The Virgin Media Television thread

deezell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122809856#Comment_122809856

An old saying, 'God loves a tryer', it was a polite but fond put down of a chancer, dealer or dodgy salesman when they'd try to shaft you, or take you for a mug. There's a bit of Arfur Daly or Dell Boy about VM's 'public service' charade.

decor58

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122810061#Comment_122810061

Tv channels aren't the cash cow they used to be, being part of a multinational isn't a blank cheque, the operation would still have to pay its way no matter how how many ads they show for a sister operation. It was up for sale a few years ago but there were no takens especially at the price they were looking for. Look at the number of channels abroad that have opted for online rather than OTA . We may find in time that other than VM1 the other channels become online only, 3 of the 5 are available live on the player.

deezell

If they wanted something for nothing, they should have made the case for full HD transmission on terrestrial at no extra cost to level the playing pitch. While I assume the independent 2RN, formerly RTENL, receive payment from RTE for their HD bandwidth, it's hardly balanced if the state is now effectively fully subsidising this. It's a small thing, and many viewers with ageing eyesight might not notice, but it would be something to trumpet on their promos, and viewers with good vision might stay tuned if the pictures were sharper.

iseegirls

They're so heavily reliant on ITV Studios programming.

If ITV have a barren year, then that would have a knock-on effect for VM. Even such things like The Jeremy Kyle Show - when that was taken off the air on ITV - VM suddenly had 3-4 hours a day to fill because VM2 were showing it so much. There are 6-7 hours of The Chase a day - they'd better hope that Bradley Walsh doesn't go rogue some day and ITV would pull it.

It's a pity that Channel 6 and UTV Ireland failed - as there is no independent TV companies challenging them at the moment. And it's easy for them to play the poor mouth when compared to RTE. I feel that TV3 was at its best in producing independent shows when UTV Ireland came along. TV3 turned Channel 6 into a near TV3+1, and have turned UTVI into a VM~ITV3 channel.

decor58

Coincidence, ITV announced 20 million in cutbacks today, 10 million in output, whose knows what impact the cut backs will have, the high profile titles are probably safe but will it filter down to VM in terms of product.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122812615#Comment_122812615

I am asking that they remove two shows for the debate, The Six O'Clock Show and the News at 7 and use this team to host the debate, this would be cost neutral.

Even when sold in 2006 for €265m they weren't worth that money. AFAIK TV3 while making a slight loss, makes profit on Channel 6 (AKA vmtv2) and UTV Ireland (AKA vmtv3).

Remember TV3 argued that UTV Ireland would just be a rebroadcast of a UK TV station.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122812817#Comment_122812817

Lets hope they drop an episode of Coro St and 2 of Emmerdale and see it filter down to VMTV.

RoTelly

In the place of leaders’ debates, Virgin Media is hosting individual one-hour interviews for the three main party leaders, beginning with Simon Harris on Wednesday 13 November. 

Mary Lou McDonald’s will be aired on Wednesday 20 November and Micheál Martin’s the following week on Wednesday 27 November. 

In the interviewing chair for these will be long-time Virgin Media broadcaster Colette Fitzpatrick. 

What would be the difference? Why not bring them each into the studio at the same time?

byte

They can drag three hour-long shows out of it this way, fill the schedule more than just one show! 😁

iseegirls

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122818825#Comment_122818825

And repeat them non stop for years to come. They still show Stephen Kenny's one to this day, despite it first broadcast in 2020, and him not being the Irish manager no longer.

They also keep showing the Ian Bailey interview too amongst others.

deezell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122816557#Comment_122816557

I suppose an 'interview' by definition is singular. Three's a crowd, and probably an unruly one. I could watch that with Collette Fitzpatrick as the host, but I can't bear to watch Primetime's Sarah McInernry and her 'clever me' line of interruptions and smart arse declarations made mid sentence of the interviewee's responses. She's like someone who talks out loud in the Cinema.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122825774#Comment_122825774

Every night on TV3 since 2006 they have had a panel show in the form of The Tonight Show.

3 might be a crowd but the idea that TV3 can't afford to host leaders debates is absurd. no?

RoTelly

Now we know why TV3's election coverage is limited this time round I'm A Celeb is starting next week.

TV3 will air both the main show and the extra show, which usual airs on 3e. 3e and be3 will be airing nations league.

Loafing Oaf

So Tonight Show is cut back to Tuesdays and Wednesdays going forward? Shame, it was the one Irish current affairs show I made a point of watching…

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122826793#Comment_122826793

I don't think it is on over the next few weeks, I could be wrong but I think that I'm a Celeb is taking over the slot until the 8th of Dec. I think it just happened to coincide and TV3 are just trying to suggest one thing, but perhaps it won't go back to 4 nights in the new year, but I think it will.

JDxtra

What's with the deliberate misnaming of the channels as TV3/3e/be3? It is some joke I may have missed?

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122828047#Comment_122828047

Sorry I mean ITV1, 2, 3, 4!

dulpit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122828047#Comment_122828047

It does highlight how poor that rebrand has worked in Ireland. Loads of people, young and old, still absent mindedly call it tv3.

Galwayguy35

If they want to save a few quid maybe send the Donegal one on the long road home.

iseegirls

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122827050#Comment_122827050

The Tonight Show remains on Tue and Wed next week. The I'm A Celeb spinoff airs after it on Tuesday at 11, and moves to VM2 on Wednesday to make it ever more confusing.

icdg

They have bumped Thursday’s and Friday’s football to VMTV Three to allow Big Brother to finish. It’ll be back to VMTV Two on Saturday.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122829194#Comment_122829194

Still clearly TV3 who are now "celebrating" 25 years of public service broadcasting is cutting the hours of The Tonight Show back due to scheduling conflicts with Sports and ITV programming, and have dressed this up to say to politicians "you better fund us or else!".

If they can move around programming for ITV reality TV programming then TV3 can and should move programming around the Election.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122829194#Comment_122829194

Maybe they should merge the two, and put the party leaders on with the challenge of eating kangaroo testicles to assess their resilience for Ministerial roles?

hibble

Well kangaroos testicles might put some spring in the steps of the gombeens who've run the place for years, achieved little (at X times the budget,) promise the earth, and no doubt will end up in charge again.

RoTelly

Sky News and Today FM's The Last Word have asked for a Debate. Harris and FG said they didn't get the invite.

Not really sure why any TV broadcaster is required when Baure could alternatively but the debate on any of their online services.

Nothing stopping Oireachtas TV or TG4 allowing the debate air on their broadcast channels.

dulpit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122848943#Comment_122848943

I saw Harris say he didn't get invite. Did he say now he's heard about it he'll attend?

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122848957#Comment_122848957

No there is confusion. according to Matt Copper the invite was sent to FG and he hopes that Today FM and Sky News can come to an agreement with them.

iseegirls

The scheduler bot for Virgin Media brought us the following last Tuesday:

VM1 19:30 Emmerdale

VM2 19:00 Live Nations League - Wales v Ireland

VM3 19:35 Live Nations League - Czechia v Georgia

VM4 19:00-20:00 Nations League Highlights (repeat from Sunday including Eng v ROI game)

VMM 18:35-20:30 Nations League Full Match Relive - Eng v ROI

VMM 20:30-21:00 Nations League Highlights (repeat from Monday)

icdg

And they have exclusive rights to the Nations League (except Republic of Ireland games) now, since Premier no longer have rights now.

Wouldn’t there have been more complainants if Irish viewers couldn’t watch the action because VMTV were showing something else?

Arguably these rights would fit better with a dedicate sports broadcaster. See what’s happened in the UK where the rights now, for complicated reasons, reside with an overseas broadcaster with no UK operation that’s making a bare bones tick the box broadcast available to UK IPs on YouTube. That is how Scottish, Welsh, and NI fans have to watch their national teams these days.

There won’t be another international break this side of Christmas.

deezell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122869434#Comment_122869434

Shocking in the UK, they're probably watching it on VM Player. VM commentary is very good, panels know their stuff, Scotland game was like a cup final with atmosphere such were the permutations. Great free entertainment.

iseegirls

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122869434#Comment_122869434

No real issue/complaints with them showing the 2 live games on VM2 and VM3, but just funny that on 2 of their other channels, they were showing highlights of the same tournament, leaving 1 channel showing Emmerdale, and their other 4 channels having Nations League.