Oh No! Not Another One!

mike65

Did you ever wake up in the middle of the night and wish we had another
tv station?

Someone did-

from the sunday times.

New station set to challenge RTE and TV3

Ciaran Hancock


MICHAEL MURPHY, the former head of programming at TV3, and Pat Donnelly, the outgoing chief executive of Carat Ireland, one of Ireland’s biggest media-buying agencies, are planning to launch a new Irish television station.

The pair have set up a company called Kish Media and have engaged IBI Corporate Finance to raise €10m in start-up funds from new investors. They plan to launch the channel either late this year or in 2006.



Kish was set up last May and is negotiating with the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) to secure a licence. RTE, TG4, the Irish language channel, and TV3, the republic’s first independent commercial station, currently hold analogue licences and it is understood the BCI has no plans to issue another analogue licence. Instead, Kish could be licensed for cable, digital or satellite transmissions.

The BCI last month signed a 10-year contract with Setanta Sports allowing it to provide a television service on satellite and cable. Setanta had already begun broadcasting from the UK but now bases its operation here.

Kish is expected to hold talks with BSkyB, the satellite television station in which News International, owner of The Sunday Times, has a 35.3% stake, and NTL and Chorus, the country’s two digital cable operators, about joining their broadcasting platforms.

While programming details are sketchy, it is understood that the new channel would offer a diet of sitcoms, drama and soaps and will have no news or current affairs content. Its success would depend on its ability to attract advertising.

Ireland has one of Europe’s most competitive television advertising markets. In addition to the indigenous operators, UTV, the Belfast-based broadcaster, and Britain’s Channel 4 sell advertising in the republic.

A number of satellite broadcasters have also recently begun offering Irish opt-outs to advertisers, including Nickelodeon, Sky Sports and MTV.

Last year was a bumper one for Irish television advertising. Billetts Ireland, a management consultancy, estimated that television advertising rose by 18% last year from the €194m spent in 2003. Billetts forecasts that television revenues will increase by 4% in 2005 while commercial audiences will grow by 6%, led by new satellite channels providing opt-outs.

According to Billetts, satellite channels are expected to increase their share of revenue from 13% to 15% this year, to the detriment of RTE.

Murphy was involved in the launch of TV3. He also worked for Yes TV in the UK, was a director of Eircom’s digital television unit and has worked as a consultant in Turkey.

Donnelly is a native of Wexford and worked for Magill, the current affairs magazine, in its early days. He founded All Ireland Media about 15 years ago before selling it to Carat, Europe’s leading media- planning agency. He will leave the agency at the end of February following the expiry of an earn-out clause. Carat Ireland operates as part of Aegis Media.

Elmo

I think we should have another TV station. However I don't see this TV station lasting.

1. It will only be on cable and digital
2. It will resemble everyother cable and digital TV station

If the backers invest in a very different and IRISH TV station it might have some kind of life in the very very competitive world of Cable and Digital TV.

Round Cable

Elmo wrote:

1. It will only be on cable and digital
2. It will resemble everyother cable and digital TV station

1. If DTT is ever launched, they could transmit their channel on that, remember I said 'if'

2. I'm sure it will be given the 105 epg possition, that would be a help.

Elmo

Indeed IF.

I'm sure it will be given the 105 epg possition, that would be a help.

Why, should they do this? If it is a lifestyle channel they might put up beside those channels or up with SKY ONE where ever that is on the epg. I dont have digital TV.

Mossy Monk

Sky One is 106 on Sky, dont know about cable

icdg

Mossy Monk wrote:

Sky One is 106 on Sky, dont know about cable

NTL 111, Chorus 10 (last I heard).

The 105 slot is taken by BBC ONE NI on NTL, while Chorus doesn't number channels that way.

There is no compulsion to put Irish channels at the top of an EPG, other than the main terrestrials. The relevant piece of legislation says:

"A programme guide contract shall include a condition requiring the holder of the contract to ensure that the electronic programme guide or guides prepared in pursuance of it may easily be used by a member of the public to access information in relation to the schedules of programme material the subject of each broadcasting service—

(a) provided in the State by—

(i) the Authority*,

(ii) Teilifís na Gaeilge**, and

(iii) the television programme service contractor***,

and

(b) provided in Northern Ireland by any person, being a service that is receivable throughout the whole of Northern Ireland and which is provided by terrestrial means."

* This means RTE.
** This means TG4, when/if it becomes seperate to RTE.
*** This means TV3.