Saorview Changes - 2026

Months after several radio stations ceased, 2RN finally updated the list on Channel 30. However, they seem to think that Radio 1 Extra is still a thing.

Bizarrely, programme information is still being carried on the defunct radio channel numbers.

Just need them to put Radio 1 on 201 and move the other radio stations up to fill the gaps and my OCD will settle… for now!

that’s what I was thinking..

Only 8 channels

True, more channels would definitely be very welcome but just to point out that excluding news, children's, shopping channels and the +1s there are about 40ish channels on Freesat/Freeview, for a market many times the size of the RoI. Given that many or most of these are available here free or subscription some may have opted for SaorView.

Virgin really should add a +1, at least for VM 1.

They must be losing viewers especially in the 8-11 slot due to clashing with similar type programmes on RTE and sometimes TG4.

I don't have recording available and I'm sure many (I won't say most as I don't know any figures) others are the same.

I recall before UTV Ireland started broadcasting TV3 asking that under the Broadcasting Act 2009 that UTV Ireland be declare a public service broadcaster to be allow to be carried on Saorview. In TV3's view the new broadcaster wouldn't have any of the public service requirements that TV3 has.

No such letter was sent by Virgin Media Television to the regulator or the minister on the addition of either Sky News or Challenge to Saorview, even though Sky News has no Irish content, while Challenge has no original content or Irish content. And neither have a license to broadcast from the Irish regulator.

IMO if Sky where to add a channel it should have been either Sky Arts or Sky Mix. Or a mix of each of the Sky FTA channels.

Morning - Challenge

Afternoons - Arts

Evenings - Mix

Late Night - Arts

Early Morning - Mix

Saorview is no more than Analogue +

RTÉ 1, 2, TV3 and TG4 with OTV

RTÉ 1 +1, RTÉ 2 +1 and TG4 +1

Repeat channels RTÉ NEWS NOW, RTÉjr and Cula4 (forgot VM2, 3 and 4)

And 2 sky channels.

It's 7 channels at most.

It was badly run. Ireland had 2 issues.

1. We were late to DTT by about 10 years, DSO only happened due to the EU
2. Broadcasters and the regulator didn't see that if an Irish channel was to be successful than it would need to have a guarantee to be available on both Cable and Satellite, can you imagine if the extra channels on Freeview for the UK PSB channels weren't also available on Pay service providers?

There is no real reason that smaller Irish broadcasters couldn't have survived on terrestrial. That's not to say that the market could have achieved more than 10 extra channels.

VMTV2 (AKA Channel 6) makes a profit, at this point so is VMTV3 (AKA Cullen AKA UTV Ireland) is also making a profit.

It was badly planned, if a channel crashes out of the market then fine it is what the market dictates.

At this point you are right, but many mistakes were made before the streaming revolution.

The +1 channels are being removed?

Terrestrial television in Ireland have gone full circle, after 15 years of saorview we now know where it stands and its disappointing to say the least.

Its back to basics and a tidy up job.

Four main national channels with HD upgrade as follows,

1920×1080i RTE1, RTE2, VM1, TG4

1440×1080i VM2, RTE NEWS

544×720i Oireachtas TV, RTE Junior, Cula4

Regular Radio channels.

Scrap all the rest if space is not available on the multiplexs.

More a question as to why VMTV didn't feel it necessary to speak out against their addtion. I doubt if Channel 4 decided to go on Saorview that VMTV wouldn't be writing to the Department.