The Virgin Media Television thread

iseegirls · 23-06-2014 5:30pm

Onthe3rdDay wrote: »

You'd be correct about people waiting for it to finish. It's one of those programmes certain people turn on because they don't want to watch the news. Those not in the know would underestimate how many people leave the TV on just for the sake of it. Advertisers have known about this for decades. The Test card on RTE 2 before the days of Aertel used to get 30,000 viewers (and more) if music was played along with it.

The test card was back in the days when you could count the channels on one hand which were available to most Irish TV viewers. Comparing it to now is completely different when there are hundreds of options.

Onthe3rdDay · 23-06-2014 5:38pm

iseegirls wrote: »

The test card was back in the days when you could count the channels on one hand which were available to most Irish TV viewers. Comparing it to now is completely different when there are hundreds of options.

You're missing the point. It really doesn't matter what the content is. As long as the viewer doesn't find it offensive they'll leave it on. The testcard was an example of something with little or no content but still it was a good holding piece until the next programme for a certain section of the population.

It's the same with Xpose. Many do find Six-One boring, offensive or scary. They turn on something else until Home and Away or indeed just to leave the set on in the corner. The Simpsons on RTE2 would be much in the same category.

I'd also think that most people that have Xpose on are in 6 and a half channel land of Saorview.

Elmo · 23-06-2014 5:48pm

The only real reason for Xpose and other TV3 shows is to build up their required number of hours. TV3 want to be able to say they have 50% of their programmes coming from Ireland, but they also want to be able to sell ads.

CanWest's view was stack them high, sell them cheap.

CanWest kept TV3 at their requirement when their requirement increase or when they wanted to increase the number of hours on the air they added an extra hour on to Ireland AM.

Now TV3 are in a similar situation but they for some reason want to be able to say they have 50% of their programming coming from Ireland, their requirement is just 30% this gives TV3 some amount of respectablity to the news papers and media. It also means they can sell advertising for 24hours a Day. TV3 will use this to state

1. Look at how good we are we have 50% programming
2. And it is very difficult to do this when UTV are robbing "our" shows.

Xposé is a filler with a certain demographic, but unfortunately so are many shows on Irish TV.

If TV3 expect to move that show from its current slot of 6 to 7 and even to extend its hours it won't leave their audience satisfied.

flutered · 23-06-2014 5:52pm

any chance that the fat phat bunny would give them a portion of the €160 per shoebox that has been imposed on us to keep rte in luxury,

Elmo · 23-06-2014 6:25pm

flutered wrote: »

any chance that the fat phat bunny would give them a portion of the €160 per shoebox that has been imposed on us to keep rte in luxury,

They provide them with some of the licence fee through the Sound and Vision Fund, which is administered by the BAI.

While the government kept them out of NAMA, and restructure their loan book. At the taxpayers expense.

TV3 have a very well funded backer. If they make the right choice they could compete.

More Music · 24-06-2014 12:46am

flutered wrote: »

any chance that the fat phat bunny would give them a portion of the €160 per shoebox that has been imposed on us to keep rte in luxury,

The taxpayer has been forced to bailout TV3 via Anglo (IBRC) to keep the owners of TV3 in luxury.

The owners of TV3 could well have afforded to do it themselves. We were never asked if we wanted to support a private commercial company.

iseegirls · 24-06-2014 5:14pm

Elmo wrote: »

The only real reason for Xpose and other TV3 shows is to build up their required number of hours. TV3 want to be able to say they have 50% of their programmes coming from Ireland, but they also want to be able to sell ads.

CanWest's view was stack them high, sell them cheap.

Xposé is a filler with a certain demographic, but unfortunately so are many shows on Irish TV.

If TV3 expect to move that show from its current slot of 6 to 7 and even to extend its hours it won't leave their audience satisfied.

Xpose came along at a time when TV3 had 2 news bulletins at 5:30 and 6:30 - with both having very similar content. They dropped the 6:30 news in favour of Xpose. I don't see this as a cheap move - it would have been a lot easier for them to continue 'repeating' the news instead if they wanted to continue down that line.

The show has been around for nearly 9 years, when people thought it wouldn't last a month. So a lot of credit has to go to the team that puts it together - and it's a mile better than the content they used to show at that time before - Vets In Practice, Family Affairs and The Lion Man.

If they were to replace the show, then I don't know what would go in its place - that would achieve the decent ratings that it gets up against the other channels.

Elmo · 24-06-2014 5:41pm

iseegirls wrote: »

Xpose came along at a time when TV3 had 2 news bulletins at 5:30 and 6:30 - with both having very similar content. They dropped the 6:30 news in favour of Xpose. I don't see this as a cheap move - it would have been a lot easier for them to continue 'repeating' the news instead if they wanted to continue down that line.

The show has been around for nearly 9 years, when people thought it wouldn't last a month. So a lot of credit has to go to the team that puts it together - and it's a mile better than the content they used to show at that time before - Vets In Practice, Family Affairs and The Lion Man.

If they were to replace the show, then I don't know what would go in its place - that would achieve the decent ratings that it gets up against the other channels.

TV3 took the decision to Simulcast Emmerdale in 2001, up to that point RTÉ had pretty much used Emmerdale as a Daytime Soap. TV3 could have continued doing this at 6:30 or at 6 along with Family Affairs followed by TV3 News @7. Of course an intelligent move would be to provide an alternative news at 7.

In the 13 years since that decision TV3 have grown Emmerdale, only to have it bought by UTV.

As for Xpose to being on for 7 years, that isn't surprising, but to extending it out to an hour? It's audience is nothing like Emmerdale's.

Remember Xpose took over from 6:30 news and all the shows you point to all aired at 6:30 rather than 6pm and Xpose is just an extended TV3's Entertainment News. Vets In PracticeFriends(r), Family Affairs The Royal and The Lion ManHollyoaks. And now CDWM.

This week with a full week of wall to wall soccer on RTÉ TWO 15+ viewers

RTÉ ONE's top twenty ranges from 323 down to 186
RTÉ TWO's top twenty is almost exclusively FIFA WC goes from 491 down to 159 (The Sunday Game)
While TV3's top twenty show what happens with out their 20% of programmes going from 262 (for coro st) down to 75 for VB.

Also the good weather is a factor, but no sign of DIY SOS which replaced Emmerdale during most of the week.

iseegirls · 24-06-2014 8:42pm

Elmo wrote: »

TV3 took the decision to Simulcast Emmerdale in 2001, up to that point RTÉ had pretty much used Emmerdale as a Daytime Soap. TV3 could have continued doing this at 6:30 or at 6 along with Family Affairs followed by TV3 News @7. Of course an intelligent move would be to provide an alternative news at 7.

In the 13 years since that decision TV3 have grown Emmerdale, only to have it bought by UTV.

It wouldn't have made sense for TV3 to place Emmerdale as a daytime soap or place it on at 6 or 6:30, especially once they paid for the rights. Placing Emmerdale at 7 gave them their best ratings in that time slot and bet shows like Nationwide which do get decent ratings on RTE1.

The big test is what they replace the show with.

Elmo wrote: »

As for Xpose to being on for 7 years, that isn't surprising, but to extending it out to an hour? It's audience is nothing like Emmerdale's.

We're taking a quote from The Daily Mail as if its 100% that this is true. I'm sure TV3 are going through a list of ideas of what they can replace Emmerdale with - and one of their ideas may be this. Doesn't mean that it will definetly go ahead.

Elmo wrote: »

Remember Xpose took over from 6:30 news and all the shows you point to all aired at 6:30 rather than 6pm and Xpose is just an extended TV3's Entertainment News. Vets In PracticeFriends(r), Family Affairs The Royal and The Lion ManHollyoaks. And now CDWM.

Yep, as I said before that Xpose replaced a news bulletin which repeated most stories which were brought up on the 5:30 news.
Regarding the 6pm shows before Xpose, Vets In Practice aired in April & May of 2005 and Sep 2006 at 6pm, The Lion Man was shown Dec 05 and Jan 06, while Family Affairs aired from Apr 1999 - Jan 2005. Other shows like Will & Grace, So You Think You Can Drive? and The Price Is Right were shown at 6, before Xpose came along.

Elmo wrote: »

This week with a full week of wall to wall soccer on RTÉ TWO 15+ viewers

RTÉ ONE's top twenty ranges from 323 down to 186
RTÉ TWO's top twenty is almost exclusively FIFA WC goes from 491 down to 159 (The Sunday Game)
While TV3's top twenty show what happens with out their 20% of programmes going from 262 (for coro st) down to 75 for VB.

Also the good weather is a factor, but no sign of DIY SOS which replaced Emmerdale during most of the week.

I felt it would have better if they did take a few more risks with the schedule this month, instead of replacing shows with repeats. They could have tested out a few 7pm films, where there was space. Even putting in some new episodes of American shows that they have yet to show like Modern Family and Mike & Molly may have given them more of an insight into what to do next year. The repeats of DIY SOS was up against Eastenders a few times, but it's definetely not the right direction that TV3 should be going.

Onthe3rdDay · 24-06-2014 9:51pm

iseegirls wrote: »

We're taking a quote from The Daily Mail as if its 100% that this is true. I'm sure TV3 are going through a list of ideas of what they can replace Emmerdale with - and one of their ideas may be this. Doesn't mean that it will definetly go ahead.

This appears to be common practice from TV3 (and indeed other companies, Political Parties etc) Ideas are thrown out into the public via non official sources and then they try to work out what public reaction will be. They've been doing this sort of thing over the last year to two years and does show the organsiation in a poor light. Poor leadership qualities and a lack of imagination. You can get away with that in certain industries but not TV, especially when you have competitors that have grabbed all your best staff and products.

icdg · 24-06-2014 11:01pm

Onthe3rdDay wrote: »

This appears to be common practice from TV3 (and indeed other companies, Political Parties etc) Ideas are thrown out into the public via non official sources and then they try to work out what public reaction will be. They've been doing this sort of thing over the last year to two years and does show the organsiation in a poor light. .

Flying a kites a very old practice, and in no way the monopoly of TV3.

Onthe3rdDay · 25-06-2014 12:12am

icdg wrote: »

Flying a kites a very old practice, and in no way the monopoly of TV3.

As I said it wasn't only TV3. However it's usually Stations/Parties/Companies in some trouble that fly so many kites so often. Confident opperations tend to keep cards close to their chest until they're ready to strike. Many on this board were able to predict what TV3 would do and not do because of their various leaks. On the other hand I don't think anyone (especially TV3) saw UTV coming.

Elmo · 26-06-2014 2:30pm

I know companies like to float ideas but do you really think that anyone outside this thread would even think to comment on such a report.

While they might float the idea, the audience will be oblivious to it until it happens, critics aren't going to take much notice and the small minority that might think it is not a good idea aren't vocal enough.

I'd say there is a possibility it will happen, though you'd be right to take it with a pinch of salt.

Onthe3rdDay · 26-06-2014 3:36pm

Elmo wrote: »

I know companies like to float ideas but do you really think that anyone outside this thread would even think to comment on such a report.

While they might float the idea, the audience will be oblivious to it until it happens, critics aren't going to take much notice and the small minority that might think it is not a good idea aren't vocal enough.

I'd say there is a possibility it will happen, though you'd be right to take it with a pinch of salt.

I agree with you... That's what makes floating ideas like this daft at times. But there are plenty of things that TV3 have done down through the years that make no commercial sense. It's a pity that they didn't put out to the public that they weren't going to renew the soaps. They would have been a loud reaction to that!

Sam Russell · 26-06-2014 6:10pm

Onthe3rdDay wrote: »

I agree with you... That's what makes floating ideas like this daft at times. But there are plenty of things that TV3 have done down through the years that make no commercial sense. It's a pity that they didn't put out to the public that they weren't going to renew the soaps. They would have been a loud reaction to that!

I do not think they intended to not renew the soaps - they just wanted a lower price. Unfortunately for them, UTV had their eye on the ball.

Onthe3rdDay · 26-06-2014 6:41pm

Sam Russell wrote: »

I do not think they intended to not renew the soaps - they just wanted a lower price. Unfortunately for them, UTV had their eye on the ball.

You're probably correct. They had no other competitors in the Market (so they thought.) It's possibly the same thing that happened with the GAA. It wouldn't surprise me if they believed the GAA wouldn't go to SKY so they offered little to retain what rights they had. All in the last few months haven't been great for the station.

Sam Russell · 26-06-2014 7:51pm

Onthe3rdDay wrote: »

You're probably correct. They had no other competitors in the Market (so they thought.) It's possibly the same thing that happened with the GAA. It wouldn't surprise me if they believed the GAA wouldn't go to SKY so they offered little to retain what rights they had. All in the last few months haven't been great for the station.

All in all, the last five years have not been great for TV3. The only good thing for them (and not necessarily for us) has been the promotion of 3E from internet/cable/satellite TV to PBS station and inclusion on Saorview - even though they do not qualify in any way and there is no legal basis for it.

Well, perhaps the bail-out they got from us, the tax-payer, where their debts were written off was a good thing for them - but not for us.

Perhaps next year may be better - if they close.

ftakeith · 16-07-2014 7:48pm

http://www.tv3.ie/pr_sub.php?type=1&view_pr=592

TV3 are sorted for 2015, not

I will look forward in avoiding more rubbish from tv

dublinman1990 · 16-07-2014 7:59pm

Does this mean that Tonight with Vincent Browne could be in for the chop come next January?

If it does get scrapped that is very bad form from TV3 IMO. The Tonight format even though not perfect is still very strong in terms of it's current affairs output.

channelsurfer2 · 16-07-2014 8:24pm

awful stuff really. start of the demise of anything news worthy on tv3. An "early evening" could mean 7pm to 7.30pm instead of emmerdale and up against nationwide? VB may be safe enough for a while. Edit just seen" cover people and items of interest all over ireland" - so even it will be like nationwide in all but name.

Onthe3rdDay · 16-07-2014 8:26pm

dublinman1990 wrote: »

Does this mean that Tonight with Vincent Browne could be in for the chop come next January?

If it does get scrapped that is very bad form from TV3 IMO. The Tonight format even though not perfect is still very strong in terms of it's current affairs output.

No, It looks like the FYI is the programme to be scrapped. They're actually taking the one show they do half decently off for this new show which I presume will be half a hour long and basically a One show of sorts.

They're also taking off Midweek. In fact overall it could be a reduction of Irish Output by an hour. It must be the only station on these islands that reduces output and announces it as a good thing.

Onthe3rdDay · 16-07-2014 8:30pm

FYI actually was one bulletin that no one else in Ireland was providing at this time (as far as I'm aware) It was obviously produced on a shoestring but the format wasn't a bad idea.

The Thread just appears to be a blog on 3e at the moment and the 60 second updates is the first stage of the rip and read news service we suspected that TV3 would introduce.

Sam Russell · 16-07-2014 9:38pm

Onthe3rdDay wrote: »

It must be the only station on these islands that reduces output and announces it as a good thing.

I would have thought that in TV3's case that might actually be true. Less of a bad thing is good, is it not?

Elmo · 16-07-2014 10:16pm

Somewhat interesting

I imagine that the new "Primetime evening show" will be similar to "The One Show", while Midweek will just be replaced by a News "EXCLUSIVE" type doc, remember when everything on TV3 News was EXCLUSIVE.

FYI basically replace by The Thread which will be similar to BBC Three's "60 Seconds", I wonder if it will be every hour on the hour.

So far prime time is looking

18:00 Xposé
18:30 Half Hour repeat
19:00 The One Show
19:30 US/UK programming
23:00 Tonight with VB

Unlikely that the new Primetime Show will replace Vincent.

Onthe3rdDay · 16-07-2014 10:35pm

Elmo wrote: »

Somewhat interesting

I imagine that the new "Primetime evening show" will be similar to "The One Show", while Midweek will just be replaced by a News "EXCLUSIVE" type doc, remember when everything on TV3 News was EXCLUSIVE.

FYI basically replace by The Thread which will be similar to BBC Three's "60 Seconds", I wonder if it will be every hour on the hour.

So far prime time is looking

18:00 Xposé
18:30 Half Hour repeat
19:00 The One Show
19:30 US/UK programming
23:00 Tonight with VB

Unlikely that the new Primetime Show will replace Vincent.

I would just assume that they'll package documentaries they make already as coming from Public Affairs Documentary Unit. So that means they'll be able to keep the BAI happy with no obvious cutback on Current Affairs.

Vincent is safe for another 9 or so months (unless he decides to leave before then which isn't unlikely) It will be about April next year (give or take a month) when audience figures and advertising has gone into freefall when they'll be able to make bigger cuts with the reluctant blessing of the BAI.

The press release says 60 second bullentins during the day. It wouldn't surpise me if they ran from 1pm to just before 7. That way everyone can go home as soon as The One Three show is finished.

iseegirls · 16-07-2014 11:02pm

Dissapointing that FYI is going, I hope that Caroline is able to move into another show in TV3. Paul seems to be cover for sports news on Ireland AM anyway, so he'll be ok.

Would they be better putting their The One Show style show at 7:30, therefore avoiding the similar Nationwide at 7 and BBC's One Show
6 Xpose
6.30 US Modern Family/The Middle/Mike&Molly
7 Crossfire/The Lie/Neville/Temple Street/Animal A&E
7.30 The One Show
8 British Shows: Cowboy Builders/Long Lost Family ...
9 TV3 Docs/24 Hours To Kill/ Bake Off ...
10 US Shows: SVU/Wentworth/Dallas ...

On 3e, with FYI going, they'll prob just replace it with a double bill of Malcolm, but hopefully they'll have some new programming to replace it with.

icdg · 16-07-2014 11:37pm

As far as I can see the only concrete things there is the axing of two shows, one of which is the only main evening news bulletin the TV3 family does and the other their only primetime news or current affairs show.

irishfeen · 16-07-2014 11:46pm

Starting to look like TV3 is slowly but surly coming to an end - if they survive this it will be an absolute miracle... at with that type of primetime schedule they will be fighting it out for 3rd spot in terms of viewership... IMO we can expect the quality of advertisers on the channel to reduce greatly unless they almost give airtime away.

Onthe3rdDay · 17-07-2014 12:16am

irishfeen wrote: »

Starting to look like TV3 is slowly but surly coming to an end - if they survive this it will be an absolute miracle... at with that type of primetime schedule they will be fighting it out for 3rd spot in terms of viewership... IMO we can expect the quality of advertisers on the channel to reduce greatly unless they almost give airtime away.

I'd agree with this. What I can't understand is that they don't even seem to be trying at this stage. They do have 2 stations up and running. They could relaunch both, give them different names, aim for an entirely different Market advertising wise but it's just more of the same, which won't work when the soaps go.

Every move is a small cutback in one form or another. Yes there's 127 hours of new Irish programming on TV3 but there's 127 hours less Irish programming on 3e!!! Plus the 40 or so hours a year of Midweek will just evaporate. I'm still have my doubts that they'll show the rugby in the autumn of 2015. If they're still around at that stage it's quite possible they'll sell the rights to other broadcasters.

iseegirls · 17-07-2014 12:25pm

irishfeen wrote: »

Starting to look like TV3 is slowly but surly coming to an end - if they survive this it will be an absolute miracle... at with that type of primetime schedule they will be fighting it out for 3rd spot in terms of viewership... IMO we can expect the quality of advertisers on the channel to reduce greatly unless they almost give airtime away.

Don't see how the production of a new evening programme on TV3 shows that they are coming to an end? It's a tough job to replace 2 big shows, but I'm glad they are trying out replacements with home produced content. Midweek has only been on for about 25 episodes this series - and is a show that can be easily replaced with. FYI, as has been said, was made on a shoestring budget, and probably received small ratings. Having two homemade shows of FYI v Xpose on at the same time always seemed odd to me anyway.

Advertisers will still use events like The X Factor, Red Rock, Champions League, Rugby World Cup, Sitting on A Fortune, The Algorithm, The Lie, Bake Off amongst others.

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