The Virgin Media Television thread

Elmo

icdg wrote: »

It should also be remembered that aside from news and sales, nearly all of the actual broadcasting side of UTV Ireland was actually done out of Belfast and these jobs are all also gone as soon as these functions move to TV3.

I am surprised the BAI allowed them broadcast from outside the state (BTW this is not my political thinking and we won't go down that road).

but yes Ireland Live should be kept over TV3 news, including the set.

expectationlost

Elmo wrote: »

TV3 News @8 is moving to 3e, while Ireland Live 5:30 will remain on UTV until the end of the year. It is strange to move TV3 News @8 to a largely gen entertainment channel that axed all attempts at news in the past.

thanks but you just repeated his post I was wondering how he knew that.

Royalty Limited Bellows

Royalty Limited Bellows wrote: »

I liked tuning in to Ireland Live because I felt Allison Cummin was a good news presenter and the studio looked far more professional and was completly different to what we are used to seening on TV3. I hope Allison makes the move to TV3 and the revamp includes an up to date news studio and get rid of that god forsaken tacky studio.

I like their news output too and Claire Brock is a good presenter and easy on the eye as well!

Elmo

expectationlost wrote: »

thanks but you just repeated his post I was wondering how he knew that.

TV Listings

icdg

As the deals now complete and UTV Ireland will soon be renamed, I've renamed the threads to make clear all TV3 Group discussion goes here

ziggyman17

because of this takeover, I hope we do not lose ITV 2,3 and 4..

IRE60

Regardless of what you thought of the original incarnation of UTV, pre UTV Ireland, I find it amazing that its gone from that to an also-ran to 3E. They wont sustain three stations in Ballymount - can't - and there's not the audience for it.

Elmo

IRE60 wrote: »

Regardless of what you thought of the original incarnation of UTV, pre UTV Ireland, I find it amazing that its gone from that to an also-ran to 3E. They wont sustain three stations in Ballymount - can't - and there's not the audience for it.

There is they just don't know how to attract it.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

IRE60 wrote: »

Regardless of what you thought of the original incarnation of UTV, pre UTV Ireland, I find it amazing that its gone from that to an also-ran to 3E. They wont sustain three stations in Ballymount - can't - and there's not the audience for it.

I think tnere is but I'll go back to what I said In one of my earlier posts now that Virgin Media have finally sealed the deal. They should put the top ITV Studios content and major sports events on TV3 target a younger audience for 3e by keeping 3 kids on 3e until maybe 4pm and target TRTE with content not just from tne USA but from Canada and Australia. I'm sure there are great dramas out there that could fill the 4pm to maybe 7pm. For primetime then maybe have a live debate show that teenagers and young adults can present and partisapate in covering issues that affet them.Then to finish of the night show some movies. As for UTVI I think target the older generation with classic movies and classic ITV Studious content stick in a ten minute news bulletin around 12.pm and maybe 5.pm so if they want to catch a full bulletin they can switch to TV3 or Six One.

Charles Slane

Interesting to see that around this time three years ago, many posters were predicting that UTV Ireland would spell the end of TV3. Some people were even happy about the prospect (or as one poster put it - "I hope UTV crush TV3 out of the water").

Goes to show, you never can really predict these things with great accuracy.

Elmo

Charles Slane wrote: »

Interesting to see that around this time three years ago, many posters were predicting that UTV Ireland would spell the end of TV3. Some people were even happy about the prospect (or as one poster put it - "I hope UTV crush TV3 out of the water").

Goes to show, you never can really predict these things with great accuracy.

Largely speaking neither crushed either one. They were both lame ducks. Only for Virgin Media TV3 was and still is in dire straits. Both channel lost excessive amounts of money in 2015, regardless of TV3's coverage of Rugby and UTV's coverage of Coro St.

Gonzo

Charles Slane wrote: »

Interesting to see that around this time three years ago, many posters were predicting that UTV Ireland would spell the end of TV3. Some people were even happy about the prospect (or as one poster put it - "I hope UTV crush TV3 out of the water").

Goes to show, you never can really predict these things with great accuracy.

UTV made a total dogs dinner of UTV Ireland, they thought that launching a UTV branded channel with just the essential soaps was going to be a decent replacement of UTV Ulster, even tho over half the programming including all sport, movies and news would not carry over. Instead the large gaps were filled with repeats and programming that very few people were interested in. UTV's tacky graphics were carried over but everything was made excessively green because we are 'Irish'.

People with Cable were outraged at losing the original UTV with no access to an ITV1 Network and people with sky continued to watch ITV London or whatever through other channels over switching on UTV Ireland.

This disastrous expensive flop ended up costing UTV it's channel 3 license up north and cable viewers here lost UTV forever.

I don't think anyone predicted it would all go down this badly.

deezell

Gonzo wrote: »

........This disastrous expensive flop ended up costing UTV it's channel 3 license up north and cable viewers here lost UTV forever.

I don't think anyone predicted it would all go down this badly.

Is there some contractual or license issue that will prevent the cables from restoring ITV or UTV NI? Who would want to choose TV3 and a half or whatever UTV Ireland will become over a real tv channel.The cable companies will surely not.

Delta2113

Virgin Media Ireland now own TV3,3E and Utv Ireland (rumoured new name B3 -terrible hope it's not this). You really thing they would put back on Utv NI even if Utv NI offered them the channel for free - no chance!

galtee boy

Irish Independent today reporting that UTVI will be renamed B3 ! Where the hell did they get that name from ?

iseegirls

Charles Slane wrote: »

Interesting to see that around this time three years ago, many posters were predicting that UTV Ireland would spell the end of TV3. Some people were even happy about the prospect (or as one poster put it - "I hope UTV crush TV3 out of the water").

Goes to show, you never can really predict these things with great accuracy.

I also remember posters saying that staff were jumping the sinking ship when moving over to UTV Ireland from TV3. Looks like it's going the other way now.

To be honest, I thought UTV Ireland would have at least been the 2nd most watched channel in Ireland after a few months on air. But what happened, TV3 stayed 2nd throughout the last 24 months. Their share was down, which is understandable - but their shows like VB, Xpose and Ireland:AM kept them going.

iseegirls

galtee boy wrote: »

Irish Independent today reporting that UTVI will be renamed B3 ! Where the hell did they get that name from ?

Odd. Britain/British 3 maybe?

icdg

http://m.independent.ie/business/media/new-utv-ireland-name-could-be-b3-35261604.html

New brand may be announced Tuesday (at what I presume is TV3's Christmas launch)?

We're so close to Christmas that I figured they'd run with their existing schedule to the 22nd/23rd, go into "Christmas mode" and then return on the 3rd January in their new guise. Maybe there's an agreement with ITV that they won't wait that long.

B3 though can't have taken any more than five minutes to come up with...

icdg

iseegirls wrote: »

Odd. Britain/British 3 maybe?

I'd more likely say it's just meant to be "Be 3". Maybe taking cues from ITV Be.

GreenFolder2

deezell wrote: »

Is there some contractual or license issue that will prevent the cables from restoring ITV or UTV NI? Who would want to choose TV3 and a half or whatever UTV Ireland will become over a real tv channel.The cable companies will surely not.

No but TV3 is owned by Virgin/ Liberty Global and ITV NI carries the same programming but sends ad revenue elsewhere. They're extremely unlikely to put it back on.

It's likely that there is nothing to stop Eir and Vodafone and the couple of tiny independent cable systems doing it though.

ITV studios may have some rights interests now though via TV3 and own UTV NI who may no longer want to be carried if it means loss of revenue to the parent company in London.

channelsurfer2

icdg wrote: »

I'd more likely say it's just meant to be "Be 3". Maybe taking cues from ITV Be.

That's an awful channel....I hope they don't try to mimic that here.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

icdg wrote: »

I'd more likely say it's just meant to be "Be 3". Maybe taking cues from ITV Be.

Isn't ITV Be geared towards the female audience so are we going to see the first female branded channel for the irish audience?

captain caveman

I really thought there was scope there to re-brand both UTVI and 3e, and make 3She and 3He. One showing female focused programmes and one showing programmes for males, almost like an Irish Dave. Might not be pc friendly, but they could get serious publicity out of an all female channel.

iseegirls

captain caveman wrote: »

I really thought there was scope there to re-brand both UTVI and 3e, and make 3She and 3He. One showing female focused programmes and one showing programmes for males, almost like an Irish Dave. Might not be pc friendly, but they could get serious publicity out of an all female channel.

Channel 6 actually had a 'men' night and a 'women' night before. It wasn't a success I guess, as the programmes and films changed a few months later.

Think having separate channels would have a negative effect. Some men like watching shows that are mainly aimed for women. And visa versa.

GreenFolder2

I forgot about Channel 6!

UTV Down South Edition really was incredibly short lived, despite the predictions that it was going to destroy TV3.

reubenreuben

GreenFolder2 wrote: »

I forgot about Channel 6!

UTV Down South Edition really was incredibly short lived, despite the predictions that it was going to destroy TV3.

It seems Tv3 may destroy itself!

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

GreenFolder2 wrote: »

I forgot about Channel 6!

UTV Down South Edition really was incredibly short lived, despite the predictions that it was going to destroy TV3.

They seemed to launch UTVI around the soaps without thinking about the content they would show to keep the audience tuned in. ITV Studio's vast library of content was a major coup for them but for some reason they failed to utilise it in a way to bring in extra advertising profit. A lot of us on here said it wouln'd last and we were right.

Pokemon Battle

I could never understand why UtvI from day one closed down every night at around 11.30pm, that really showed a lack of effort

medoc

galtee boy wrote: »

Irish Independent today reporting that UTVI will be renamed B3 ! Where the hell did they get that name from ?

What a terrible name for the channel. They copied E4 for 3e and now looks like ripping of ITV BE too. I thought Channel 6 was a good name. Maybe have changed it to TV6 to show it part of the TV3 network and now a TV5 for UTV Ireland.

deezell

GreenFolder2 wrote: »

No but TV3 is owned by Virgin/ Liberty Global and ITV NI carries the same programming but sends ad revenue elsewhere. They're extremely unlikely to put it back on.
It's likely that there is nothing to stop Eir and Vodafone and the couple of tiny independent cable systems doing it though....

Money talks. Virgin are losing cable customers. It's not rocket science ( but it is management science) to run the numbers on ITV v Be3 and predict revenue gain v. loss. Be3 has no customer profile, but could mimic 3e profitability with a tiny market share as it would consist of a couple of media players running repeats on autopilot. ITV on the other had has the measurable effect of catching or retaining high value broadband/ mobile/ cable package customers. 5000 of these on €1000 a year contracts is a revenue stream of €5 Milon as Michael Noonan would say.