Why have ITV/UTV?

Elmo

Mountjoy Mugger wrote: »

If by ITV you mean UTV, then yes. There's no ITV2, ITV4 etc.

ITV3 has gone. I am glad ITV is gone from the EPG on UPC. UTV is the only ITV available on UPC. Hopefully they will get rid of that soon as well.

Elmo

AnimalRights wrote: »

Why?
ITV was 110, my gf found it for me. :rolleyes:

UTV/ITV are ****. I just don't think much of them. Soap Opera TV.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Elmo

Captain Morgan wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

The thoughts of Julian! It also doubles up on TV3, space could be used for another channel, not ITV2, 3 or 4. Channel 4 +1 would be better.

I think that most of what you get from the other ITV stations is available elsewhere.

byte

Elmo wrote: »

The thoughts of Julian! It also doubles up on TV3, space could be used for another channel, not ITV2, 3 or 4. Channel 4 +1 would be better.

I think that most of what you get from the other ITV stations is available elsewhere.

I'd expect a lot of TV viewers would disagree with you and prefer UTV over a timeshifted C4.

Anyway, you could always not watch it? Anyway, offtopic.

Elmo

byte wrote: »

I'd expect a lot of TV viewers would disagree with you and prefer UTV over a timeshifted C4.

Anyway, you could always not watch it? Anyway, offtopic.

I don't actually I don't watch much of the non main channels TBH. UTV/TV3 are the only 2 main channels that I watch little off, but then I don't see much worth while programming on any channel at the moment. ITV and Sky are both overrated, I think if I got a new pay TV company ITV and Sky would not be missed for at least six months.

OT.

But UTV is on 110, it simulcast many of the shows on TV3, c4+1 and c4 have a more varied schedule

Sideshow Mark

Elmo wrote: »

I

But UTV is on 110, it simulcast many of the shows on TV3

To be pedantic, TV3 simulcasts many shows on UTV.

The reason they do it, aside from it being a source of cheap programming, is that UTV/ITV aren't on the Sky EPG.

Elmo

Sideshow Mark wrote: »

The reason they do it, aside from it being a source of cheap programming, is that UTV/ITV aren't on the Sky EPG.

That isn't the reason that TV3 were set up, to redistribute **** programming from ITV, wouldn't mind if it was their better stuff, but then there is little worthwhile on ITV.

The main reason for the simulcasts on TV3 is that in 2001 Granada (now ITV plc) bought 45% of TV3, TV3 has since been sold (2006) but still retains a business relationship with ITV.

There was a time when TV3 wasn't on the sky EPG.

watty

Ironically one of the main reasons for Cable/MMDS existing at all was for UTV/ITV (as well as BBC).

IMO TV3 is a bad copy of it and is hardly to be described as an Irish Broadcaster. Though UTV has little N.I. content these days.

icdg

The ITV of today and the ITV of yesteryear are two completely different animals.

ITV (collectively) historically was one of the world's top broadcasters and has produced many examples of quality programming accross many genres - it may surprise today's viewers that hard-hitting current affairs (World in Action), wildlife programming (Survival) and religous programming were once integral parts of the ITV schedule. ITN was (and to a certain extent still is) regarded as one of the world's great news providers, second only to the BBC in the English-speaking world for many years.

The problem was that regulators could insist that ITV should produce such programming (which is not really commercially viable) at a time when it was the only commercial television channel in the UK had thus, by reason of its government-gifted frequencies, 100% of the television advertising market (and right up until the mid-1990s, was the single most watched TV channel in the UK). With the advent of multichannel TV ITV's audience - and share of the advertising market has declined rapidly and it really no longer made sense to impose such strict requirements on what is, when it comes to the long and the short of it - a private business owned by private shareholders.

They still have some public service obligations (the "103" position on digital TV and the gifted DTT capacity still being valuable things that they should have these obligations for) but really these are vestiges at this stage. And as a commercial broadcaster - ultimately it is what people will watch - and that advertisers will buy space in ad breaks around - that they should programme.

Elmo

watty wrote: »

Ironically one of the main reasons for Cable/MMDS existing at all was for UTV/ITV (as well as BBC).

I don't know how Ironic that is, well perhaps because TV3 has so much of the ITV stuff on the air.

ITN was (and to a certain extent still is) regarded as one of the world's great news providers, second only to the BBC in the English-speaking world for many years.

ITV News isn't very good, yet they do a great job on Channel 4 News.

The problem was that regulators could insist that ITV should produce such programming (which is not really commercially viable) at a time when it was the only commercial television channel in the UK had thus, by reason of its government-gifted frequencies, 100% of the television advertising market (and right up until the mid-1990s, was the single most watched TV channel in the UK). With the advent of multichannel TV ITV's audience - and share of the advertising market has declined rapidly and it really no longer made sense to impose such strict requirements on what is, when it comes to the long and the short of it - a private business owned by private shareholders.

UTV remains by far the most watch channel in NI, not sure about STV and ITV have ITV1,2,3,4 and CITV. So perhaps they should be insisting that ITV1 provides the kind of quality programming that ITV used to show, focus on the main channel rather than the spin offs.

ITV's share

ITV 1

15.1%

ITV 2

1.8%

ITV 2 +1

0.5%

ITV 3

1.6%

ITV 3 +1

0.1%

ITV 4

0.8%

ITV 4 +1

0.1%

CITV

0.3%

TOTAL

20.3

In 1999 they had 22% for ITV1, personally they have lost viewers because they dumbed down not just because of extra channels.

UTV and STV remain popular because of local TV, so that is another reason for the demise of ITV1 in England and Wales.

watty

Multichannel TV has practically killed decent UK TV. Too many channels.

Even C5 was a step too far. More than four broadcasters encourages lowest common denominator, soaps, quizes, reality tv, phone in TV and fragments advertising.

I visited USA 1st Time in 1983 (to work) and I thought this is what the future of TV is and it's rubbish.

Elmo

watty wrote: »

Multichannel TV has practically killed decent UK TV. Too many channels.

Even C5 was a step too far. More than four broadcasters encourages lowest common denominator, soaps, quizes, reality tv, phone in TV and fragments advertising.

I visited USA 1st Time in 1983 (to work) and I thought this is what the future of TV is and it's rubbish.

But the regulator have given ITV, C4 and five the biggest advantage of freeveiw, with that advantage the regulator should insist that ITV1, C4 and five are the main beneficiaries of these extra channels which have help to keep ITV1, C4 and five at the top of the ratings war. The same goes for BBC1 and 2. The 4 main UK channels had 95% back in 1990 and are now only down to 70% in 2007, and their advertising revenue for ITV1, C4 and five has depleted even less.

The same will happen to RTE, TV3 and TG4 so the BAI need to watch the 4 main channels closely, they give far too much to TV3 which they will need to start regulating more aggressively, and that will be for the benefit of TV3 more than the viewer.

Of the top 10 most watched multichannel only TV channel 7 are own and opertated by BBC, ITV and C4, one is a owned by BBC Worldwide and Virgin and 2 others are owned by BskyB.

AugustusMaximus

Elmo, if you don't want to watch ITV, then do just that.

THe vast majority of people want ITV over C4+1.

Elmo

AugustusMaximus wrote: »

Elmo, if you don't want to watch ITV, then do just that.

THe vast majority of people want ITV over C4+1.

The vast majority of people watch C4 over ITV in Ireland. well if you count the 1% differiential.

I am just say that ITV is available to most people via TV3, so we petty much have a simulcast of the same channel, why not just put C4+1 in its place. It would certainly help audience figures for TV3. (Oh! wait I don't want that either )

AugustusMaximus

Elmo wrote: »

The vast majority of people watch C4 over ITV in Ireland. well if you count the 1% differiential.

I am just say that ITV is available to most people via TV3, so we petty much have a simulcast of the same channel, why not just put C4+1 in its place. It would certainly help audience figures for TV3. (Oh! wait I don't want that either )

I'd say about 5% of the programming is identical between two channels. That isn't much.

You're talking Coronation Street, Emerdale, X Factor a few other shows on a Saturday evening and that's about it.

Elmo

AugustusMaximus wrote: »

I'd say about 5% of the programming is identical between two channels. That isn't much.

You're talking Coronation Street, Emerdale, X Factor a few other shows on a Saturday evening and that's about it.

You have just mentioned the vast majority of prime time ITV programming.

Elmo

I just want to point out that the mods took this from another thread which started to go off topic, I didn't actually start the thread. Some threads are like a conversation that lead in other directions (The mods don't like this )

Also it would be nice to rename the thread as Why have ITV?