Irish Channels V UK Channels

rogue-entity

Why is it that so many people in Ireland go to lenghts to ensure that they can get access to the UK terrestrial (and sattelite) programming? The UK has more channels that are better run and have good programming.
Here is how I compare the UK stations to the Irish ones.

RTE 1/2 V BBC1/2
RTE shows advertising, BBC1/2 only advertises its own programming and services and does not show commercial ads. BBC and RTE IMHO show more or less the same content movies, public interest and US programming. Neither of them appeal to the minority interest groups and are heavly censored so dont show any controversial programming. RTE could do with a lot of improvement though and if they started a DTT service they could do an ITV by launching more specialist channels, one for womans programming like ITV2 and one for mens like ITV 4 make RTE 2 more of a teens interest station and keep RTE one for general interest, then move the Den to a seperate station.

TG4 has no effective competition, it is the only Irish language station and is really useful when learning Irish. It is fine as it is.

tv three V ITV, no competition. TV3 is really an ITV channel, it shows the same programming just sheduled differently, with corenation st time delayed by a few seconds. ITV should just buy out TV3 (and probably rebrand it ITV1 Ireland). If ITV did buy tv three, it would be an improvement and UTV would not be needed.

CH4/five, there are no equivelent channels in Ireland. The BCI probably wouldnt give a licence to show any channel like CH4 in Ireland as it is just too liberal, but they dont seem to care about irish viewers receiving and rebroadcasting the station. And five is just crap. It would be nice if someone started an Irish Channel 5 that was like C4, showing StarGate in the same manner as SkyOne and also the usual minority stuff that Channel four shows.

I would like to see what Six will show when it launches, but I will have to wait until then.

bk

The reality is people don't care about channels as such. They care about the content (the shows) and when it is showed. The more channels you have the more likely you are to get the show you want to watch and the UK has lots of channels, it is as simple as that.

However the BBC and C4 do make some quality content such as documentaries, etc.

Elmo

Neither of them appeal to the minority interest groups and are heavly censored so dont show any controversial programming.

I don't think that that statement is true of either RTÉ or BBC. RTÉ ONE AND BBC ONE appeal to a more conservative audience, a mixed audience which is not to say that their programming isn't a minority interest programming. Rather it is more family orientated. But even then but RTÉ and BBC have been contraversial but in Drama and Documentries. The Family a BBC/RTÉ co-production from the mid-1990's was a very contravesial look at a working class family in Dublin, and was certainly not from Family viewing. (A definite need to repeat that show now ). And of course theirs the Late Late Show.

Basically I think that we are trying to be very hard to be contraversial now adays when most of the audience has been desensitised.

I think most board room meeting of TV Head's are looking for that very contraversial storyline or Documentry.

CH4/five, there are no equivelent channels in Ireland.

I don't think you could classify C4 and five as similar tv stations.

I think N2 did try to be more like C4 and BBC2 for RTÉ for a while and kind of still is aim at the same kind of viewer IMO.

ITV should just buy out TV3 (and probably rebrand it ITV1 Ireland). If ITV did buy tv three, it would be an improvement and UTV would not be needed.

In away your right, TV3 would prob end up with more home grown shows. But UTV is a fairly large company so its unlikely that they would want to sell to ITV. Also if UTV did sell all of its shares to ITV you would have a huge problem this side of the boarder. ITV would own several Local Radio Stations, An internet company and TV3. It is unlikely even at this stage that the BCI would even allow ITV take Canwests 45% share of TV3 or even let UTV take that 45%.

five is TV3 in Ireland, while yes TV3 show alot of ITV shows in relation to foreign and home grown shows five is more like TV3 then ITV is in Britian.

RTÉ ONE does have some very good documentries, currently I keep on forgetting to watch them their Hidden History's series looks good, True Lives and Arts Lives are both excellent (Would You Believe is also good). Prime Time: Investigates does its bit. RTÉ TWO could do with some Documentries rather then buying in most of its Documentrys (8pm every night) They retitle the station as TWO WILD, TWO EXTREME ETC.

TG4 has no effective competition, it is the only Irish language station and is really useful when learning Irish.

S4C C4 welsh channel is basically the same as TG4. I would place TG4 as the Irish lanuage version to C4, they don't have the kind of money that C4 have to produce drama but certainly Ros Na Run is better then Hollyoaks or Brookside. Their taste in films and US imports are fairly similar to C4 and E4.

DMC

If UTV was taken over by ITV in the morning, they would only takeover the Channel 3 Northern Ireland franchise, and not the radio interests. Ulster Television plc might still exist without the television.

Elmo

If UTV was taken over by ITV in the morning, they would only takeover the Channel 3 Northern Ireland franchise, and not the radio interests. Ulster Television plc might still exist without the television.

Who owns the franchise? Would UTV PLC sell the UTV franchise and keep their other media interests?

How do you know they would only take over the Channel 3 Northern Ireland Franchise maybe they want a big media portfoilo in Ireland.

DMC

UTV own the franchise. I've no idea if they would sell the Channel 3 licence, but it is theoretical. There has been one precedence before.

Looking at ITV's other media interests, they don't own any radio stations. It would not be a core business to them. Remember, a few years ago, Capital Radio bought Border TV. They sold the ITV franchise to Granada, Capital kept Border's radio interests.

Elmo

Capital Radio bought Border TV

Difference with UTV is that they set up UTV Internet and some of the radio stations or bought into the radio stations.

It's totally hypothetical that UTV would sell to ITV anyway, and I don't think ITV showed any interest in Canwest's Stake in UTV when it sold its shares. But I could be wrong about that.

Genghis

Of course, UTV could buy TV3 (or that part of TV3 not owned by Granada). It would be in their interest (all-Ireland media strategy).

But imho no change in ownership of TV3 will happen until their licence is renewed in 2008 (?).

Elmo

UTV could buy TV3

Would the competition authourity be happy with that?
Would the BCI be happy with that?
Would Micheal Martin be happy with that?

Not with the amount of power UTV has in Irish Media.

Remember its only in the last year or so that SRH was able to take a 100% stake in Today FM.
Which they have since sold.

Mossy Monk

rogue-entity wrote:

And five is just crap

would you like to give reasons for that?

five is quite good imo. only terrestrial channel to show US sports. some might say "american sports are bull**** etc. etc." everyone is entitle to that opinion but it is on late at night. five show some good movies from time to time, they import some fantastic US programming. it is a great alternative to the other 4. i would say it is better than ITV and Channel 4 but that's my opinion

jmcbride

Mossy Monk wrote:

would you like to give reasons for that?

five is quite good imo. only terrestrial channel to show US sports. some might say "american sports are bull**** etc. etc." everyone is entitle to that opinion but it is on late at night. five show some good movies from time to time, they import some fantastic US programming. it is a great alternative to the other 4. i would say it is better than ITV and Channel 4 but that's my opinion

I agree. The only reason I ever plug in my FTV card is to watch stuff on five.

Genghis

Elmo wrote:

Would the competition authourity be happy with that?
Would the BCI be happy with that?
Would Micheal Martin be happy with that?

Not with the amount of power UTV has in Irish Media.

Remember its only in the last year or so that SRH was able to take a 100% stake in Today FM.
Which they have since sold.

I think they could get it through the competition authority / minister. Perhaps you are thinking of their existing position in radio, which is is indeed substantial. However, by buying TV3 they would need to be considered in a broader context. Even after the acquisition, they would still be a minnow to RTE, and to Sky / News Corporation.

The BCI could possibly block it, but I would think that they would be more likely to succeed if they have a clause in their contract with TV3 that gives them right to veto any sale of the business, as opposed to competition grounds.

IMHO, it would not be a healthy move to have TV3 sold to either ITV or UTV as we would effectively end up with a sub-regional national UK station. I still think it is a possibility, though - at the very least it removes all the tension between the competing TV3 / UTV "franchises".

Richard

DMC wrote:

If UTV was taken over by ITV in the morning, they would only takeover the Channel 3 Northern Ireland franchise, and not the radio interests. Ulster Television plc might still exist without the television.

What if UTV don't want to sell their TV operations seperately? If ITV really wanted the NI franchise they may have to buy the lot, then sell what they didn't want.

I'm wondering, however, whether UTV might buy SMG. They thought about it a few years ago IIRC and might have a go again. About 10 years before that, Scottish TV had a stake in UTV and tried to buy the whole lot.

BuffyBot

i would say it is better than ITV and Channel 4 but that's my opinion

I would say five is better than C4, but it gives ITV 1 a run for it's money..especially if you don't like Coronation Street/Emmerdale blah blah etc etc

Elmo

I would say five is better than C4, but it gives ITV 1 a run for it's money..especially if you don't like Coronation Street/Emmerdale blah blah etc etc

Really depends on what your looking for from British TV: -

1. Good British Television then it's the BBC and C4 Channels
2. Soap Opera and more of it ITV, and senimental, wishy-washy, unimaginative detective dramas or Mini Serials. (They so wish they could do another good series of Prime Suspect or Cracker).
3. Imports five
http://www.five.tv/programmes/

When will we see HOUSE?

byte

Funny enough, I've had access to five for about 2 years now but only recently have I started watching it more regularly. Especially The Gadget Show and Fifth Gear.

Ulsterman 1690

RTE weak points
1) Seem to confuse "public service" programming with "home produced" programming -By no streach of the imagination is "Winning Streak" "The lyrics board" etc Public service broadcasting
2) News coverage often parochial (Not enough foreign news although the coverage they do have is usually pretty good) Domestic news coverage is often one-sided and reporters dont challenge politicians enough.
3) Schedule overreliant on chat shows Soaps and US imports
4) Entire programme genres almost completly neglected very little in the way of documentaries/investigative reportage, Comedy (unless one likes US "comedy"), Satire or anything that really challenges the establishment
5) Much of its programming produced on the cheap e.g. "reeling in the years" a (repeat) series of old recycled news footage that cost virtually nothing to make. -Hardly justifies €155 per year or whatever it is now
6) Has been known to rerun a series of programmes in the wrong order or with missing episodes
7) Some rather dubious advertising e.g. Premium rate phonelines etc (Not that some UK channels are entirely blameless in this regard)
8) Onscreen DOGS
9) Totally ****sed up widescreen -TV constantly switching between modes during adbreaks
10) Not available on DTT/Encrypted on Satellite

RTE strong points
1) Quality of foreign news coverage is usually good (especially coverage of Nuclear issues e.g. Sellafield) -pity there isint more of it
2) Films rarely (if ever) cut (i.e. destroyed) for television in order to fit into network timeslots or to pander to the sensibilities of "mary whitehouse" types
3) Usually gets Films before the UK channels
4) Although they do very few documentaries any the do are usually well produced
5) Pretty much blow TV3 out of the water in just about every respect

Overall while RTE do have the edge over the UK channels in one or two respects I wouldnt bother owning a TV if I could only get RTE

Elmo

In the small and ever growing world of Irish TV.

CCTV (Cork)
Looks up at C9Derry
Which Looks up at City which looks down on CCTV
While TV3 looks up at UTV even though their the same thing
RTE ONE looks down at TV3 which looks down on RTE TWO

Something like that on the Blizzard of Odd last night.

Ulsterman 1690

CCTV (Cork)

Didnt even know there was a local channel in Cork. Presume its only on cable ? Have they a website ?

Antenna

Recently there was a pilot week of Cork Community TV carried on the usual Chorus Sports channel - not sure if it could also be seen in other Chorus areas though? see this link

http://www.corkcommunitytv.ie/

Up to some years ago Cable/MMDS in Cork were carrying local programmes for the Cork area on an ongoing basis - current affairs (presented by 96FM's Neil Prendeville for some years), music shows (such as now TV3's Paul Byrne presenting Pop videos and even at one stage a country music show presented by Roger Ryan), Sports etc - but the regular Cork local programmes were discontinued and replaced by Chorus Sports which is carried across the Chorus network elsewhere in the country

When local programmes were done in the 1980s it was on an 'opt-out' basis when there was a Wales news programmes on BBC1 Wales, but it later had its own channel