Tara gone ?

LegacyUser

Since this morning, when I go to Tara I get "This programme is not available" with the search and scan banner below giving the current programme info. This is the same as S4C.

Have Tara decided to remove their service from Irish screens ? And if they have, can we do anything about it ?

Sky have always advertised Tara TV as being part of it's Irish subscribers package. Maybe RTE are getting sticky about broadcast rights since they didn't get the license fee increase they wanted.

Anyone have any info ?

LegacyUser

why have RTÉ done this. it doesnt make sense unless they want Irish satellite viewers to watch RTÉ programmes on analogue complete with Irish aimed ads. why are channels which we cant receive stuck on our EPG?

LegacyUser

Given that TARA is effectively run by RTE, rights is probably not the problem. It's probably complaints from advertising agencies and their clients that has prompted RTE to do this. I understand that many people in ROI use TARA to watch live RTE programmes like the news and Primetime.

LegacyUser

I spoke with a girl in Sky Customer Service this morning. She advised me that it was a "broadcaster issue" and should be available later today. She could not elaborate on this.

LegacyUser

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by stuartfanning:
I understand that many people in ROI use TARA to watch live RTE programmes like the news and Primetime. </font>

Absolutely - I know I do.

LegacyUser

all fans on TARA Shop need not worry anymore. TARA is back in all its splendour and glory

LegacyUser

And now Tara TV is gone for good. Guess I was right.

Is anyone else out there sick of the attitude of Ireland's broadcasters to being available on Sky Digital ??

RTE's small-minded attitude will gradually cost them more and more viewers. And when the inevitable happens and Network 2 is sold off and RTE 1 becomes niche broadcasting similar to Public television in the States, it will be their own fault and I for one won't feel sorry for them.

Come on TV3. Show them how it's doen.

icdg

This is too concidental. Coming only days after RTE issue a statement saying that they will not be on SkyDigital in the foreseeable future...

I'm not normally one to believe in conspiracy theories. But one would *almost* think RTE were trying to punish Irish viewers for subscribing to SkyDigital.

But they wouldn't do that, would they??????

LegacyUser

I suspect that we the Sky subscribers/viewers will be the ones to dish out the punishment. The more who subscribe, the less who will watch RTE. Tara was a way of retaining a "footprint" with Irish viewers that they have now chosen to withdraw. It is now over two weeks since I've turned to RTE! They become more remote by the day, and my resentment of them has yet another justification. Their rant on the TV tax was a wonder to behold-I'll vote for ANY party at the next election who say they will privatise them. Any others agree?

LegacyUser

This really ****es me off. Living in Germany, Tara was the only means I had of receiving RTE (TV) news and a few more interesting programmes.

Has Tara actually given an official statement as to why they have decided to deprive their Irish viewers? Seeing as it definitely cannot be a copyright issue, I'd be interested to hear how they justify it...

S.

PS: I'd like to get rid of them from my EPG, as it only annoys me every time I see it. Does anyone know how I can do this?

[This message has been edited by Stiabhna (edited 16-07-2001).]

LegacyUser

Anyone else having trouble accessing the Tara web site? (http://www.tara-tv.co.uk)
I get a "forbidden" message each time I try it.

LegacyUser

This has to be the biggest mistake that RTÉ made. If it wasn't bad enough saying they have no intentions of Dsat transmissions, they go and take away Tara. I know of places where Tara is the only source of RTÉ as terrestrial signals are poor. Will miss the classic Ireland soccer games and the Gaelic highlights. This only means that I will watch RTÉ TV less than ever. Maybe they lied about Dsat availability of RTÉ1 and N2??

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WILL D

LegacyUser

Having read Irishblimp's post on UTV's statement that they want to be available on Sky Digital in the Republic, it will be interesting to see how long RTE can hold out.

As TV3 is part owned by Granada, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it came on at the same time as the ITV Channels.

LegacyUser

Stiabhana.If ur willing to get a rather large sat dish and the right decoders i think ive heard Tara is FTA on one of those sats like Intelsat at so many degrees west.Check first though,i dont want u buying equipment that wont work on my word

LegacyUser

Remember when RTE were doing DTT tests?I think they were testing Tara on it so would this not have meant they were planning for an Irish dtt carriage?
Also ive mentioned this before but i remember seeing a few times ads on rte advertising on Tara and ending with something like
"Tara is available throughout the UK and Ireland on skydigital".This was at least 1-2 yrs ago.Which is strange when Tara claim they never intended to launch here.

LegacyUser

It's official. Irish people cannot watch TV programmes made in their own country. I looked up the TARA TV website and it said

"VIEWERS IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Viewers in Ireland will not be able to receive Tara TV via Sky Digital from Monday 16th July. For further advice, please contact Sky's Customer Service Number for Ireland at 1800 535 767"

One of the reasons they may have done is that as TARA is owned by RTE, they have done it is for ratings. They don't want ROI Sky Digital subscribers (of which there are currently around 100,000) watching their programmes on TARA therefore losing viewers from their own channels. They want the maximum no. of viewers on their own channels

Cloud

Grrr.

LegacyUser

Is this a breach of contract by Sky?

When we all signed up to Sky wasn't TARA supposed to be part of the package?

LegacyUser

I think I remember reading somewhere that they have the right to add or remove channels from whatever package you subscribe to. (Now that I think of it aren't they meant to give you some notice or something if a channel is removed? Hmmm)

I'll go off and check my contract....

LegacyUser

I saw a report that TARA is not available in Northern Ireland now. Can NI members check and advise?

LegacyUser

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by stuartfanning:
I saw a report that TARA is not available in Northern Ireland now. Can NI members check and advise?</font>

I can confirm that Tara is still being received loud and clear here in Northern Ireland...currently!

LegacyUser

I tell ya some day i'll sort RTE out you see if i don't.Oh and Hello shane or the Gopher

LegacyUser

BNC did u check your contract yet, if memory serves me right they can withdraw a station with out warning but dont i remember reading that they will replace it with someting of equal quality?
or am i wrong?

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See ya Fi

LegacyUser

Sorry forgot to comment on anther thing menationed here, i got access to the web site [Tara tha is] but on http://www.taratv.net and the opening statement on it says "Welcome to Tara TV - the only channel to beam the best of Ireland's entertainment directly in to your home in the UK!" so oviously it is just us irish ppl who arent allowed to view it.

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See ya Fi

LegacyUser

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Northern Correspondent:
I can confirm that Tara is still being received loud and clear here in Northern Ireland...currently!</font>

If RTE remove Tara from Sky NI that would be the height of dogmatic stupidity. What would they do next - remove it from the rest of the UK because parts of England, Scotland and Wales can receive normal RTE?

LegacyUser

FYI, I have received the following email today from Marketing in Tara TV ...

"I will try and elaborate on the information you have received before. RTE
are one of Tara's shareholders and the major source of programming to the
channel (about 90% of the programming is from RTE). As part of our
programming deal with them, we were granted distribution rights to the UK
only. RTE own the rights to the Republic and we do not have the rights to
"trespass" on their territory. When Tara launched on Sky Digital (in
October 98) these territorial rights obviously became an issue. Although
Sky can block off certain channels, it was impossible in the case of Tara
TV. Channel 4 and Channel 5 are not multiplexed with any other channels,
they have their own transponder and it is certainly possible to block off a
whole transponder. Tara however, being a much smaller channel, is
multiplexed with several other channels and to block the Tara signal into
the Republic would involve blocking the signal of several other channels
which was obviously not possible. Technological advances at the Sky headend
however, have now lead to this being possible.
As a result, RTE have now asked Tara TV to honour the original contract
terms.

In terms of advertising in the Republic, you will find that any mention of
Tara was in Sky-produced literature. We have never advertised our services
in the Republic because of this copyright issue."

LegacyUser

Thats a god damn lie!!!They have occasionally advertised on Net2 and RTE1.May death come upon that station.Hahaha.

LegacyUser

what a joke. how are the BBC1 nations blocked from other nations. this has been done since day one

LegacyUser

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by pbirney:
RTE own the rights to the Republic and we do not have the rights to
"trespass" on their territory.
</font>

RTE already "trespass" in Northern Ireland and all UK analogue terrestrial channels trespass in ROI too.

A radical approach is needed which will sort out these rights issues once and for all.