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Future of Freesat after Brexit?

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  • 22-12-2018 12:40pm
    #1
    Dacia1300
    Closed Accounts Posts: 50 ✭✭


    Does anyone know if Brexit will have any impact on contracts that Astra/SES have with UK TV stations?

    I’m asking this as I rely on the service to pick up my UK TV & radio stations & don’t really want to go down the route of subscription or IP-based options


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    #2
    Harry Palmr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 40,061 ✭✭✭✭Harry Palmr


    None whatsoever.


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    #3
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,853 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Only risk is some of the less financially strong channels failing due to a reduction in advertising income when the UK economy slumps. Most of the carriage contracts will even be negotiated in Sterling at least until their next renewal.


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    #4
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 13,999 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    Harry Palmr wrote: »
    None whatsoever.

    Unless someone in the EU decides that having a non-member polluting the airwaves in EU Ireland is not acceptable .... but it would take a mighty long time for anything to come out of that :D


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    #5
    dxhound2005
    Registered Users Posts: 20,715 ✭✭✭✭dxhound2005


    https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057905449&page=2


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    #6
    refusetolose
    Registered Users Posts: 2,559 ✭✭✭refusetolose


    why doesn't RTE kick up a fuss about the UK FTA channels being broadcast in Ireland?

    surely they would get a lot more viewers if they weren't there?


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    #7
    fman
    Registered Users Posts: 380 ✭✭fman


    It has even been mentioned that the BBC may move some minor operations to Ireland (or Holland) to maintain EU licences etc.


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    #8
    flashinthepan
    Registered Users Posts: 657 ✭✭✭flashinthepan


    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    Unless someone in the EU decides that having a non-member polluting the airwaves in EU Ireland is not acceptable .... :D

    That's not as far fetched as you may think.
    Something else for our Euro Dictators to threaten the Brits with :-)


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    #9
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,529 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    Theres no political discussion here. Take it to the politics forum. I’ll allow the thread to continue as long as it focuses on Freesat, but it cannot be a Trojan horse for a more general discussion of Brexit and anyone who posts a comment along the lines of flashinthepan’s above can take a ban.

    It’s obligatory for me to also point out at this point that the satellite has not yet been invented that can cover the entire UK from Land’s End to John O Groats and Newry to Derry without also covering the Republic of Ireland too.


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    #10
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 13,999 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    icdg wrote: »
    Theres no political discussion here. Take it to the politics forum. I’ll allow the thread to continue as long as it focuses on Freesat, but it cannot be a Trojan horse for a more general discussion of Brexit and anyone who posts a comment along the lines of flashinthepan’s above can take a ban.

    It’s obligatory for me to also point out at this point that the satellite has not yet been invented that can cover the entire UK from Land’s End to John O Groats and Newry to Derry without also covering the Republic of Ireland too.

    It does not have to be all done in one satellite beam, does it?

    Ireland managed to spot beam this island with little overspill.

    Regardless cost or disruption, it seems technically possible to cover the whole of GB with little or no overspill into other countries. Admittedly N.I might pose some peculiar problems.


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    #11
    The high horse brigade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,456 ✭✭✭The high horse brigade


    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    It does not have to be all done in one satellite beam, does it?

    Ireland managed to spot beam this island with little overspill.

    Regardless cost or disruption, it seems technically possible to cover the whole of GB with little or no overspill into other countries. Admittedly N.I might pose some peculiar problems.

    Saorsat can be picked up in Wales


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    #12
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 13,999 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    The high horse brigade wrote: »
    Saorsat can be picked up in Wales

    With some effort I believe and not throughout Wales based on the little I have read. Even then that is minimal overspill compared to what is happening with Astra.


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    #13
    Kevin Finnerty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,254 ✭✭✭Kevin Finnerty


    refusetolose wrote: »
    why doesn't RTE kick up a fuss about the UK FTA channels being broadcast in Ireland?

    surely they would get a lot more viewers if they weren't there?

    RTE should pay to be on the Freesat platform. Not gonna happen when we're subsidising it unfortunately.
    They don't care one jot as long as there's tv licences.


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    #14
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,529 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    It does not have to be all done in one satellite beam, does it?

    Ireland managed to spot beam this island with little overspill.

    Regardless cost or disruption, it seems technically possible to cover the whole of GB with little or no overspill into other countries. Admittedly N.I might pose some peculiar problems.

    Regardless of cost indeed. It may technically be possible to minimise overspill by adopting a multi satellite/beam solution. Is it cost effective to do so? You’d have to effectively replicate the entire Freesat service.

    I think if the rights holders are relatively happy with the current arrangement, then the broadcasters won’t be bending over to adopt a solution which is for the rights holders (not the broadcasters) benefit. What’s more likely to happen down the road eventually is the end of satellite transmission and move to an IP based solution. That would require rural access to broadband on a scale not yet present and also brings its own difficulties regarding limiting rights to particular jurisdictions

    Brexit has absolutely no impact on any of the above, by the way.


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    #15
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 13,999 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    Kevin Finnerty wrote: »
    RTE should pay to be on the Freesat platform. Not gonna happen when we're subsidising it unfortunately.
    They don't care one jot as long as there's tv licences.

    The requirement to have state control over our own broadcasting capabilities pushed RTE to use Saorsat as the 'fall back' capability to terrestrial broadcasting.

    If we ever get full FTTH, then I could see Saorsat being dropped in favour of IPTV.
    It has long been considered necessary for any state to have, not only control over the state's broadcasting capabilities, but also to have a 'fall back' capability in case of disaster.

    Unfortunately this carries a large financial burden.

    At the very least, using DVB-T and IPTV, the state would have control over the performance of both, and not be dependent on satellites owned and operated by outside agencies.


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    #16
    tvman2
    Registered Users Posts: 90 ✭✭tvman2


    I think it's only a matter of time before all TV will be provided like Netflix, BBC iplayer etc. It surely would be at a much lower cost than continuing to use satellite services and terrestrial transmitters.


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