If One Vision didn't happen how would you deal with it?

Elmo

You are the head of the BAI, or in government basically you have the power.

Do you

A. Issue the licence to Easy TV

Or

B. Go with RTÉ's suggestion back in 2007 to the EU which stated

14. RTÉ's Aspirations for an Irish DTT Platform

RTÉ desires to see the implementation and rollout of an efficient DTT platform in Ireland to replace the current analogue television transmission service. RTÉ believes that this is the best means of facilitating analogue switch-off and of ensuring the continued delivery and viability of PSB to the greatest number of people in Ireland in a digital era.

In line with that overall goal RTÉ would therefore like to see an Irish DTT platform emerge which has the following broad characteristics:

1. Majority of its capacity dedicated to FTA Channels
2. Carries all of the existing Irish National terrestrial channels
3. Carries most of the "traditional" UK terrestrial channels (ie BBC NI 1, 2, UTV and C4)
4. facilitates national pay / subscription TV channels
5. MUXES are rolled out in accordance with a co ordinated and synchronized plan
6. is an integrated and operationally efficient delivery mechanism
7. Carries national radio channels and has text and interactive capability
8. is HD enabled
9. has initial coverage of 90%+ of the population from 13 sites with subsequent expansion
10. facilitates synchronization and reciprocation with DTT services in NI
11. The consumer offering is co ordinated, promoted and marketed by a platform operator
12. facilitates the adoption of an agreed Irish regulated EPG
13 the DTT transmission and DTT multiplexing activities are regulated in Ireland
14. heavily promoted and marketed by Government and by all of the stakeholders.

Read in full here:
http://www.rte.ie/about/pdfs/letter_on_digital_switchover.pdf

Sam Russell

We do not want another protracted negotiations. Let RTE run the show, and see how they get on. The worst that can happen is we get a DTT service. RTENL at least got the infrastructure right.

Biffo The Bare

The vast majority of potential Irish DTT viewers will be people who up to the switch off had only the 4 Irish channels. There is no way the majority of these people will want to subscribe to OneVision. Having to buy one box per TV is enough expense for them.
Remember, UK Freeview only took off when the pay TV company went bust and they had no choice but to offer the service for free.
Having BBC 1 and BBC 2 as pay channels is not going to cut any ice with these people.

Biffo The Bare

Biffo The Bare wrote: »

The vast majority of potential Irish DTT viewers will be people who up to the switch off had only the 4 Irish channels. There is no way the majority of these people will want to subscribe to OneVision. Having to buy one box per TV is enough expense for them.
Remember, UK Freeview only took off when the pay TV company went bust and they had no choice but to offer the service for free.
Having BBC 1 and BBC 2 as pay channels is not going to cut any ice with these people.

For the last several years yes-theres been no commercial market here for pay dtt.
It may have worked if it was started way back in 2001 before freesat took hold and before sky passed 200k subscribers.
Anyone or any company that doesn't realise this is an eejit.

A triple play option for eircom might work but remember it would be a loss leader.
People/customers would be fleeced on the other 2 parts of the package to make up for that.
I'm not sure that is a runner any more in the current economic environment.

The Cush

Issue the licence to EasyTV.

Were the RTÉ aspirations part of its joint application with UPC, after all the application was made some months after this submission?

If OneVision withdraw the BAI will offer the licence to EasyTV as the third and final placed group in the process just as OneVision were offered as the second placed group.

RTÉ should run the complete service with or without UPC.

Sponge Bob

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/article/15230/comms/eircom-to-embark-on-major-restructure-and-technology-shift

Eircom to embark on major restructure and technology shift

12.02.2010
Eircom has begun a major organisational restructure and plans to embrace a more open approach to wholesale broadband opportunities as well as fibre enable its mobile base stations, its new owners have confirmed.

from which

Donovan said Eircom is determined to get the digital terrestrial television (DTT) license under its OneVision consortium as a vital step in the direction of a converged future where TV services will be enmeshed with music and internet services over fixed and wireless networks.
“In Singapore, 70pc of every new mobile is a smart phone – that changes completely the way people think about consuming media and we need to reorganise our way of delivering services. Being just a telephone company is not a strategy that will have any longevity at all – it is vital that we embrace IP networks, raise our game in wireless, as well.

coylemj

Biffo The Bare wrote: »

The vast majority of potential Irish DTT viewers will be people who up to the switch off had only the 4 Irish channels. There is no way the majority of these people will want to subscribe to OneVision. Having to buy one box per TV is enough expense for them.
Remember, UK Freeview only took off when the pay TV company went bust and they had no choice but to offer the service for free.
Having BBC 1 and BBC 2 as pay channels is not going to cut any ice with these people.

You are 100% correct, anyone who by now hasn't shelled out for Freesat or Sky or cable is simply not going to subscribe to a pay TV service. Under protest they will buy the cheapest possible STB to get the free digital stuff from RTE and they'll probably expect a grant from Brussels or Social Welfare to do it!

I should know, I did the research for my sister who lives down the country outside the catchment of any cable company, she has a decent UHF aerial and an ordinary, cheap TV (one SCART socket) and she gets the four local channels. I gave her a quote from a local reputable installer who was offering a Freesat installation including dish, decoder and fitting for less than Eur 200. I explained that she would have BBC, ITV and Channel 4 forever with no subscription. She refused to go for it, does anyone seriously think that she is going to sign up for Pay TV?

10000maniacs

OneVision's target base is the sector thats traditionally hardest to crack, the Four-Channelers (to use a David McWilliams-ism:D). The thing is about this lot is they have never been tempted by Freesat, MMDS, cable or UK Freeview in the near or distant past, so why now? What makes OneVision or the BAI think that they are going to persuade these people to part with €10/€15 a month for BBC1, BBC2, UTV and a suite of infomercial ridden wastes of bandwidth.
We have waited 10 years and this is how far the BAI have taken us on DTT. They should be ashamed of themselves.
The UK has had FREEview for more than 10 years. What are we paying our €160 a year for?

Elmo

I did the research for my sister who lives down the country outside the catchment of any cable company, she has a decent UHF aerial and an ordinary, cheap TV (one SCART socket) and she gets the four local channels.

I am sure you mean National channels Also she will be the last to even get One Vision if she is out of a Cable Catchment area, she will see her door to door sales person from One Vision Circa 2015.

10000maniacs wrote: »

The UK has had FREEview for more than 10 years. What are we paying our €160 a year for?

The growth of Viacom, Virgin, BBC Worldwide, Sky and other Large Conglomerates.

10000maniacs

Elmo wrote: »

The growth of Viacom, Virgin, BBC Worldwide, Sky and other Large Conglomerates.

Could you expand on that Elmo?
I asked "What are we paying our €160 (License Fee) a year for?"
Surely not 3 analogue TV channels and 2 decent radio channels.

Elmo

10000maniacs wrote: »

Could you expand on that Elmo?
I asked "What are we paying our €160 a year for?"

I am being ironic, damn having to explain my bad jokes yet again.

What we pay our 160 for is for a number of things that RTÉ provide. One of those things happens to be RTÉ NL and its development of DTT and DAB. The government then hands that over to Eircom or (STT), then eircom sell One Vision containing channels (which they buy) from Viacom, BBC Worldwide, Virgin, Sky, Discovery etc whom then sell advertising to Irish Audience. None of these big companies make any Irish TV but instead vast amounts of money heads abroad.

We remain the box packers with other countries producing whats in the box I hear they call it the smart economy.

Oh and Freeview isn't paid for by the licence fee it is paid for by each of the companies providing TV to Terrestrial Audiences from both the Licence Fee (BBC), Exchequre Funding (S4C) and Ad Revenue (Channel 4 and the Commercial Operators).

derek_c

10000maniacs wrote: »

What are we paying our €160 a year for?

Gerry Ryans, Joe Duffy's and Ryan Tubbertys wages, I think RTE fork out the balance

10000maniacs

Elmo wrote: »

then eircom sell One Vision containing channels (which they buy) from Viacom, BBC Worldwide, Virgin, Sky, Discovery etc whom then sell advertising to Irish Audience.

Then Eircom sell One Vision.:rolleyes: To whom? Who is going to buy it. Freesat users?:rolleyes:, MMDS users?:rolleyes:, cable or UK Freeview users?:rolleyes:people in 4 channel land?:rolleyes: Wheres the market.
?
Thats the point I am making.

Elmo

10000maniacs wrote: »

Then Eircom sell One Vision.:rolleyes: To whom? Who is going to buy it. Freesat users?:rolleyes:, MMDS users?:rolleyes:, cable or UK Freeview users?:rolleyes:people in 4 channel land?:rolleyes: Wheres the market.
?
Thats the point I am making.

Or in many cases RTÉ NL foot the bill for these pay TV channel for the free Irish market. €160 isn't there to support companies such as Viacom, BBC Worldwide, Virgin, Sky, Discovery etc

I know the point that you are making in relation to One Vision I am just stating the current thinking in relation to DTT from the Dept and the BAI.

My statement wasn't supposed to be taken seriously hence the irony.

Biffo The Bare

Elmo wrote: »

Or in many cases RTÉ NL foot the bill for these pay TV channel for the free Irish market. €160 isn't there to support companies such as Viacom, BBC Worldwide, Virgin, Sky, Discovery etc

I know the point that you are making in relation to One Vision I am just stating the current thinking in relation to DTT from the Dept and the BAI.

My statement wasn't supposed to be taken seriously hence the irony.

I gave your posts on this thread a good and fair read, but what are you on about?.:D
You seem to answer a question with a totally different topic.
Elmo, your'e not a politician are you?

Elmo

Biffo The Bare wrote: »

I gave your posts on this thread a good and fair read, but what are you on about?.:D
You seem to answer a question with a totally different topic.

The question was "What is the 160 euro TV Licence for?" I answered the question in relation to FreeView and RTÉs network (since that is what we are talking about). I explained how FreeView works i.e. it is part paid for by the Licence Fee, Commercial money and Exchequer funding. Similar to that of the RTÉ Network which provides facilities to private operators and public service broadcasters.

Now there are other things that the Licence Fee is used for but I amn't going to go through each one of those areas here as I would be going off topic.

I wasn't answering the question "where is the market for Pay DTT?" because we all know there isn't one. Again my Irony may have gone over peoples heads or perhaps I answered the wrong question.