monk
the different BBC1 regions seem to cope well with it, so why wouldn't ITV

Advertisers wouldn't be too happy if people started watching the wrong region.

Personally, I very seldom watch ITV. I would choose Channel Four over ITV1 any day!

TVDX

Originally posted by PK - the king
yeah but they can't go fta (see my above post)

Yes they can, they can purchase the regional variations system that BBC bought from Sky when they went FTA. It would be the same process.

TVDX

Whatever happened to the proposed UTV Lite service which would only feature UTV produced programs and not ITV network programs?.
I wasnt fond of this idea but it would be a start, i cant see what would stop them doing that.

I like the idea UTV have of getting TV3 on NI sky digital, i believe that should be the road map forward.

Genghis

The trouble is that TV3 know they have nothing to offer NI viewers, and know that therefore the commercial gain would be neglibible compared to the commercial loss of UTV being given further coverage in ROI.

The TV3 execs know what they are up to - buy the cheapest TV they can find (read: old series, old movies, and shows already being made by their shareholders), minimise expensive and risky production by avoiding home produced shows (except where absolutely necessary), and expend all energy in to milking the franchise (includes active discouragement of competition wherever possible).

I reckon TV3 should not be re-awarded their licence, but thats maybe moving off-topic here.

beer enigma

TImes article..............

Media News Billboard: TV3 still in the way as UTV reaches for the Sky Digital



THE impasse between UTV and TV3 over the Belfast-based broadcaster’s desire to become part of Sky’s digital offering in the republic continues.
As first reported in The Sunday Times, UTV is keen to be carried on Sky Digital in the south but is prevented from doing this by Granada Television in Britain, which won’t clear the programme rights for the various ITV programmes, including Coronation Street and Emmerdale. “We understand from Granada that TV3 is opposed to these satellite rights being granted,” UTV said.



TV3, which is 45% owned by Granada, is less than enthusiastic about the prospect of UTV gaining access to the republic’s 318,000 homes with Sky Digital. It also makes no apologies for protecting its programming rights for which it has paid handsomely. UTV’s offer to clear programme rights for TV3 to be carried on all platforms in the north has also cut little ice with the Ballymount-based broadcaster, which sees little dividend from gaining access to the six counties.

The disagreement is good news for NTL, the cable company with a rival digital offering. UTV is one of only a handful of stations that NTL carries on its digital service that is not available on Sky and it has used this advantage as a selling point in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Waterford, where both services are available.

“We have received thousands of enquiries from frustrated viewers in

the south who are disappointed that

they cannot receive UTV on Sky Digital but unfortunately, until these rights issues are resolved, we are being blocked from providing our programmes on Sky,” UTV said.

Sin e an Fear

TV3's whole attitude is stupid. Many people with Sky Digital in Ireland are going to watch ITV1 anyway, via overspill, or a deflector, if not cable or MMDS as well.
Solution? Get a viewing card from somebody living in the North, and watch RTE1, N2, TV3 and TG4 through your aerial.

Advertisers wouldn't be too happy if people started watching the wrong region.

They already can. If I had a Sky subscription, I can choose whether I watch ITV1 London, ITV1 Central, Channel TV, or whatever.

Before RTE 2 was introduced, Conor Cruise O'Brien had suggested that RTE broadcast UTV in the republic, instead of introducing a second channel of its own. At least that would have been more honest than TV3 pretending it's really an Irish channel.

CanWest's TV channels are crap wherever you are. TV3 New Zealand makes TV3 Ireland at its worst look watchable. Though in fairness to them, it's Granada/ITV that seem to be the prime culprits.

DMC

I think CCO'B wanted BBC 1 at the time, but thats by the by.

PK - the king

UTV CANNOT GO FREE TO AIR BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON REGIONAL ADVERTISING i've said it many times before. They could be accessed, if they wished through the Other Channels menu, and then have the card decrypt services from there.

Andip, I hope you got Copyright permission for Sunday Times to reproduce that article?

Charles Slane

Originally posted by PK - the king
UTV CANNOT GO FREE TO AIR BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON REGIONAL ADVERTISING

Why not, PK ?

The BBC is free to air but viewers in Northern Ireland get BBC1 Northern Ireland and BBC2 Northern Ireland on 101 and 102 respectively. All ITV has to do is reach a similar agreement with Sky regarding EPG management/placement for the various regions. It's done very simply using postcodes.

PK - the king

1) ITV depends on Regional Advertising
2) In order to select your postcode (and therefore your region), you need a smartcard
3) People who want to receive ITV free are not going to use a smartcard.

The box does not know where it is!!!
ITV don't want to lose out on regional advertising!!!
Companies don't want to advertise in one region if people can simply select a different regions!!!
ITV has different programming rights and lineups in different areas (look at UTV and Thames Television - totally different!!!)

Therefore FTA is simply not feasible!!!

DMC

Flawed argument....

They can use the BBC's system of postcodes that Sky developed for them in order to regionalise 101 and 102, in ITV's case, 103. All ITV regions are available via Other Channels already using a UK card. The box is set to where you bought it and originally set it up. ITV schedule is more standardised now, UTV is the only region with major peak time opt outs and when was the last time you saw a really truely regional ad on UTV. People dont easily select other regions, how many people watch BBC 1 Scotland if have BBC 1 NI?

FTA is totally feasable for ITV, you dont have to pay Sky £17 million a year!

EKRIUQ

Statement from ITV's Duty office

Are you not obliged to be available free-to-view via Sky or satellite?
ITV1 is obliged to be universally available in analogue. We achieve this using the aerial transmission system. As there are many people now watching their TV via cable and satellite we are also available on these platforms but only for viewers who have a valid card or subscription.

How does this effect the government's plans to provide free-to-air digital services for all?
If and when the Government switches off terrestrial analogue so that ITV1 is only available in digital format ITV1 will, along with Channel 4, Five and the BBC, be obliged to be universally available in digital to all viewers. We will, of course, make whatever provisions are necessary to guarantee universal access to ITV1 in digital prior to the Government switching off analogue terrestrial.

Why must we remain encrypted? If the BBC can do it, why not ITV?
ITV1’s current arrangement with BSkyB was negotiated some time ago and runs until the end of 2004. The BBC has been able to do this because its deal has terminated. We will watch carefully the impact of the BBC’s move and consider whether it is an option for us to follow suit next year.

Why will ITV, C4 & C5 not provide cards?
ITV currently pays millions of pounds a year to be available to satellite viewers. But Sky wanted a lot more money from ITV, C4 and Five to fund access to free-to-view viewers. We have to weigh our desire to be easily available to all in digital format against the financial cost – every penny that comes out of our budgets for carriage is money that can’t be spent on programmes.

I do not have adequate analogue or Freeview coverage, so why am I being penalised?
You are not being penalised. Unfortunately you are a victim of the fallout from the BBC’s decision to abandon the old system of solus cards. If you can’t receive an analogue terrestrial signal for some reason, you can still receive ITV1, Channel 4 and Five by subscribing to Sky.

DMC

Originally posted by TIPPTOP
Statement from ITV's Duty office

<snip>

Why must we remain encrypted? If the BBC can do it, why not ITV?
ITV1’s current arrangement with BSkyB was negotiated some time ago and runs until the end of 2004. The BBC has been able to do this because its deal has terminated. We will watch carefully the impact of the BBC’s move and consider whether it is an option for us to follow suit next year.

<snip>

And you can take it as read that ITV wont pay Sky for encryption again!

Good find TIPPTOP.

West Briton

There is one possible trump card in this.

According to the Observer Greg Dyke is being sounded out as a possible new chief of ITV.

If he gets the job, happy days for FTA ITV!

Sin e an Fear

The fact is, you can watch UTV in London, ITV1 London in Leeds, Grampian in Belfast, because unlike the BBC, which did have significant programme differences between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, when it broadcast encrypted, ITV has comparatively little. The regional boundaries are so haphazardly drawn anyway- Border is based in Carlisle, but Lookaround
covered southern Scotland, and the Isle of Man.

(look at UTV and Thames Television - totally different!!!)

It's called ITV London now. Thames ceased broadcasting in 1993, and was replaced by Carlton. The main differences in peak-time programme scheduling are the news at 6.00, regional programmes at 7.30, and then programmes after 11.30.

It's very VERY important that you do not EVER mention the words "cricket" and "crap" in the same post.

Even more important that you don't mention the words "exciting" and "cricket" in the same post. "Crap cricket" is a tautology, "exciting cricket" is an oxymoron.

DMC

Originally posted by Sin e an Fear
Even more important that you don't mention the words "exciting" and "cricket" in the same post. "Crap cricket" is a tautology, "exciting cricket" is an oxymoron.

Hmmmmmmm. Careful now. On topic please.

There are 2 versions of Border, IIRC its the Scottish Border thats on satellite and not the English.

EDIT: No, wait, both are there.

PK - the king

DMC - can the box actually "remember" where it was set up? I thought it could only select reg. variations if the card was required for the viewing of the channel?

mickeyboymel

As far as I know a box will remember the last card that was in the slot, hence the default EPG no longer appears in boxes which have used an Irish sub card and the old upside down card trick will no longer work.

Just say ITV went free to air;One possible scenario which would arise:

A brand new digibox would be programmed with the London regions,in other words The Default EPG, as is the case now with BBC FTA eg :101 BBC1 London, 102 BBC2 England

Then presumably 103 would show ITV London etc etc. but unless you subscribed to Sky-and had the card appropriate to your postcode, you would have to tune your region from either the bottom of the EPG if the regions were listed like the BBC are now, or via other channels.

So therefore, a brand new box purchased would never show the appropriate region, unless a card had been inserted at some stage......

TVDX

PK, you are so wrong about this UTV cant launch because they depend on regional advertising, explain what you mean.

There is nothing to stop them creating a UTV Eire feed if needs be and this will not affect the UTV that broadcasts regional advertising.

Even if they dont, how will coming on the Irish epg affect their precious regional advertising.

Oh and btw, writing the same statement over and over in giant CAPS without explaining what you mean is pointless.