The ITV Thread

There already is a TV3+1 on cable and satellite of course.

We'll see what happens, though I expect the Ireland Live news service to be pulled almost immediately once the sale completes. Either way I don't expect UTV Ireland to last in its present form much beyond the new year.

icdg wrote: »

We'll see what happens, though I expect the Ireland Live news service to be pulled almost immediately once the sale completes. Either way I don't expect UTV Ireland to last in its present form much beyond the new year.

I think they've already reduce the 10pm to 30mins.

I can't get my head around the UTV Media management's lack of intelligence. There was no need for them to get UTV or a cut-down version of it on Saorview. They could have had it available on Sky with the soaps, sports, the X Factor and Britain's Got Talent blacked out, which is what happens with US imports on the Sky ROI version of Channel 4, and a version of the UTV Player.

political analyst wrote: »

I can't get my head around the UTV Media management's lack of intelligence. There was no need for them to get UTV or a cut-down version of it on Saorview. They could have had it available on Sky with the soaps, sports, the X Factor and Britain's Got Talent blacked out, which is what happens with US imports on the Sky ROI version of Channel 4, and a version of the UTV Player.

UTV wanted to gain entrance to the market that they had lost over the last 10 years. If UTV had just gone with a striped down version of UTV proper people would still be arguing that they don't have UTV. Remember UTV Ireland was far from a failure, it possible was the best launch of a TV channel in Europe in the last 15 years, in terms of audience share, something TV3 would have being boasting about for 18 years!

Also you'd have to question TV3 management for dropping Coro St and Emmers. None of TV3's new programming gained any audience major audience and their market share reduced drastically.

channelsurfer2

so it appears that the big difference will be Cable viewers who will not have UTV anymore in any form. IT has all the signs of them closing down the channel and just keeping 2 channels.

channelsurfer2 wrote: »

so it appears that the big difference will be Cable viewers who will not have UTV anymore in any form. IT has all the signs of them closing down the channel and just keeping 2 channels.

Daft on the part of Virgin to drop both Setanta and UTV. I don't see them dropping UTV Ireland as I said why not just let ITV close the channel and sell the programmes to TV3, it would save a lot of time and energy.

Elmo wrote: »

UTV wanted to gain entrance to the market that they had lost over the last 10 years. If UTV had just gone with a striped down version of UTV proper people would still be arguing that they don't have UTV. Remember UTV Ireland was far from a failure, it possible was the best launch of a TV channel in Europe in the last 15 years, in terms of audience share, something TV3 would have being boasting about for 18 years!

Also you'd have to question TV3 management for dropping Coro St and Emmers. None of TV3's new programming gained any audience major audience and their market share reduced drastically.

I don't believe that because the most of the programmes that would have been blacked out on a Sky ROI version of UTV would still be available on TV3.

Look at it like this: Sky and Virgin Media (formerly UPC) subscribers in the Republic can both watch and record high-quality programmes on Channel 4 (news, documentaries) bot not on UTV NI.

UPC subscribers lost UTV NI - though UTV NI was never available on the Sky ROI EPG but Sky subscribers could, of course, watch it via Other Channels.

As for TV3's new programming and market share, Red Rock has done well. As long as one programme does well in the ratings, why does market share matter?

political analyst wrote: »

I don't believe that because the most of the programmes that would have been blacked out on a Sky ROI version of UTV would still be available on TV3.

So just replace those shows with alternative (oh wait that's what they did)

Look at it like this: Sky and Virgin Media (formerly UPC) subscribers in the Republic can both watch and record high-quality programmes on Channel 4 (news, documentaries) bot not on UTV NI.

Look at it like this Sky viewers for the first time south of the boarder could record all ITV shows across TV3 and UTV Ireland, and the first time had a UTV channel.

UPC subscribers lost UTV NI - though UTV NI was never available on the Sky ROI EPG but Sky subscribers could, of course, watch it via Other Channels.

Look at it like this, spillover had been reduced meaning that for many it was the return of UTV to terrestrial TV, and as you say for Sky people they got a UTV channel. For others it gave them an alternative new service.

As for TV3's new programming and market share, Red Rock has done well. As long as one programme does well in the ratings, why does market share matter

Red Rock hasn't done all that well. It has 165,000 for its first episode, this season. while it has sold TV3's audience share is still relatively low, this is due largely to other TV3 programming which didn't do all that well. It may improve when Coro St returns to TV3. TV3 had 8% share in 2015 compared to 11% in 2014.

Look it at like this UTV had 3% of the audience in 2014, UTV double its audience share in 2015.

channelsurfer2 wrote: »

so it appears that the big difference will be Cable viewers who will not have UTV anymore in any form. IT has all the signs of them closing down the channel and just keeping 2 channels.

Sadly, this is what people will remember as the long term effect (in the Republic) of the UTV Ireland experiment.I wouldn't be surprised if ITV 2/3/4 don't last too long on Virgin Media either. In the future, TV3 executives will decide what ITV programmes Irish people will see, and the only way around it will be a satellite dish.

icdg wrote: »

Sadly, this is what people will remember as the long term effect (in the Republic) of the UTV Ireland experiment.I wouldn't be surprised if ITV 2/3/4 don't last too long on Virgin Media either. In the future, TV3 executives will decide what ITV programmes Irish people will see, and the only way around it will be a satellite dish.

I've been thinking about that.

It's pointless to have ITV 2/3/4 available on Virgin in the Republic because the UTV Ireland experiment created the anomaly whereby Virgin subscribers in the Republic would see a trailer for an ITV programme on those channels but can't watch it because they don't have UTV NI anymore.

political analyst wrote: »

I've been thinking about that.

It's pointless to have ITV 2/3/4 available on Virgin in the Republic because the UTV Ireland experiment created the anomaly whereby Virgin subscribers in the Republic would see a trailer for an ITV programme on those channels but can't watch it because they don't have UTV NI anymore.

Trust me TV3, 3e and whatever they do with UTV Ireland will continue to tell viewers to turn over to ITV2 for Xtra Factor, Britain's got more talent, The Voice: Louder on 2 and I'm a Celeb get me out of here... NOW! even though its up next on the same channel!

mikeym

Tried to watch the Tv3 5:30 News on Skygo but I couldnt due to rights restrictions.

But I can watch the 5:30 News on Utv Ireland on Sky Go.

I presume when Virgin have control of UTV Ireland they wont show the UTV News anymore and il be watching the Tv3 News but not on Sky Go.

mikeym wrote: »

Tried to watch the Tv3 5:30 News on Skygo but I couldnt due to rights restrictions.

But I can watch the 5:30 News on Utv Ireland on Sky Go.

I presume when Virgin have control of UTV Ireland they wont show the UTV News anymore and il be watching the Tv3 News but not on Sky Go.

You probably didn't miss much.

iseegirls

I see they are repeating Lorraine now at 1:30 in the day time. Unsure if Virgin Media may have any influence on the schedule yet, but are they trying to make the schedule as bad as possible so people don't mind when it disappears?

Still part of ITV until the deal closes.

lgs 4

political analyst wrote: »

You probably didn't miss much.

RTE1 HD Six One News!

icdg wrote: »

Still part of ITV until the deal closes.

CCPC have issued details of their decision today http://ccpc.ie/enforcement/mergers/merger-notices/m16038-liberty-global-utv-ireland

lgs 4 wrote: »

RTE1 HD Six One News!

You can't beat RTÉ for Irish national news.

Elmo wrote: »

CCPC have issued details of their decision today http://ccpc.ie/enforcement/mergers/merger-notices/m16038-liberty-global-utv-ireland

Most interesting sentence comes near the end, where it refers to the restrictive obligations to be put on UTV Limited following completion of the transaction.

While it doesn't elaborate, I'd imagine these probably include a commitment for UTV to fully withdraw from the advertising market in ROI and not to seek to have its service on a platform here.

icdg wrote: »

Most interesting sentence comes near the end, where it refers to the restrictive obligations to be put on UTV Limited following completion of the transaction.

While it doesn't elaborate, I'd imagine these probably include a commitment for UTV to fully withdraw from the advertising market in ROI and not to seek to have its service on a platform here.

Is it likely that Ireland Live personnel will get their P45s before Hallowe'en?

Rick_

UTV's new DOG appeared this morning during GMB but then disappeared and the show has been DOG-less since.

Are we getting the re-brand soon I wonder...?

Sam Russell

Is that Utv NI or UTVi?

UTV NI. I suspect the rebrand will happen within the month at this stage, and possibly a great deal sooner. It appears ITV, if they have not already taken over playing out the channel, are preparing to do so.

UTV Ireland on the other hand won't be getting a rebrand until after the Virgin Media deal closes. Not sure what's delaying that now.

Infoanon

icdg wrote: »

Most interesting sentence comes near the end, where it refers to the restrictive obligations to be put on UTV Limited following completion of the transaction.

While it doesn't elaborate, I'd imagine these probably include a commitment for UTV to fully withdraw from the advertising market in ROI and not to seek to have its service on a platform here.

I think that's a bit of a leap - it also specifically says that any restrictions are for a limited duration. More likely its about the exclusive provision of ITV programming .

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

Sam Russell wrote: »

Is that Utv NI or UTVi?

just checked utvi and still no dog.

icdg wrote: »

UTV Ireland on the other hand won't be getting a rebrand until after the Virgin Media deal closes. Not sure what's delaying that now.

This will happen when both the BAI and the Minister for DeCAE make a decision, should be before the end of the month. as per ITV's and Virgin's takeover of UTV and TV3 respectively.