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TV listings

  • 15-04-2014 9:55pm
    #1
    Sam Russell
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 20,144 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Why do TV listings in the press assume that their readers have cable or Sky?

    The RTE Guide lists more pay channels that FTA. THe same gows for most other listings. None appear to have heard of Freesat, and none lists those channels, like ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 etc.

    [I know the answer - most of the employees of these publications, and RTE, do not use FTA - they all use cable or Sky.]


Comments

  • #2
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 12,072 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    Sam Russell wrote: »
    Why do TV listings in the press assume that their readers have cable or Sky?

    They don't assume, but the majority of homes in this market do. Sky and UPC between them are still in over 1 million homes whereas Freesat is only at about 20% of that.
    The RTE Guide lists more pay channels that FTA. THe same gows for most other listings. None appear to have heard of Freesat, and none lists those channels, like ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 etc.

    [I know the answer - most of the employees of these publications, and RTE, do not use FTA - they all use cable or Sky.]

    The latter is true. There may also be the fact that for a period in the late 2000s, ITV actually barred Irish newspapers from listing programmes for any ITV channels owned directly by ITV plc, which is probably a first in the post-1991 era. That is now lifted but them doing it in the first place may not have made listings magazines keen to offer ITV any space.


  • #3
    lertsnim
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,841 ✭✭✭lertsnim


    Personally I don't bother with printed guides for the reasons you list. On iOS devices I use the Freesat and Sky apps. Both very good for listings. On Android I use the Sky app and an app called On Air. Also very good.


  • #4
    Guffy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,240 ✭✭✭Guffy


    icdg wrote: »
    They don't assume, but the majority of homes in this market do. Sky and UPC between them are still in over 1 million homes whereas Freesat is only at about 20% of that.



    The latter is true. There may also be the fact that for a period in the late 2000s, ITV actually barred Irish newspapers from listing programmes for any ITV channels owned directly by ITV plc, which is probably a first in the post-1991 era. That is now lifted but them doing it in the first place may not have made listings magazines keen to offer ITV any space.

    Why did they do that?


  • #5
    Onthe3rdDay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,194 ✭✭✭Onthe3rdDay


    Sam Russell wrote: »
    Why do TV listings in the press assume that their readers have cable or Sky?

    The RTE Guide lists more pay channels that FTA. THe same gows for most other listings. None appear to have heard of Freesat, and none lists those channels, like ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 etc.

    [I know the answer - most of the employees of these publications, and RTE, do not use FTA - they all use cable or Sky.]

    I haven't bought any listings Magazine in years except for the Radio Times at Christmas. However the RTE Guide is one of the worst listings Magazines on the Market if you're an Irish Viewer (and has been for at least a decade.) I do have to disclose that I haven't seen a copy since last year. It's only successful because it got a foothold in the Market in the 60's. It's purchased out of habit in a lot of households.

    You'd be better off getting the Sunday Times or indeed one or two other Weekend listings Magazines that come with the paper on a Saturday or Sunday. The best guides in my opinion are now Online.


  • #6
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 12,072 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    gufc21 wrote: »
    Why did they do that?

    Not sure. The Irish Times published ITV Wales programme listings for decades and then one day in 2005 or so published a notice saying ITV had withdrawn premission for them to do so. Not too long afterwards ITV4 disappeared from UPC for the first time. May have been rights related. UTV was never affected though.


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  • #7
    Sam Russell
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 20,144 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    The Irish Times have reduced their listings in recent years. For example, a few years ago, the Weekend Magazine used to devote 4 pages to the listings for each day, but then reduced it to 3 pages and have further reduced it to 2 pages. They still give major prominence to Sky channels at the expense of ITV channels.

    Given that most TV that people actually watch is FTA, why give so much prominence to payTV? It is not as if they are paid to list channels. (- or are they?)


  • #8
    The Cush
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,852 ✭✭✭✭The Cush


    Why do the listings continue to carry videoplus codes for the traditional 8 channels, is it for the remaining 50,000 analogue subscribers? The Irish Indo apperas to be the only one that doesn't print them.


  • #9
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 12,072 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    Sam Russell wrote: »
    The Irish Times have reduced their listings in recent years. For example, a few years ago, the Weekend Magazine used to devote 4 pages to the listings for each day, but then reduced it to 3 pages and have further reduced it to 2 pages. They still give major prominence to Sky channels at the expense of ITV channels.

    Given that most TV that people actually watch is FTA, why give so much prominence to payTV? It is not as if they are paid to list channels. (- or are they?)

    Originally it was the opposite way around, they had to pay! This has to be seen in the context where RTE owned the RTE Guide, the BBC owned the Radio Times, ITV owned the TV Times and before 1991 if you wanted advance listings for all three you had to fork out for the three of them! There's an interesting thread in Broadcasting History where we discussed why this (thankfully) changed in 1991.

    These days...who knows. The RTE Guide still carries copyright messages crediting BBC Enterprises and Independent Television Publications both of which are long defunct, but CEL hasn't noticed.


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