TV3 Ireland TV License renewed for 10 years with option for +5 after
The BCI kept faith with TV3 Ireland. See: http://www.bci.ie/news_information/press200.html All good. Once the Competition Authority approves the TV3 takeover of Channel 6, then TV3 is pretty much ready to get its website revamped, revamp the C6 schedule and prepare develop its TV3 Now Channel for DTT launch next year.
Best of luck to TV3. I think their next move should be to merge into UTV plc by taking on its radio, internet and TV business, calling itself UTV3 while keeping UTV News and NI programming, best of both worlds, North South channel. Makes sense really. On the other hand, Doughty may be waiting in the wings, to build TV3 up and then UTV can snap up TV3 and do the same thereby getting properly into the Irish market, streamlining rights acquisition and reach and offering something unique, north south TV.
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Why is this good? TV3 have squandered their licence over the last 10 years offering little or no original Irish made TV. It is a disaster that the BCI have rewarded TV3 with effectively another 15 years of bringing Corrie, X-Factor and most of the ITV schedule to Irish audiences who can already get it for free via satellite. An opportunity for an original Irish presence on TV is lost again. It won’t come back.
Crusty - November 26, 2008 at 3:20 pm
In depends on whether you take market conditions into account as to how you see TV3. From the viewer point of view until this year they have been disappointing. But this was not due to TV3 per say but the amount of money the backers were prepared on invest to make TV3 successful.
Changes only happened since 2006 when Doughty Hanson venture capital bought TV3 and seem to be building the brand. Most definitely Channel 6 is designed to be a kind of ITV2 strategy. TV3 have to be given more time to develop Irish programming inventory which is more expensive than imports.
Bringing an original Irish presence to TV costs alot of money. And yes the opportunity will come back as the market matures as a result of DTT and settles down, others will want to invest and join when existing players are doing well enough.
As regards Channel 6, its best future is part of Tv3 with some interesting programming.
What I see happening is TV3’s owners swooping on UTV and becoming an all island channel, that the BBC/RTÉ can’t be with NI and ROI programming.
irishdigitaltvfan - November 28, 2008 at 12:41 am