Utv to launch a new station in the republic

gordongekko

Thought this deserved a new thread. No link just heard it on the morning news.

The Cush

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/1106/484908-utv-channel/

Morning Ireland discussion - http://www.rte.ie/news/morningireland/player.html?20131106,20467497,20467497,flash,232 (starts at 1:45:40)

This announcement follows the signing of an agreement with ITV Studios Global Entertainment, which will give UTV the exclusive broadcasting rights for ITV Studios programmes for the Republic of Ireland audience, including popular soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale from early 2015, once appropriate statutory broadcasting licences are in place.

UTV press release

formerly scottish paddy

Goodbye TV3!

formerly scottish paddy

No mention of Saorview, but I assume it will have to be on that........and in HD!:D (more retuning!)
Interesting strategy, buyout TV3's most important programmes and then completely bypass them with a new licence. I wonder if TV3 will bother continuing broadcasting until UTVI starts?

The Cush

formerly scottish paddy wrote: »

Goodbye TV3!

From the Indo

The move could be a blow for TV3 as the plans follow the signing of a contract by UTV with ITV to give the new station the exclusive broadcasting rights for soaps such as Coronation Street and Emmerdale in the Republic if it gets the green light.

http://www.independent.ie/business/utv-to-launch-new-tv-station-in-republic-with-100-jobs-29731761.html

http://www.u.tv/News/UTV-to-launch-new-TV-channel-in-Ireland/af0da77f-18b5-413c-9cbc-e669d933bad6
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/utv-launching-irish-tv-channel-29731750.html
http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/media-and-marketing/utv-to-launch-new-dublin-based-tv-channel-1.1585517

The Cush

http://utvireland.ie/
https://twitter.com/UTVIreland

An application to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) for a Content Provision Contract was submitted today (6 November).

(Section 71 Licence, Broadcasting Act 2009)
BAI Section 71 Guide to submissions - http://www.bai.ie/?page_id=80

Michael Wilson, Managing Director, UTV Television said:

"UTV was the first commercial TV channel in Ireland when it launched as part of the ITV Network back in 1959 and for many years the only place where you could watch Coronation Street and the hugely popular ITV network programming.

"We intend to introduce UTV Ireland in early 2015 utilising the existing UTV winning formula of combining high quality news, current affairs, entertainment and drama.

"We plan to make this new channel available on as many platforms as possible, subject to contract approval, with a catch up service also available online."

Contact UTV Ireland

UTV Ireland Limited
Macken House
Mayor Street Upper
Dublin 1

Tel: +353 (0) 1 819 8709
Web: www.utvireland.ie
Email: info@u.tv

irishfeen

Great news and as already said - Goodbye TV3.

munchkin_utd

this has to be one of the biggest announcements since independent tv started in the Republic.
I actually more expected an ITV takeover of both UTV and TV3 as more likely and at least starting with UTV, but this really takes the rug from under TV3s feet.

All TV3 can do now is try to outdo RTE and get some of the popular BBC shows, but where would that leave RTE!

And also an interesting side issue, this will be the first proper 32 county TV or radio broadcaster. It'll be interesting to see how they balance trying to stretch their home made programme portfolio across the border without loosing their local touch that got them the ITV franchise for Northern Ireland in the first place.

ftakeith

great move from utv ireland

might buy tv3 in 2015 when tv3 go bust

irishfeen

I wonder will UTV Ireland be an All Ireland broadcaster replacing UTV in the north or will UTV NI continue alongside?

irishfeen

munchkin_utd wrote: »

this has to be one of the biggest announcements since independent tv started in the Republic.
I actually more expected an ITV takeover of both UTV and TV3 as more likely and at least starting with UTV, but this really takes the rug from under TV3s feet.

All TV3 can do now is try to outdo RTE and get some of the popular BBC shows, but where would that leave RTE!

And also an interesting side issue, this will be the first proper 32 county TV or radio broadcaster. It'll be interesting to see how they balance trying to stretch their home made programme portfolio across the border without loosing their local touch that got them the ITV franchise for Northern Ireland in the first place.

I think that's it for TV3, UTV won't buy TV3 and take on massive debt but could buy up TV3's remaining rights off them (Champions League, GAA etc).

munchkin_utd

irishfeen wrote: »

I wonder will UTV Ireland be an All Ireland broadcaster replacing UTV in the north or will UTV NI continue alongside?

as I alluded to, they have a remit to provide local content for northern Ireland which won them the ITV contract, which every so often they have to re-apply for so it would be very important for them to stick to what has won them a record number of contract re-issuings

plus northern ireland has a large section of the population allergic to the republic so you wouldnt want to go too heavy on inflicting too many southern accents on them or you'd loose them as a customer base for your advertising.

plus, stuff like the champions league they would only have rights for northern ireland for, just as tv3 might have only rights for FAI games in the south, so you just cant have a universal 32 county single channel.

So you'd basically have TV3 mark 2 in the south with more overlap with UTV on home made programmes.

Banjoxed

Boom. Out of the blue UTV announces an exclusive deal for ITV Studios programming in the Republic from 2015, and that consequently they will be doing an ROI version of UTV.

On the RTE News Now app

irishfeen

munchkin_utd wrote: »

as I alluded to, they have a remit to provide local content for northern Ireland which won them the ITV contract, which every so often they have to re-apply for so it would be very important for them to stick to what has won them a record number of contract re-issuings

plus northern ireland has a large section of the population allergic to the republic so you wouldnt want to go too heavy on inflicting too many southern accents on them or you'd loose them as a customer base for your advertising.

plus, stuff like the champions league they would only have rights for northern ireland for, just as tv3 might have only rights for FAI games in the south, so you just cant have a universal 32 county single channel.

So you'd basically have TV3 mark 2 in the south with more overlap with UTV on home made programmes.

Yeah your probably right, they could though buy the CL rights from TV3 for Ireland akin to BT and ESPN in the UK.

Hopefully it being a seperate entity to UTV NI will mean real investment in Irish homegrown programming something for which TV3 neglected majorly since they started... And we might get a HD channel too.

icdg

This is massive news alright, and has the potential to be the biggest seachange in Irish broadcasting since TV3's original agreement with the then Granada in 2000!

This destroys overnight TV3's current strategy. They are effectively faced with some major decisions to make on their future, but they still have a number of major assets: the main television programme service contract, with all the must carry obligations and prime EPG positions that come with it; as well as an existing studio complex, set up and other contracts. They could give up and enter negotiations with UTV to sell the company to them. This would allow UTV to seamlessly take over the 103 slot on Sky Digital (where otherwise it is likely to be well down the EPG) as well as TV3's position on Saorview.

The other strategy would be to fight. This would involve using the 15 month or so lead in to acquire new content, with the aim of reinventing TV3 as something more akin to its original self, broadcasting Channel 5 and Sky One type shows as well as US miniseries. Ultimately in this scenario I don't think there'd be any room for 3e as the resulting channel would effectively be a mix of the present TV3 and 3e.

Worth noting what we're likely to be losing too - at least cable viewers - access to ITV's sports programmes (although much of this has moved to ITV4 anyway), ITN, and ITV movies and imports, although anyone who wants any of this badly enough could get satellite (if they can).

irishfeen

icdg wrote: »

This is massive news alright, and has the potential to be the biggest seachange in Irish broadcasting since TV3's original agreement with the then Granada in 2000!

This destroys overnight TV3's current strategy. They are effectively faced with some major decisions to make on their future, but they still have a number of major assets: the main television programme service contract, with all the must carry obligations and prime EPG positions that come with it; as well as an existing studio complex, set up and other contracts. They could give up and enter negotiations with UTV to sell the company to them. This would allow UTV to seamlessly take over the 103 slot on Sky Digital (where otherwise it is likely to be well down the EPG) as well as TV3's position on Saorview.

The other strategy would be to fight. This would involve using the 15 month or so lead in to acquire new content, with the aim of reinventing TV3 as something more akin to its original self, broadcasting Channel 5 and Sky One type shows as well as US miniseries. Ultimately in this scenario I don't think there'd be any room for 3e as the resulting channel would effectively be a mix of the present TV3 and 3e.

Worth noting what we're likely to be losing too - at least cable viewers - access to ITV's sports programmes (although much of this has moved to ITV4 anyway), ITN, and ITV movies and imports, although anyone who wants any of this badly enough could get satellite (if they can).

Couldn't UTV just buy the 103 EPG slot from sky and force TV3 down the list?...

For TV3 to survive I think they will have to go down the homegrown programming route - akin to TG4, they piggybacked on ITV programming for far too long and you could see this move coming... A damning indictment was that TV3 didnt even manage one programme in the top 20 last year in Ireland - if I owned TV3 heads would have rolled for that kind of carry on - this in a land with only 2 other competitors.

Macy0161

munchkin_utd wrote: »

So you'd basically have TV3 mark 2 in the south with more overlap with UTV on home made programmes.

With the amount of content that tv3 simulcasts from itv anyway, its more the other way around anyway.

Regarding their UK licence, they could just have a separate news programme in this state, when they have ITV news and the local news. An hour long news programme in the evening could really put it up to rte.

Can't remember when it was last watched in this house, but no tv3 would mean no 3e, so saorview could actually lose a channel. Whether people consider it a loss is a different question.

The Cush

icdg wrote: »

This destroys overnight TV3's current strategy. They are effectively faced with some major decisions to make on their future, but they still have a number of major assets: the main television programme service contract, with all the must carry obligations and prime EPG positions that come with it; as well as an existing studio complex, set up and other contracts.

TV3's 2012 accounts which were published this week show net debts of €105m split almost equally between its owners Doughty Hanson and IBRC. The IBRC debt was to be sold off in early Oct with Doughty Hanson the likely bidder, we haven't heard anything since.

icdg

irishfeen wrote: »

Couldn't UTV just buy the 103 EPG slot from sky and force TV3 down the list?...

.

It doesn't work like that - you can't just gazzump the current holder of a slot. It's more complicated too in the case of this particular slot as it's a PSB reserved slot.

irishfeen

Macy0161 wrote: »

With the amount of content that tv3 simulcasts from itv anyway, its more the other way around anyway.

Regarding their UK licence, they could just have a separate news programme in this state, when they have ITV news and the local news. An hour long news programme in the evening could really put it up to rte.

Can't remember when it was last watched in this house, but no tv3 would mean no 3e, so saorview could actually lose a channel. Whether people consider it a loss is a different question.

3e's limited rights could easily be bought up by RTÉ, UTV and TG4 anyway - that's if they are worth even buying.

Agree with their 1 hour news broadcast, do it right and they could make a big success of it... I have been calling on TV3 to invest in a proper news and current affairs service for years - not doing it is/was a massive mistake and devalues the channel greatly.

Nelbert

They've also recently launched their HD channel which hopefully means the end of TV3 entirely..... Builds HD Studio, has own tv channel, studio used by everyone but the tv channel.... Logic!

smee again

Won't somebody please think of the children Vinny B

irishfeen

icdg wrote: »

It doesn't work like that - you can't just gazzump the current holder of a slot. It's more complicated too in the case of this particular slot as it's a PSB reserved slot.

But UTV will be a PSB come 2015... Realistically what gives TV3 the right to have the 103 EPG slot indefinitely... They could also let TV3 keep 103 and buy 3e's 105 from them.

The Cush

irishfeen wrote: »

But UTV will be a PSB come 2015...

Not in the Republic of Ireland as per the Broadcasting Act

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=86716239
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=81617910

irishfeen

smee again wrote: »

Won't somebody please think of the children Vinny B

he could jump ship to UTV... He would be a ratings winner if they used him right.

channelsurfer2

bye bye TV3......

irishfeen

Duplicate.

Dublin Red Devil

Yeah this will completely **** TV3. Not only their biggest shows like Corrie and Emmerdale but also Champions League, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent, Downton Abbey, I'm A Celebrity. They are finished

irishfeen

The Cush wrote: »

Not in the Republic of Ireland as per the Broadcasting Act

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=86716239
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=81617910

But why couldn't they apply to the BAI for a PSB licence? ... Is there something preventing them from doing so?

pa990

Another addition to saorview, great news.

But although I not a fan of TV3, I wouldn't like to see them go.
I rarely watch anything on tv3, but some people do,(God knows why) and in the end, it's all about choice.

irishfeen

Dublin Red Devil wrote: »

Yeah this will completely **** TV3. Not only their biggest shows like Corrie and Emmerdale but also Champions League, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent, Downton Abbey, I'm A Celebrity. They are finished

Not the Champions League - they hold a contract with UEFA for them rights, not ITV international... They are still fooked though

The Cush

irishfeen wrote: »

But why couldn't they apply to the BAI for a PSB licence? ... Is there something preventing them from doing so?

There isn't one available, they are applying to the BAI today for a Content Provision Contract, much like the process the BAI undertook a few years ago - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056195645

channelsurfer2

Vincent will have to take over th nightly hour programme on utv ireland. seriously though how can TV3 continue. I presume the detail of this deal is that UTV have exclusive rights to ALLL ITV content not just emmerdale and corrie..

Dublin Red Devil

irishfeen wrote: »

Yeah your probably right, they could though buy the CL rights from TV3 for Ireland akin to BT and ESPN in the UK.

Hopefully it being a seperate entity to UTV NI will mean real investment in Irish homegrown programming something for which TV3 neglected majorly since they started... And we might get a HD channel too.

They don't have to buy anything from TV3. They already have the rights to broadcast anything that ITV broadcasts. UTV Ireland will probably set up their own news program in Dublin as well so TV3 will be completely obsolete.

The Cush

Dublin Red Devil wrote: »

UTV Ireland will probably set up their own news program in Dublin as well so TV3 will be completely obsolete.

That's the plan, there will be a nightly news programme also. No doubt the local radio stations they own* will be major contributors.

UTV Ireland, which is expected to go on air early in 2015, will be based in Dublin with additional newsgathering and reporting presence in Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick.

...*

UTV is also planning a nightly one hour news and current affairs programme for Ireland.

http://www.u.tv/News/UTV-to-launch-new-TV-channel-in-Ireland/af0da77f-18b5-413c-9cbc-e669d933bad6

* Dublin’s FM104, Dublin’s Q102, Cork’s 96fm/C103, Limerick’s Live 95fm, LMFM, U105, Beat 102-103 and Galway Bay FM - http://www.utvradiosolutions.ie/

channelsurfer2

thinking about this and much as i hate tv3 because it didnt bother its ass to try to be different its a big loss for those working there and they must be in extreme shock. Its also hard luck to those vulture capitalists Doughty Hanson who (unless the contract is not signed yet with IBRC) will take a loss of the money they offered albeit at a fraction of the price of the debt to IBRC. not allowing UTV on SKy has come back to haunt them with a massive big kick to the backside from UTV.

ehhhh hello Minister this is the BAI here.. we have a conundrum...do ya want us to allow that foreign station there to come on board the great ship of the republic or shall we let that great state institution TV3 stay afloat instead...just kidding..

The Cush

Press conference planned for later today - https://twitter.com/UTVIreland/status/398000683116277761

https://twitter.com/UTVIreland

More details about plans to create a new @UTVIreland channel will be announced at a media conference later. http://www.utvireland.ie

channelsurfer2

Macy0161 wrote: »

Can't remember when it was last watched in this house, but no tv3 would mean no 3e, so saorview could actually lose a channel. Whether people consider it a loss is a different question.

I speculate that UTV2 will take over 3E eventually if it does happen but that will be at a later stage.

Jpmarn

UTV should be able to come on Saorview in HD from the word go. Not like TV3 who are humming and awning about going HD because of unaffordable costs.

irishfeen

The Cush wrote: »

There isn't one available, they are applying to the BAI today for a Content Provision Contract, much like the process the BAI undertook a few years ago - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056195645

Thanks mate, didn't know there was a difference... But could UTV buy the epg slot 103/5 off TV3?

irishfeen

Dublin Red Devil wrote: »

They don't have to buy anything from TV3. They already have the rights to broadcast anything that ITV broadcasts. UTV Ireland will probably set up their own news program in Dublin as well so TV3 will be completely obsolete.

Yes they do not have to buy ITV programming but if they want other premium rights like the Champions League they will have to buy off TV3 (subject to rights renewal dates)

Dublin Red Devil

irishfeen wrote: »

Not the Champions League - they hold a contract with UEFA for them rights, not ITV international... They are still fooked though

Yes, CL is a high rating broadcast but It's only on like 10 match days a year.

The biggest problem for TV3 is that television is all about advertising, Networks make there money selling the advertising air-time during shows. The more people that watch a show, the more money they can get for that advertising space, If there's no Corrie, Emmerdale, X factor etc then advertisers are going to pull their money out and TV3 will lose everything.

icdg

channelsurfer2 wrote: »

Vincent will have to take over th nightly hour programme on utv ireland. seriously though how can TV3 continue. I presume the detail of this deal is that UTV have exclusive rights to ALLL ITV content not just emmerdale and corrie..

No not all ITV content, just programmes actually made by ITV. Same as TV3, more or less.

whitebriar

There were Huge smiles on the Ireland am presenters faces this morning,have they all been offered contracts

irishfeen

Just a random idea on TV3's future but maybe they could jump into bed with Setanta to provide a FTA service for Setanta to acquire more rights from competitors... For rights that have to be FTA.

JamesyBelfast

I live in Belfast and have endured UTV all my life - only in recent years have I been able to receive TV3.

And I know people on here slag off TV3 a lot, but IMO UTV makes TV3 look like one of the most professional broadcasters in the world.

UTV never fail to disappoint. Their 'journalists', presenters, graphics designers, set designers, producers, editors etc. etc. are just the worst and most amateurish in worldwide television.

I have never seen worse and as bad as TV3 is (it's pretty bad), everything from their idents to TV3's own news and current affairs programming is just LIGHT YEARS ahead of anything UTV have ever produced.

I just hope UTV Ireland have a COMPLETELY new set of people from TOP TO BOTTOM involved. UTV Belfast is the PITS.

pa990

whitebriar wrote: »

There were Huge smiles on the Ireland am presenters faces this morning,have they all been offered contracts

If that happens utv might as well buy tv3 and rename it

Elmo

Wow they have just bought TV3's schedule :eek: TV3 will be ****ed

pa990 wrote: »

If that happens utv might as well buy tv3 and rename it

Why would they buy a massive loan?

Radharc na Sleibhte

Dublin Red Devil wrote: »

Yeah this will completely **** TV3. Not only their biggest shows like Corrie and Emmerdale but also Champions League, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent, Downton Abbey, I'm A Celebrity. They are finished

Fecking hell.
Anyone else gutted this might be the end of tv3??
No, me neither.

JamesyBelfast

Jpmarn wrote: »

UTV should be able to come on Saorview in HD from the word go. Not like TV3 who are humming and awning about going HD because of unaffordable costs.

UTV still don't do any of their own news or current affairs in HD. Just stuff from ITV which is already HD.

irishfeen

JamesyBelfast wrote: »

I live in Belfast and have endured UTV all my life - only in recent years have I been able to receive TV3.

And I know people on here slag off TV3 a lot, but IMO UTV makes TV3 look like one of the most professional broadcasters in the world.

UTV never fail to disappoint. Their 'journalists', presenters, graphics designers, set designers, producers, editors etc. etc. are just the worst and most amateurish in worldwide television.

I have never seen worse and as bad as TV3 is (it's pretty bad), everything from their idents to TV3's own news and current affairs programming is just LIGHT YEARS ahead of anything UTV have ever produced.

I just hope UTV Ireland have a COMPLETELY new set of people from TOP TO BOTTOM involved. UTV Belfast is the PITS.

It does seem like it could be different, the 1 hour news broadcast to compete with RTÉ including the regional offices might provide us with a very decent current affairs set-up... I'm sure they will have realised that Ireland loves homegrown content, make quality homegrown stuff, informed and trusted news service along with the big ITV shows and they will be a major success.