TV3 is now Virgin Media Television

Go Harvey Go

I'm not making this up:

In an exclusive interview with The Irish Times, Virgin Media Ireland’s chief executive Tony Hanway confirmed that it was considering a name change for TV3.

“It’s definitely something that we’re looking at,” he said. “It has been on the agenda for quite some time. We look at the equity that we’ve built up in TV3 and wonder what it would look like as Virgin Media. There’s nothing to say that there wouldn’t be a Virgin Media [television] station at some stage.”

Mr Hanway said any rebranding would happen in 2018, which would mark the 20th anniversary of TV3 first going on air.

It is understood that TV3 has briefed advertising agencies about the possible branding change.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/tv3-ponders-name-change-rebrand-to-virgin-media-1.3285959

I don't think this name change is necessary, frankly. Also, they've only just introduced new looks on all three channels and the news (as well as a new name for one of the channels), so why consider changing again so soon?

I think Mr Hanway needs reminding, too, that there are still a lot of people unhappy about Opal Fruits becoming Starburst, even though that took place the same year that TV3 launched...

Skid X

Media companies love pointless rebranding.

It might get the Virgin Media name a higher profile but it wouldn't do anything for TV3. In an increasingly fragmented market place, the TV3 name still has good recognition among the demographics who still watch television.

Agent Coulson

That channel has been fcuked for years no way is it a Virgin.

I actually forgot they had 2 other channels 3e and be3 until I read a piece on the possible rename earlier and they only time i ever watch TV3 is for their second rate news and current affairs as they are on at making the dinner and going to bed times.

Where did Ursula go to ? She's been replaced by Gavin Reilly ex reading the next days headlines and Tweets on Vincent Brown??????? He just doesn't have that " I believe in the cult of politics" enthusiasm main political correspondents seem to have

Go Harvey Go

Jaysus - looks like this might be a done deal... :eek:

Regulators tune in to TV3 brand switch to Virgin

Tony Hanway of Virgin Media opened up the possibility of rebranding TV3 under the Virgin moniker in a recent interview. "There's nothing to say there wouldn't be a Virgin Media station at some stage," he said. It seems that plans to drop the TV3 name are actually quite advanced, however.

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) approved the rebranding of the TV3 Group at its monthly meeting on Friday. Perhaps it should be expected given that Hanway's background is in telcos, a sector that seems to love rebrands more than any other. Broadcasting insiders are sceptical about a change at TV3, however.

Electronic programming guides (EPGs) are now full of UK channels like Discovery, Universal and Dave. But as RTE has been trying to tell the powers-that-be, most Irish viewers flock to Irish channels. And to TV3's credit it has built up a powerful brand. Virgin was an improvement on UPC but will it be an improvement on TV3?

https://www.independent.ie/business/irish/mckillen-welcomes-in-the-competition-to-dublin-city-36332192.html

So do we start preparing to say goodbye/good riddance (delete as appropriate) to the TV3 brand?

There'd surely be no financial gain in this. Indeed, VMI doesn't actually own the Virgin brand - it licenses it for a fee...

MikeyTaylor

Go Harvey Go wrote: »

Jaysus - looks like this might be a done deal... :eek:



https://www.independent.ie/business/irish/mckillen-welcomes-in-the-competition-to-dublin-city-36332192.html

So do we start preparing to say goodbye/good riddance (delete as appropriate) to the TV3 brand?

There'd surely be no financial gain in this. Indeed, VMI doesn't actually own the Virgin brand - it licenses it for a fee...

Only caught up with this thread now. Yeah I think a change would do them well.

Go Harvey Go

MikeyTaylor wrote: »

Only caught up with this thread now. Yeah I think a change would do them well.

I don't.

Why so casually discard a name that has been built up for twenty years?

:rolleyes:

MikeyTaylor

Go Harvey Go wrote: »

I don't.

Why so casually discard a name that has been built up for twenty years?

:rolleyes:

1. Because it's a toxic brand
2. They changed Channel 6 and UTV Ireland's names, so why can't Virgin Media change theirs?
3. It wouldn't be casual, they probably thought long and hard about it.

Go Harvey Go

MikeyTaylor wrote: »

1. Because it's a toxic brand

If it's a toxic brand, then so is the Top of the Pops brand (thanks to a number of its past presenters).

And surely neither brand is as toxic as that of Miramax?

2. They changed Channel 6 and UTV Ireland's names, so why can't Virgin Media change theirs?

In both cases, it was only a single channel's name that was changed. Plus, neither channel was what I like to call a "Big Four" Irish channel, like RTE1, RTE2, TV3 and TG4 - and both were clearly losing money.

In *this* case, however, three channels - including a "Big Four" channel - would have their names changed. And AFAIK, TV3 isn't in obvious financial trouble...

3. It wouldn't be casual, they probably thought long and hard about it.

Maybe they did - but Tony Hanway hasn't been all that convincing in giving that impression, IMHO...

rubadub

“It’s definitely something that we’re looking at,” he said. “It has been on the agenda for quite some time. We look at the equity that we’ve built up in TV3 and wonder what it would look like as Virgin Media. There’s nothing to say that there wouldn’t be a Virgin Media [television] station at some stage.”

It doesn't sound clear if they are actually planning on renaming the station to be "virgin media", which would be a ridiculous name.

"did you see Die Hard is showing on virgin media tonight",
"I saw the weather forecast on virgin media".

-zero ring to it.

uck51js9zml2yt

Wouldn't be unheard of for a TV station to be called after the companies brand name... Sky one etc

rubadub

rubadub wrote: »

It doesn't sound clear if they are actually planning on renaming the station to be "virgin media", which would be a ridiculous name.

"did you see Die Hard is showing on virgin media tonight",
"I was the weather forecast on virgin media".

-zero ring to it.

Perhaps VMI (Virgin Media Ireland). Has a better ring to it.


Would interweb/telecommunication companies pull the plug on advertising on a channel that's named after a competitor, though?

rubadub

Scott Drab Wildcat wrote: »

Wouldn't be unheard of for a TV station to be called after the companies brand name... Sky one etc

Yes, and that is fine if it is a short snappy name. But the full name now is apparently, Sky UK Limited. So "Sky UK Limited One" would also sound ridiculous. Its up there with The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, gobshites.

Skid X

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/northern-ireland/former-utv-ireland-channel-to-be-rebranded-as-virgin-in-second-overhaul-since-10m-sale-36418763.html

The Sunday Times reported that Mike Fries, chief executive of Liberty Global, told a media conference in New York that be3, TV3 and 3e will all be rebranded as Virgin, most likely next year.

Liberty bought TV3 and 3e for €80m in July 2015 from Doughty Hanson.

"We will rebrand those broadcast networks in Ireland as Virgin and we'll see how that works," Fries told the UBS Global Media and Communications conference in New York.

Urrrgh

This will all end in tears.

Go Harvey Go

Totally agree. You don't see Viacom wanting to replace the names of Channel 5 or its sister stations with its own name any time soon, do you?

Also, Liberty and Virgin Media probably aren't aware of Tyne Tees' brief period as "Channel 3 North East" in the late '90s...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5CSjhS3vH8

iseegirls

Would Virgin media have the ability to move RTE1 and 2 out of their slots of 101 and 102 on their TV planner? Is it a requirement to have them there.

Go Harvey Go

Good discussion on TV Forum regarding this rebrand:

https://tvforum.uk/tvhome/irish-television-38683/page-58

George White

rubadub wrote: »

Yes, and that is fine if it is a short snappy name. But the full name now is apparently, Sky UK Limited. So "Sky UK Limited One" would also sound ridiculous. Its up there with The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, gobshites.

I think "Energy Theatre" sounds futuristic, in a 30s way.

MikeyTaylor

What do you think the rebrand would mean for their home produced programming?

Agent Coulson

So confirmed today that it will change its name from TV3 to Virgin Media TV in the second quarter of 2018.

Penn

They should just go with ITV1(2). That's basically what they are.

Larbre34

You cant polish a turd.

What they should be doing is shutting down be3 and "see how that works"

What sort of marketing lads do they have that they think a brand with 8 syllables plays better than one with 2 or 3.

VirGin MedIA IreLand One etc

Stoopid.

rubadub

Larbre34 wrote: »

You cant polish a turd..

+1, in this case they put the turd on a brand new white carpet and smeared it as far as they could.

Virgin media was bad enough, was someone in the meeting going "nooo, way too short, lash TV on the end".

Even VMTV would be bad enough.

Go Harvey Go

If this rebrand is a roaring success, I'll eat a pair of socks.

I wouldn't recommend that anyone else does the same, though.

Penn wrote: »

They should just go with ITV1(2). That's basically what they are.

Then they'd have to license the ITV name from ITV plc...

MikeyTaylor

Agent Coulson wrote: »

So confirmed today that it will change its name from TV3 to Virgin Media TV in the second quarter of 2018.

Inevitable.

JP Liz V1

Does it mean some programmes on Virgin Media will be shown on TV?

iseegirls

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Does it mean some programmes on Virgin Media will be shown on TV?

Do they have much there that they could show? I know all of Bad Behaviour is on Virgin Media and weekly on Be3.

JP Liz V1

iseegirls wrote: »

Do they have much there that they could show? I know all of Bad Behaviour is on Virgin Media and weekly on Be3.

Kingdom

Ash Vs. Evil Dead

Imposters

MikeyTaylor

iseegirls wrote: »

Do they have much there that they could show? I know all of Bad Behaviour is on Virgin Media and weekly on Be3.

be3. Lower case b. Get it right.

MikeyTaylor

It's my assumption that 3e and be3 will become Virgin 2 and 3, in no particular order?

MikeyTaylor

Penn wrote: »

They should just go with ITV1(2). That's basically what they are.

I believe ITV even owned a stake in them at one point.