Midlands community TV

RINO87

anyone have any history or info on this. it used to be called Birr and district Multichannel i think in the 80's, carried some of the sky satellite channels i think, I remember watching screen sport and the movie channel and a bunch of the others in the 80's. They now broadcast bbc1,2, UTV and ch4.

i'd love to get more info, especially on the early days

dunno if this is in the right place mods, but i didnt think i would get a reply in broadcasting history!

tellyman

From memory, it was established around about 1984. There was a previous set-up but the owner decided to scramble the signal and force people to pay about £100 per year which was a lot of money back then for 3 channels of middling quality reception. Needless to say people protested and a public meeting was called. There were too many for the hotel to hold so it was moved to the Marian Hall. It was decided that an alternative system be set up. An other meeting was held, a committee was formed and the new system was up and running within a couple of weeks. Initially it transmitted BBC1, BBC2, UTV and Channel 4. Shortly after that it added Sky1 and Eurosport. The charge was £10 per year.
That ran along nicely til Ray Burke closed it down on Dec 31st 1988.
MMDS came to the area about a year later and wasnt very popular. Reception problems, billing problems, botched installations, company takovers etc. left a big demand for the old system to return.
Around 1991 rumour spread around the area that the deflector system was back, albeit on lower power with the 4 main UK channels.
This stopped for a brief period when the law changed to allow deflectors in certain areas. A license was applied for and they were back in business.
Its still there and reception is chrystal clear as they use satellite to receive the channels on the mountain.

RINO87

cheers for the info, i remember it carrying about six channels after 1988 though, was some of the equipment stolen/vandalised in the 1990's? where is the transmission site? any idea what the power is? my folks still have it in birr, reception is perfect, wondering how far its being received.
i remember horizon multichannel on mmds,used the same jerold boxes as irish multichannel (it was very easily hacked, i think, someone installed aerials and boxes for a small one off fee! ) was this local or part of a bigger company?

watty

Once the Public DTT starts the "Deflector" licences are supposed to terminate.

tellyman

I don't have any recollection of equipment being stolen or vandalised. The site is located on the side of the Slieve Bloom Mountains, about a mile south of Kinnitty overlooking the village. Power levels would be quite low but the ERP to the west (towards Birr) would be high enough to get about 30 miles. That is H polarised. Another V polarised "beam" is sent northwards to cover Kilcormac & Ferbane. Channels used are 48, 53, 55 and 57.
Regarding MMDS, Horizon was a Limerick based company who were AFAIK taken over by Irish Multi-Channel, who were taken over by Chorus which is now owned by UPC.

MCTV

I know all about this as I own and operate this system. It was originally set up in October 1987 (seems a long time ago now) following a public meeting as already stated. Some of the facts and dates are not correct. It ran as a community owned system until June 1993 when it was closed by High court order following an application by Horizon TV ( 50% owned by Tony O Reilly and Independent Newspapers). Thet got many licences nationwide following a bribe of 30 thousand pounds to the then Minister Ray Burke. I applied and got my present licence in 2000 and began broadcasting from a different site ( herein lies a tale) in April 2000. I got all my old customers back and a few more as well. Horizon were never liked for the reasons stated especially as they had removed an inexpensive system and replaced it with an expensive one of their own. When the people had the oppurtunit they voted with their feet!!!!. I stood in the High court in 1993 and was practically called a criminal for providing a community service. On my way home I vowed to myself that if I ever got the chance I would reinstate the system better thn ever and put MMDS out of business in Birr. To this day I still get pleasure from taking down an MMDS aerial and replacing it with one of my own. I hope the above is of help.

MCTV

The last reply is only a short one. I could fill a book with stories about the system and the efforts made to keep it going. If you wish you can contact me directly but I dont know how.

RINO87

thats great guys, thanks for the info, i was trawling through some of the articles here and it got me interested. cheers.

rogue-entity

watty wrote: »

Once the Public DTT starts the "Deflector" licences are supposed to terminate.

True, but the old deflector systems serve a purpose, they transmit the UK terrestrial channels in the clear. If, like the ill-fated attempt to grab £100/yr by scrambling/encrypting those channels, the DTT system charges a subscription to receive these channels, I can't see many people being happy about it. DTT could well be the new UPC, and the prospect of paying a one-off fee for an FTA receiver and dish, will be more appealing.

RINO87

the system must have been very costly to set up in those days, it was good to see the sense of community that prevailed with these projects i.e. the "battery run" for south coast tv.

John Dough

Its not just in Ireland as a number of deflector systems being used in Spain for years serving thousands of people have been closed down by the intervention of both Sly and the new E.U. rules on this type of rebroadcasting.

Spanish DTT running well with signals receivable up to 100kms in to France.

L1011

The Spanish 'deflectors' were transmitting Sky subscription channels, encrypted, for cash. The deflectors here are transmitting signals that in theory anyone with insane aerials could get anyway, unencrypted. Massive difference.

Burr

Just re-awakening this thread...I have a video recording of what I think was a Commodore 64 input to "Kinnity" transmitter, advertising community meeting in Hineys pub Ferbane among other places. They also broadcast a few very basic local programs. I think I remember watching the Birr St. Patricks day parade.

The signal easily extended North and West, with reception basically anywhere in line of site.

Its definitely still on the air..was watching it in the home place last weekend. Booming into Ferbane on a "colour-king" facing out a velux window (with a 26db labview amp).

Does anybody know the ERP ?

Galway

MCTV wrote: »

I know all about this as I own and operate this system. It was originally set up in October 1987 (seems a long time ago now) following a public meeting as already stated. Some of the facts and dates are not correct. It ran as a community owned system until June 1993 when it was closed by High court order following an application by Horizon TV ( 50% owned by Tony O Reilly and Independent Newspapers). Thet got many licences nationwide following a bribe of 30 thousand pounds to the then Minister Ray Burke. I applied and got my present licence in 2000 and began broadcasting from a different site ( herein lies a tale) in April 2000. I got all my old customers back and a few more as well. Horizon were never liked for the reasons stated especially as they had removed an inexpensive system and replaced it with an expensive one of their own. When the people had the oppurtunit they voted with their feet!!!!. I stood in the High court in 1993 and was practically called a criminal for providing a community service. On my way home I vowed to myself that if I ever got the chance I would reinstate the system better thn ever and put MMDS out of business in Birr. To this day I still get pleasure from taking down an MMDS aerial and replacing it with one of my own. I hope the above is of help.

Hi MCTV,

Could u give any info on where your system sources the UK signals from, transmit channels and power, aerial array, location, any pics would be great as the deflectors might not be with us much longer with DTT next yr.

Also any of the stories of how it is/was kept going, PM if you dont want to publish. Many thanks, you provide a valuable service to those who dont know about satellite etc