The UTV Ireland Thread

Skid X

UTV Ireland is coming and they have secured the rights to show ITV's programmes in the Republic from "early 2015"

That's going to be a disaster for TV3 - Coronation Street, Emmerdale, X Factor**, I'm a Celebrity etc are ratings juggernauts and it's hard to see how they will be replaced.

UTV Media plc is delighted to announce that its subsidiary UTV Ireland Limited (UTV) plans to launch a new Irish TV channel which will create more than 100 new jobs.

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

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

... "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."

** Apparently X Factor is made by an Independent Company (Fremantle Media) and isn't affected by the ITV/UTV deal

http://www.utvireland.ie/

http://www.independent.ie/business/minster-pat-rabbitte-surprised-by-utvs-plans-to-enter-irish-market-29731761.html

http://www.independent.ie/business/media/is-utv-decision-to-enter-irish-tv-market-really-a-plan-to-squash-tv3-29732119.html

flazio

I could see UTVI and TV3 merging by 2016. TV3 wouldn't stand a chance without ITV content.

SeaFields

"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."

From my perspective I hope this part included them delivering the service on Saorsat as this is what I use at home. TV3 went against entering saorsat on day one. (Granted the only reason I would find myself watching TV3 is for the times they have the rights to a GAA match!)

_Kaiser_

flazio wrote: »

I could see UTVI and TV3 merging by 2016. TV3 wouldn't stand a chance without ITV content.

And that worries me because from the above this is still only an application from UTV, not approval.

Is it possible the "powers that be" may deny the application, citing something like anti-competitive advantages etc

Patty O Furniture

TV3 chief executive David McRedmond admitted today that the move will be challenging for the station but time will tell.
"We've had other players come into to the market in the past and they haven't stayed," he said.
"It is a challenge but we have refocused our attention on home grown programming and that will remain our focus."
He played down suggestions that losing the likes of Corie would be a blow for TV3.
"We were losing money on the soaps," he said.
He added that the TV3 budget was being starved as a result.

I heard a newsclip of him on the radio this morning saying that they already pay millions each year for these soaps!

What was the name of the last drama they had!

Also heard that both soaps make up 20% of their viewing, whats that gonna do for X Factor+Celebrity GMOOH etc when you add them as well!
Always thought with all their ITV content, thought it was gonna be called ITV Ireland!

Btw: will this make the ITV Card trick void?, as i never got around to doing it.

Skid X

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Is it possible the "powers that be" may deny the application, citing something like anti-competitive advantages etc

The initial comments from Pat Rabbitte would suggest not.

Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte told RTE he was surprised by the move but he welcomed it and he will be meeting station executives today.

"It's somewhat of a surprise, I'll admit but one has to be positive about it.

"It means more competition in the broadcasting space and will create jobs in the Republic and the island of Ireland....and will provide more competition for incumbents.

http://www.independent.ie/business/utv-to-battle-it-out-with-tv3-and-rte-for-viewers-29731761.html

Patty O Furniture

Just heard the UTV MD Michael Wilson on the Last Word saying he wont cherry pick programs for UTV as X factor etc are made by a different company & will be up for bidding rights when its available, as theyre gonna talk about Program content in 6mths time.

Wont be bidding on football programs as they're not financially viable etc.

TV3 MD is on later to talk about it, probably after 5pm.

iseegirls

TV3 News have reported it in their news just there. David McRedmond saying that the soaps have become too dear and weren't affordable anymore.

So I wonder will they drop it next year so before 2015 when UTV Ireland starts, seeing it's so "dear" :rolleyes:

The_Valeyard

Hopefully it might kick TV3 into gear to show some really good shows, rather than reality based rubbish.

iseegirls

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Hopefully it might kick TV3 into gear to show some really good shows, rather than reality based rubbish.

They should start by removing Corrie and Emmerdale Omnibuses and repeats in the daytime, and showing that they can survive at those times. What TV3 will show at 7 and 7.30 is going to be interesting. Won't be surprised if they attempted to go for Home And Away.

hotmail.com

I hope that UTV Ireland provide a reliable, credible, independent news service to rival RTE, something TV3 never really did. Other than that, UTV will be ITV in every other way, with the odd token local programming thrown in.

I can't see UTV Ireland even doing its own morning programme?

The only indigenous programme I enjoy watching on TV3 is Vincent Browne. He's about 70 now and won't go on forever. TV3 News was a shoddy disgrace and it's something they never bothered to address. They had an opportunity back when they started to roll out a nightly news programme at 10 to rival RTE 9 News, but chose to provide a weak news programme at 11. They've consistently reduced and watered down their so called news programmes ever since (no news provided on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays). The coverage of elections was non-existent. We still have to completely rely on RTE for our news. I would like an independent alternative. The backbone of any popular traditional tv station is a decent, credible news service, something TV3 ignored.

Mully_2011

Will they have Julian Simmons ??

The_Valeyard

Mully_2011 wrote: »

Will they have Julian Simmons ??

Probably Pat Kenny.

expectationlost

iseegirls wrote: »

TV3 News have reported it in their news just there. David McRedmond saying that the soaps have become too dear and weren't affordable anymore.

So I wonder will they drop it next year so before 2015 when UTV Ireland starts, seeing it's so "dear" :rolleyes:

weren't they planning to make their own?

mike65

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Probably Pat Kenny.

I'll be amazed if they don't put forward a proposal for a weekly programme which is topical features/current affairs based for Kenny to front

Patty O Furniture

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Probably Pat Kenny.

EireGun

Looking forward to seeing a bit more news from the North, currently RTE News and UTV News are both aired at 6pm, RTE don't do enough news about Northern Ireland and UTV don't do enough news about the Republic. The UTV Ireland channel should have a good balance of both. RTE News still currently better at the moment.

recipio

Any hope Sky will broadcast it ? I record everything I want to watch and fast forward the ads. - You can get UTV on Sky but only as an 'extra channel' and is not recordable.

hotmail.com

EireGun wrote: »

Looking forward to seeing a bit more news from the North, currently RTE News and UTV News are both aired at 6pm, RTE don't do enough news about Northern Ireland and UTV don't do enough news about the Republic. The UTV Ireland channel should have a good balance of both. RTE News still currently better at the moment.

Does anyone in the South care about news in the North and vice versa?

AFAIK, the news programme will be a locally based programme for the Republic.

mike65

Indeed I use Freesat and the great thing about it is I can put in any ITV area via the postcode feature and so do not have to sit through the dismal fare that UTV news and local programming consists of.

hotmail.com

mike65 wrote: »

Indeed I use Freesat and the great thing about it is I can put in any ITV area via the postcode feature and so do not have to sit through the dismal fare that UTV news and local programming consists of.

UTV News is actually more popular than BBC Newsline in the North.

I remember reading somewhere (this could be wrong), that nationalists didn't trust the BBC during the Troubles (state controlled and all that), so they watched their news on UTV, which was seen as fairer to both sides.

blue4ever

I'm with Mike on the drab News - its awful. Have to say - their political programme (I think) on a thursday night was good and again the name slips a host - was it Murray, I think he had a radio background, was fantastic. Outside that the current affairs was stock-in-trade six counties stuff Green V Orange

Ceist Beag: Am I correct in assuming that UTV will be replaced on say UPC/SKY by UTV Eire?

IrishStuff09

Will it be in HD?

Richard

blue4ever wrote: »

I'm with Mike on the drab News - its awful. Have to say - their political programme (I think) on a thursday night was good and again the name slips a host - was it Murray, I think he had a radio background, was fantastic. Outside that the current affairs was stock-in-trade six counties stuff Green V Orange

Ceist Beag: Am I correct in assuming that UTV will be replaced on say UPC/SKY by UTV Eire?

I'd be surprised if they did. If they don't have ITV football then surely people will want "proper" UTV.

When it comes to TV news on the republic, it'd better be pretty good to rival RTE. Sky, with all their resources, failed.

wp_rathead

iseegirls wrote: »

They should start by removing Corrie and Emmerdale Omnibuses and repeats in the daytime, and showing that they can survive at those times. What TV3 will show at 7 and 7.30 is going to be interesting. Won't be surprised if they attempted to go for Home And Away.

Ideal if tv3 got Neighbours and Home & Away thus allowing RTE to get some decent shows for those time slots

JP Liz V1

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Hopefully it might kick TV3 into gear to show some really good shows, rather than reality based rubbish the countless repeats

FYP

mike65

wprathead wrote: »

Ideal if tv3 got Neighbours and Home & Away thus allowing RTE to get some decent shows for those time slots

TV doesn't work like that, two cheap imports which are part of a package would be replaced with repeats of someone in a garden or at the zoo or cooking. RTE is bust remember.

hfallada

The question Im sure is one everyones mind. If TV3 and UTV merger, will they keep TV3 reputation of oscar worthy documentaries? What would Irish media be without their tasteful insights in the traveler life.

Delightfully Bright

Have they released a name for this future channel yet? I presume it will be a letter followed by TV to continue the cross branding. I for Irish is taken by ITV. I was thinking it could be something like Republic TV but RTV is quite similar to RTÉ...

lertsnim

TV3 and UTV won't merge. TV3 have far too much debt

Biffo The Bare

lertsnim wrote: »

TV3 and UTV won't merge. TV3 have far too much debt

Two things are going to happen. We will lose TV3/3e on all platforms and also we will lose UTV NI on UPC.
A lot less free soccer on UPC.

Mr.Nice Guy

TV3 must be startled at this news. They might now have to come up with some original, home-grown programming.

hotmail.com

Biffo The Bare wrote: »

Two things are going to happen. We will lose TV3/3e on all platforms and also we will lose UTV NI on UPC.
A lot less free soccer on UPC.

Champions League will be shown on RTE and UTV. We'll still have access to UTV on UPC.

Biffo The Bare

I think TV3 must have voiced to ITV that they wouldn't be renewing the contract for Emmerdale and Corrie, triggering this UTV announcement.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Biffo The Bare wrote: »

I think TV3 must have voiced to ITV that they wouldn't be renewing the contract for Emmerdale and Corrie, triggering this UTV announcement.

Unlikely. UTV announced they were launching the channel and TV3 said they were dropping the soaps anyway to save face. Guarantee you, Emmerdale and Corrie will air on TV3 right up until the day UTV Ireland launches. UTV might even give it to them cheaper temporarily as they won't want to risk losing viewers by having it off the air for any period of time.

TV3 are up sh*t creek with all the shows they'll lose. They need to get on damage control. Get the rights back for some big US shows that they can put in to that tea-time slot when they need to. Alternatively they could go into a bidding war with RTÉ for Eastenders, which was on TV3 when it first started in '97, but then then TV3 aquired Emmerdale and Corrie from RTÉ and RTÉ got Eastenders instead.

JONJO THE MISER

What we can expect from tv3 after this is endless repeats of reality tv like what is on 3e at the moment.
Might as well close down tv3 to be honest when they enter.

utvwhataboutye

I heard this news today, I graduate from a media/broadcast engineering degree in the summer in england so it's good for work prospects in the future, I had already assumed ireland was a dead end for media related jobs. (providing they will actually produce their own shows?)

though what's with it being called 'utv ireland'? Ulster TV Ireland? defeats the purpose if it is being transmitted to munster, etc

Dman001

TV3 are much too reliant on ITV output. With the launch of Saorview, they should have recognised that ITV entering the Irish market was a real possibility. Even if UTV had launched their channel on Sky alone, it'd be a significant hit for TV3. They should have eased out of programming the last two years, and focused on sourcing content from other international networks and producing homegrown content. The only upside they have now is that they've a year to try and do this.

I hate ITV's output so this news has no effect on me. 99% of their output is rubbish. The same for TV3. At the same time however, I'd hate to see an Irish company go under as a result of this so really hope TV3 can then things around.

lertsnim

utvwhataboutye wrote: »

though what's with it being called 'utv ireland'? Ulster TV Ireland? defeats the purpose if it is being transmitted to munster, etc

BSKYB have no qualms about broadcasting here. It is just a name.

dom40

bye bye tv3,terrible programs,repeated time after time after time,eg paddies down under,the best of ireland am,hundreds of repeats of traveller programs,how could tv 3 ever have been taken seriously with the amount of repeated junk we already seen on other channels not to mention the ad breaks which are 6 minutes long during coronation street.I certainly will not miss it,come on utv ireland.

utvwhataboutye

lertsnim wrote: »

BSKYB have no qualms about broadcasting here. It is just a name.

i suppose, i wonder what's the chances of a soap opera starting

AZTEC818

I don't think it makes any difference.

Terrestrial TV has been fu%&ed for a long time now. Pay per view telly has seen to that.
80% of the programming is crap.
The vast majority of the films they show are old and of poor quality,
and they seem to be repeated several times in a week or two around
all the chanels.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

irishcsifan

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

TV3 must be startled at this news. They might now have to come up with some original, home-grown programming.

Startled. They are ****ed

Grab All Association

Tomorrow on TV3. Shows they will lose the rights to highlighted

You are what you eat(C4)
TWVB repeat
Ireland AM
Jeremy Kyle (ITV)
Midday
News at 12:45
The Chase (ITV)
The Chase
Xpose
Late lunch (yes another chat show)
Emmerdale (ITV)
Emmerdale
Judge Judy (CBS)
Judge Judy
TV3 News 5:30
Xpose
Come Dine With Me (Channel 4)
Emmerdale (ITV)
Coronation Street(ITV)
Paul O'Grady (ITV)
Coronation Street (ITV)
Big Fat Gypsy Weddings (C4)
X-Factor USA (ITV America, Syco)
Graham Norton (BBC)
Waterloo Road (BBC)
Jeremy Kyle (ITV)

Kerrydude1981

Chris___ wrote: »

Tomorrow on TV3. Shows they will lose the rights to highlighted

You are what you eat(C4)
TWVB repeat
Ireland AM
Jeremy Kyle (ITV)
Midday
News at 12:45
The Chase (ITV)
The Chase
Xpose
Late lunch (yes another chat show)
Emmerdale (ITV)
Emmerdale
Judge Judy (CBS)
Judge Judy
TV3 News 5:30
Xpose
Come Dine With Me (Channel 4)
Emmerdale (ITV)
Coronation Street(ITV)
Paul O'Grady (ITV)
Coronation Street (ITV)
Big Fat Gypsy Weddings (C4)
X-Factor USA (ITV America, Syco)
Graham Norton (BBC)
Waterloo Road (BBC)
Jeremy Kyle (ITV)

Man that going to be one sh1te TV station

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

iseegirls

ITV Studios produce Come Dine With Me, so that'll be another series gone.

https://www.itvstudios.com/studios/uk/programmes/come-dine-with-me--2

iseegirls

Even worse is the weekend schedule, especially Saturday:

Sat:
6 The X Factor USA (ITV America)
7 The Best Of Ireland AM (Repeats of bits that ppl have seen on TV3, 3e, online, 3player already)
8.3 Champions League Magazine (Shown on RTE2 and Setanta Sports)
9 How Clean Is Your House? (Repeat from Wednesday)
9.3 You Are What You Eat? (THREE episodes, repeated about 3/4times already on the channel before)
11 Coronation Street Omnibus (ITV)
1.3 Paul O'Grady (ITV)
2 The X Factor (ITV)
3 The Xtra Factor (ITV)
4 America's Got Talent (2nd time it's shown)
6 The Chase (ITV)
7 The Cube (ITV)
8 The X Factor (ITV)
10 The Xtra Factor (ITV)
11 The Graham Norton Show (Shown on 3e 2 hours earlier)
12 The Entertainment Buzz (Shown on 3e a day earlier)
12.3 FILM
2.3 Waterloo Road (3rd time S4 has been shown on 3e and TV3 combined)
3.3 The Jeremy Kyle Show (ITV)

That's 12 hours of ITV Shows in 1 day. Roll on 2015.

Patty O Furniture

This is what i heard about the X Factor

ben.schlomo

Kerrydude1981 wrote: »

Man that going to be is one sh1te TV station

fyp