Saorview coverage in Waterford

The Cush

Saorview coverage issues in the Nire Valley were discussed at the recent Oireachtas Communication Committe Saorview discussion at the end of Sept

Senator Paschal Mooney
I wanted to raise the same issue because it has been covered in great detail, particularly for the south-west, but it was brought to my attention by a colleague in Waterford, Councillor Michael Joseph O'Ryan, who has been leading the campaign in the Nire Valley in particular, where there is a similar problem. This has become so acute that people in the Ballymacarbry and Nire Valley area will lose the signal. Many of them are elderly and are operating off aerials. In the last week, Councillor O'Ryan sent a petition to the Minister to ask that the analogue signal not be turned off in that area on those boosters until there is a solution to this. From what I heard earlier about upgrading in Cork, there was a similar problem in Kilmacthomas and that has been addressed by the provision of new transmitters.

Minister Pat Rabbitte
I heard what Senator Paschal Mooney had to say about the Nire valley, about which he had spoken to me privately. It would be best to ask Mr. Keogh to comment on the technical difficulties that have been encountered in parts of the country and how we propose to respond to them.

Mick Keogh, RTÉNL
I am aware of the problems in the Nire Valley, particularly in four or five houses nestled in the Forest View area where the bottom of the Nire Road approaches the main junction. When I drove up the road, I noted that three of the houses in question have Sky satellite dishes. If they can get Sky, they can get Saorsat more easily. There is a solution there for them.

http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/committeetakes/TRJ2012092700011?opendocument

2 questions in the Dáil recently

Tuesday, 2 October 2012

347. Deputy Ciara Conway

asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources the options or remedies available to a person (details supplied ) in County Waterford in view of the fact that this is one of the areas that is unable to receive a Saorview signal, taking into account that this person does not wish to purchase multichannel satellite or cable based TV packages [41451/12]

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Deputy Pat Rabbitte): RTÉ has built, owns and controls the Saorview TV network and is responsible for the roll-out, coverage and operation of that network. This is in accordance with Part 8 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, which provides that the development of the RTÉ network is an operational matter for RTÉ.

Section 130 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 Act provides that RTÉ must roll out a national digital TV network to the same extent as its existing analogue network. In this regard, I understand from RTÉ that their analogue network covers 98% of the population and the Saorview network will also provide 98% population coverage. It is impossible to cover 100% of the population by terrestrial means.

In addition to Saorview, RTÉ has developed SAORSAT, a new free-to-air satellite service unique to Ireland to ensure the RTÉ television services are available to the remaining 2% of the population. RTÉ is not obliged to provide this satellite service and is doing so on its own initiative.

SAORSAT launched in March 2012 and provides access to the RTÉ channels including the new RTÉ channels developed for SAORVIEW and TG4. TV3 has not yet made a decision regarding SAORSAT.

Further information on SAORSAT is available from SAORVIEW on www.saorview.ie and on LoCall 1850 222 012 and from RTÉ Networks Limited (RTÉNL) on www.rtenl.ie.

http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2012100200066?opendocument#Written Answers Nos 335-354

Wednesday, 10 October 2012

151. Deputy Paudie Coffey

asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources his plans to ensure the roll out of SaorView to black spot areas in County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43560/12]

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Deputy Pat Rabbitte): RTÉ has built, owns and controls the SAORVIEW TV network and is responsible for the roll-out, coverage and operation of that network. This includes information on transmitter sites being used. This is in accordance with Part 8 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, which provides that the development of the RTÉ network is an operational matter for RTÉ.

Section 130 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 Act provides that RTÉ must roll out a national digital TV network to the same extent as its existing analogue network. In this regard, I understand from RTÉ that their analogue network covers 98% of the population and the Saorview network will also provide 98% population coverage. It is impossible to cover 100% of the population by terrestrial means.

The SAORVIEW network is largely completed. Regarding Waterford, I have been informed by RTÉ Networks Limited that as well as having five of the sixty four SAORVIEW transmission sites located in County Waterford (Dungarvan, Kilmacthomas, Ferrypoint, Clonmel (the transmitter site is just inside County Waterford) and Gallows Hill) large parts of County Waterford are covered by transmission sites in other counties (Mount Leinster – Carlow, Suir Valley – Kilkenny, Mullaghanish, Spur Hill and Mitchelstown – Cork and Cahir - Tipperary).

Analogue Terrestrial Television Coverage in County Waterford was as follows: RTÉ One c. 88%; RTÉ Two c. 88%; TG4 c. 82%; TV3 c. 60%.

SAORVIEW coverage in County Waterford gives the following improvements over the old analogue network - an improvement in terrestrial availability of 10% for RTÉ One and RTÉ Two; an improvement in terrestrial availability of 16% for TG4; an improvement in terrestrial availability of 38% for TV3.

In addition to SAORVIEW, RTÉ has developed SAORSAT, a new free-to-air satellite service unique to Ireland to ensure the RTÉ television services are available to the remaining 2% of the population. SAORSAT launched in March 2012. Currently, SAORSAT provides access to the RTÉ channels including the new RTÉ channels developed for SAORVIEW and TG4. TV3 has not yet made a decision regarding SAORSAT. SAORVIEW and SAORSAT coverage and reception information is available on www.saorview.ie and www.rtenl.ie

http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/debateswebpack.nsf/takes/dail2012101000079?opendocument#Written Answers Nos. 151-159

marno21

Some of the points about current sites in Waterford are rubbish

Clonmel may be in Waterford but doesn't provide any useful coverage in Waterford cause it's on the north facing (ie Clonmel facing) side of a mountain, proof of this is that it uses the same channel and polarisation as Dungarvan.
Ferrypoint is also not intended for use in Waterford, and is only in Waterford cause it's less than 1km or so from the border with Cork, and isn't very useful to those in the Nire Valley.

I was bored one day and went fiddling with the coverage checker, the points about Spur Hill and Cahir are rubbish too, the only parts of Waterford covered by these two sites are tiny squares in the Comeragh mountains. Saying that either of these sites provide coverage in Waterford is nonsense because there's no one living in these squares. I'd doubt there's many people in Waterford using Mullaghanish either, the only use I've seen for it is TV3 aerials in the Dungarvan/Lismore/Tallow/Cappoquin area which are in the shadow of the Comeragh mountains blocking Mt Leinster