Favourite Terrestrial TV Station

LordSutch

So what's your favourite Terrestrial TV station here in Ireland and why?

My favourite Terrestrial TV Station is BBC2 because it caters for most of my Comedy needs/ News/ Current affairs/ Music/ & Documentary needs, with Channel 4 coming a close second, needless to say its not a straight forward question in the firstplace, but given a Friday or Saturday night, the TV just always seems to end up on BBC2, admittedly I do also watch a lot of BBC1 & CHN4

Bushalicious

BBC2 just in terms or range. From comedy (excluding Little Britain) to documentary, they seem to keep things fresh. Channel 4 would be a second place. Thier comedy output over the last 10 years has been pretty strong.

Mingey

BBC 1 / BBC 2 / Channel 4 Equally

Least favourite: RTE 1/ RTE 2/ U/ITV.

TV3 Has OK Movies from time to time & TG4 has good docos.

Diabhal Beag

RTE2 just for the sport. I know the comedy is brutal at best but I can't say enough good about the sports coverage, except for Marty Morrisey.

dulpit

I went with RTE2 on the basis that for me the terrestrial channels consist of RTE1, RTE2, TV3 & TG4. We do have Sky for the BBCs, and we (from time to time) can pick them up through the aerial, but it's quite fuzzy...

TBH though, BBC is a bit spotty with what they show. I mean they show an awful lot of rubbish, especially during the day (antiques shows all the time), there's a better chance of finding something watchable on the RTEs..

I never watch TG4, not since Oz finished (except for the occasional film) and TV3 is a joke..

IMO we ridicule RTE when it is not actually that bad. Sure BBC and the likes have better "big shows" (Top Gear, Jonathon Ross, etc.) but overall I prefer RTE.

Liam Byrne

dulpit wrote: »

I went with RTE2 on the basis that for me the terrestrial channels consist of RTE1, RTE2, TV3 & TG4.

+1 There are only 4 terrestrial channels in this country. True, the border areas and the east coast can pick up BBC & CH4, but our own 4 are the terrestrial channels.

Of those, it's probably RTE2, followed by RTE1, then TG4, and - by process of elimination because there's no other choices, TV3.

LordSutch

As somebody who works in the industry I can safely say that any & all TV channels that can be picked-up using an Aerial are by definition 'terrestrial' TV Channels, as opposed to the dozens of Satellite channels that are also available to many people in Ireland, but are not terrestrial.

If you want to split hairs, then we are talking about indeginous analogue TV Stations from Ireland & Britain.

The original post & the poll is indeed correct.

Liam Byrne

Camelot wrote: »

As somebody who works in the industry I can safely say that any & all TV channels that can be picked-up using an Aerial are by definition 'terrestrial' TV Channels, as opposed to the dozens of Satellite channels that are also available to many people in Ireland, but are not terrestrial.

If you want to split hairs, then we are talking about indeginous analogue TV Stations from Ireland & Britain.

The original post & the poll is indeed correct.

Does an "aerial" include a UPC / Chorus MMDS aerial ? Because most of the country can't pick up UK channels without one.

From dictionary.com indigenous : originating in and characteristic of a particular region or country;

Therefore, there are 4 indigenous stations in this country.

LordSutch

jesus Liam, lighten-up Man, its only a TV Poll .....................

Please excuse my blaspheming and Goodnight to you ~ Camelot.

Liam Byrne

Don't worry, man - I'm light (at least mentally anyways - anything else is all the Christmas food & drink )

Just clarifying the facts, that's all.

Mossy Monk

BBC2 would be the one I would watch most often out of the choices given

LordSutch

Just realised that I didnt include 3e in the poll .............

No loss really )

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Camelot wrote: »

Just realised that I didnt include 3e in the poll .............

No loss really )

Who gives a sh!t about 3e - why isn't TG4 up there. the only decent station in this country. RTÉ is all over the place with their scheduling and what they do have is generally already shown on Sky. TV3 shouldn't even count as a station - it's a disgrace as is its splinter channel.
As for the british stations that we get. BBC is alright for Doctor Who and Robin Hood - but that's about it. ITV is the same as TV3 - sh!t. Channel 4 gets the best shows - ie. Shameless, Skins, The IT Crowd, Father Ted, Black Books etc. etc, but still nowhere near as good as TG4.

Liam Byrne

Only spotted today that TG4 wasn't included! Now that's DEFINITELY an indigenous channel, and it's way better than TV3/ITV too !!

Also, re the omission of 3e.....

As somebody who works in the industry I can safely say that any & all TV channels that can be picked-up using an Aerial are by definition 'terrestrial' TV Channels,

And you proposed putting in 3e (Satellite/Chorus only) and the UK channels before thinking of TG4 !!! :P

The poll definitely ain't correct now!

Elmo

TG4 as far as programming is concerned. Kind of don't know which ones to vote for.

I will go for RTE TWO but they have all lost their favour with me.


Also surely TV3 is an ITV region 3e is not Terrestrial, it is a cable channel.

I may have accidentally voted for TV3

ScumLord

Little Shyte wrote: »

RTE2 just for the sport. I know the comedy is brutal at best but I can't say enough good about the sports coverage, except for Marty Morrisey.

The sport ruins it. I don't know who many times I've turned on my tele, which only has the 4 Irish channels, to see sport on all the channels. At other times it's all soaps.

I'd go for TG4 as the best channel it's just unfortunate I can't speak Irish. Second RTE2, then RTE, I wish I could remove TV3 from my tele but I can't because I lost the remote. The reason I only have the 4 channels.

LordSutch

Apologies to those who wanted TG4 in the Poll of Favourite Terrestrial TV Stations, but to be perfectly honest with you, I never even thought about people voting for TG4 as their Favourite terrestrial (all encompassing TV Station), and if you look at Post#1 again, can TG4 really cater for all those needs?

SORRY Chaps, I had no idea that TG4 was right up there with the best of them.

jane86

Voted Channel 4 - over the years they've done/picked up very good documentaries. They also, IMO, do the best all round entertainment. However, for some reason I can never stand watching their News. Although Jon Snowdon seems lovely.

Watch BBC2 the least.

Liam Byrne

Camelot wrote: »

Favourite terrestrial (all encompassing TV Station), and if you look at Post#1 again, can TG4 really cater for all those needs?

Neither "favourite" nor "terrestrial" mean "all-encompassing", nor do they have to cater for "all those needs".....what you said in post #1 was why you chose your favourites, not why other people might.....

And your list doesn't include "films" or "irish culture" or "sport" (as mentioned by others), or "relevance" or a load of other possible reasons for choosing a station as a "favourite" or having it on most often.

RTE2 would DEFINITELY get my vote if it weren't for Sky Sports & Setanta money-grabbing all the good stuff like Munster in the Heineken Cup.....when they had stuff like that they were practically unbeatable (except, of course, for the oft-lamented comedy). And even without the live matches they still manage to beat the pants off SS or S or MOTD for inciteful punditry and intelligent, knowledgeable opinion.

But yeah, TG4 is definitely more worthwhile than TV3 - which as has already been pointed out could be included in "ITV regions", since you have that in the poll.

LordSutch

Liam dear chap, this Thread is NOT meant to be a question from University Challenge (BBC2) .............

I had no idea that TG4 was going to be such a BIG issue with you > really really sorry I omitted it.

mike65

BBC 2, hardly watch the boob tube these days but when I do its probably BBC2 if its not sport (or on BBC4). Can't even remember when I last watched a non sport prog on Irish tv.

Linku

Channel 4 by far. I don't like when they go for shock programming like they do now and then, but they usually don't take themselves too seriously, and the News is good.

Dodge

LOL @ the British channels being "terrestrial" to ireland

Liam Byrne

Camelot wrote: »

Liam dear chap

"Dear chap" ??? :eek: Maybe that explains why you mistook the UK stations as terrestrial !!

K4t

My vote would go to TG4 except for the fact that they show Southpark in Irish. Do they not know that one of the attractions of the show is the uniqueness of the characters voices! Awful stuff. They even put the film in Irish too

LordSutch

Liam Byrne wrote: »

"Dear chap" ??? :eek: Maybe that explains why you mistook the UK stations as terrestrial !!

If we keep batting too & frow like this the Thread will just end up a slagging match 'Matey' )

The Stations listed in the Poll are all terrestrial TV Stations in Ireland. (Aerial Stations).

Now can we please get on with this Thread preferably without your distractions.

ronnie3585

Voted for BBC2, just. Channel 4 came a close second. Love it's consistently brilliant documentaries and Channel 4 news is one of the very few actual 'news' programs left on television....but...because of Big Brother it doesnt get my vote.

JanusGeminius

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Neither "favourite" nor "terrestrial" mean "all-encompassing", nor do they have to cater for "all those needs".....what you said in post #1 was why you chose your favourites, not why other people might.....

And your list doesn't include "films" or "irish culture" or "sport" (as mentioned by others), or "relevance" or a load of other possible reasons for choosing a station as a "favourite" or having it on most often.

RTE2 would DEFINITELY get my vote if it weren't for Sky Sports & Setanta money-grabbing all the good stuff like Munster in the Heineken Cup.....when they had stuff like that they were practically unbeatable (except, of course, for the oft-lamented comedy). And even without the live matches they still manage to beat the pants off SS or S or MOTD for inciteful punditry and intelligent, knowledgeable opinion.

But yeah, TG4 is definitely more worthwhile than TV3 - which as has already been pointed out could be included in "ITV regions", since you have that in the poll.

We Obviously have very different opinions on what qualifies as 'insightful' punditry. Watching RTÉ's motley collection of failed footballers is akin to brain surgery performed by horses, In that it's fascinating but not for the right reasons.

BBC 2 Gets my vote as it's a cut above everything else, although BBC 1 is good for drama.

Liam Byrne

JanusGeminius wrote: »

We Obviously have very different opinions on what qualifies as 'insightful' punditry.

Not saying it couldn't be better.....or even occasionally a lot better...........

My quote was that it beats the pants off Setanta, Sky, MOTD & TV3. No more, no less.

JanusGeminius

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Not saying it couldn't be better.....or even occasionally a lot better...........

My quote was that it beats the pants off Setanta, Sky, MOTD & TV3. No more, no less.

I'd beg to differ, at least the pundits of MOTD actually know what they are talking about rather than RTÉ's bunch who get their info off the back of fag packets from the 60's. Sky's pundits nearly as bad as RTÉ's lot but just manage to scrape past.

Irish content isn't de facto better, everyone needs to realise that.

Liam Byrne

JanusGeminius wrote: »

Irish content isn't de facto better, everyone needs to realise that.

Never said it was. What I posted is my opinion because MOTD is too tabloidy and trivial for me; suggesting that anyone who favours Irish content is delusional because of some "de facto" complex re Irish content is a little patronising and dismissive.

As you said, I'll say : you have your opinion, and I beg to differ. But it's based on watching it and it's a valid opinion, not a "de facto" blinkered notion based on nothing.