The ITV Thread

Joo0

No chance of a merger. UPC haven't spent 80million just to merge. I really think they should have gone with a different brand name. Now they are seen as the new UTV and people want the old UTV back.

icdg

Its' just one analysts' opinion, they're just doing what we do here every day, except they're getting paid for it.

I think after six months we can dispense with the stickiness though we can continue to discuss UTV here.

icdg

Not sure when it happened, but it seems Ger Gilroy's Friday sports slot on Ireland Live at Ten has become a separate programme.

Meanwhile, for those interested in such things, there is more live boxing this Saturday on UTV Ireland.

Rick_

Switching between UTV (HD) and UTV Ireland (SD) during the boxing and the picture quality on HD is staggeringly better. UTV need to get the HD version on Saorview soon.

Delta2113

I've been watching the Virgin Airline Documentary on Tuesday nights for the last few weeks and it's very annoying that the second it's over they butt in with a promo for news at 10 -very annoying.

political analyst

UTV Ireland is broadcasting the Hiroshima documentary "The Day They Dropped the Bomb" on Wednesday 29 July at 11:00 p.m., 20 minutes after UTV NI.

Elmo

political analyst wrote: »

UTV Ireland is broadcasting the Hiroshima documentary "The Day They Dropped the Bomb" on Wednesday 29 July at 11:00 p.m., 20 minutes after UTV NI.

Regional variations are not that unusual, STV could choose to air it at midnight.

icdg

The more unusual thing is that UTV NI are airing it at 10:40pm - I presume UTV Live Tonight is gone on a summer break then.

hotmail.com

icdg wrote: »

Not sure when it happened, but it seems Ger Gilroy's Friday sports slot on Ireland Live at Ten has become a separate programme.

I heard them advertising this as "exclusively" on UTV. Bit silly.

irishfeen

The journal.ie have done an interview with Michael Wilson http://www.thejournal.ie/michael-wilson-utv-interview-2232322-Jul2015/

It raises more questions then it answers... seems like he is ruling out sports accusations and major homegrown drama content..

Q: What would you be interested in? [Sport]
"I think we would need to do research about what’s right for the channel and what’s right for the market. Sport hasn’t actually come up in (our research) as something that viewers feel like they’re missing"

Q: Local drama is another big gap in your programming at the moment, do you have any plans to launch something there?
“I think local drama is one thing, but drama we are laden with – we have fabulous drama from ITV...

I now really do worry for the future of UTVI, all they have to do is look to RTÉ2 to see how sport boosts viewership in Ireland - By the sounds of it they are content in thinking eventually their current course will come good! :eek:

channelsurfer2

Yes it sounds like they haven't a clue really. They think the audience is "confused". They aren't....they just want proper ITV network programming like they had and not excuses that patronise them. As for no sport then really that's cutting out major weekend draws like the six nations that ITV has now. (Irish rights up for grabs still). So I can't see why he says he scoured the world for weekend content at any price.

irishfeen

channelsurfer2 wrote: »

Yes it sounds like they haven't a clue really. They think the audience is "confused". They aren't....they just want proper ITV network programming like they had and not excuses that patronise them. As for no sport then really that's cutting out major weekend draws like the six nations that ITV has now. (Irish rights up for grabs still). So I can't see why he says he scoured the world for weekend content at any price.

I have been giving them the benefit of the doubt up to now but Christ I think you might very well be right. They seem to assume that people will eventually just notice UTV and tune in... I know UTV are at a big disadvantage with the 116 EPG slot but the viewership numbers for the ITV Soaps show people know where it is but are choosing to watch something else.

For the MD of the channel to basically rule out bidding for the 6 Nations, Premier League, Champions League, GAA etc. (because they did a survey) is absolutely bewildering... even TV3 in their prime of shítness never came out with stuff like that... at least they just started blaming RTÉ.

political analyst

icdg wrote: »

The more unusual thing is that UTV NI are airing it at 10:40pm - I presume UTV Live Tonight is gone on a summer break then.

That's correct. After all, the Assembly is in recess.

political analyst

Elmo wrote: »

Regional variations are not that unusual, STV could choose to air it at midnight.

I'm aware of that; I was simply stating the time at which UTV Ireland is showing the documentary for the benefit of boards.ie posters who want to watch it.

Elmo

irishfeen wrote: »

The journal.ie have done an interview with Michael Wilson http://www.thejournal.ie/michael-wilson-utv-interview-2232322-Jul2015/

It raises more questions then it answers... seems like he is ruling out sports accusations and major homegrown drama content..

Q: What would you be interested in? [Sport]
"I think we would need to do research about what’s right for the channel and what’s right for the market. Sport hasn’t actually come up in (our research) as something that viewers feel like they’re missing"

Q: Local drama is another big gap in your programming at the moment, do you have any plans to launch something there?
“I think local drama is one thing, but drama we are laden with – we have fabulous drama from ITV...

I now really do worry for the future of UTVI, all they have to do is look to RTÉ2 to see how sport boosts viewership in Ireland - By the sounds of it they are content in thinking eventually their current course will come good! :eek:

It was always very unlikely that UTV would do a drama. It took TV3 nearly 20 years to actually have a regular drama commission, and that was purely due to the loss of the ITV soaps. 15 years for TV3 to even consider a drama, many of which were pie in the sky. UTV have no really history of Drama north of the border. The Irish RM... only because of Channel4.

In terms of sport for a mainstream channel it is strange not to even consider having sport. Even RTÉ ONE continues to provide live sport on occasion.

This idea that UTV Ireland is only on the air and no sporting events have come up purchase is just daft. UTV Ireland bought their ITV programmes nearly a year and a half before UTV Ireland started broadcasting, and during that time several sporting events from the RWC to UEFA came up for grabs.

UTV Ireland would have been well placed to buy RWC as UTV proper will broadcast England 2015.

Crimsonforce

I really wanted to give them the benefit but I just can't anymore. Their branding is awful,

Utv ireland part of u. No its not part of Ulster. (They actually have their own channel)

If your going to start a station try something new and fresh instead of

Jeremy Kyle
Jo frost
Good morning Britain or now they have shortened it on the epg to gmb with Irish news.

And thinking the public are somewhat stupid and confused. Having a go at tv3 for repeats is farcial, tv3 provide live programming 5-6 hours a day. They bring nothing to the table and all they want to do is to scrape any little commercial advertisement spend they can. Rant over

Harry Palmr

UTVi in content and in branding has no Irish identity. Until that is fixed they will be marginal.

icdg

In fact Havelock House seems to have identified the problem as its branding being "too Irish" which is why it will be getting a rebrand to tune down the "Ireland" aspect in September.

But they never planned to be anything more than ITV with an Irish accent. There is a whole cohort of viewers (mostly UPC subscribers) for whom the problem is that it is not ITV enough.

Harry Palmr

So then too Irish/not Irish enough and satisfying no one. Sounds about right.

galtee boy

icdg wrote: »

In fact Havelock House seems to have identified the problem as its branding being "too Irish" which is why it will be getting a rebrand to tune down the "Ireland" aspect in September.

But they never planned to be anything more than ITV with an Irish accent. There is a whole cohort of viewers (mostly UPC subscribers) for whom the problem is that it is not ITV enough.

Agree completely. The only way forward for UTVI is to pretty much relay UTV NI to the South, but the BAI won't allow that. Would they get away with the exact same schedule as UTV NI including ITV news and just show ROI news instead of the NI news after the ITV news ?

Rick_

Was channel hopping last night and came across Jeremy Kyle USA on UTV Ireland. Not only was it in widescreen (which ITV themselves don't even seem to show it in) but it was also completely uncut with F's and MF's being thrown around willy nilly. When did they start doing this?

icdg

galtee boy wrote: »

Agree completely. The only way forward for UTVI is to pretty much relay UTV NI to the South, but the BAI won't allow that. Would they get away with the exact same schedule as UTV NI including ITV news and just show ROI news instead of the NI news after the ITV news ?

The BAI would have no problem with that as long as whatever commitments it made in its contract are complied with. (even then, as TV3 shows, it can be, er, flexible). The main problem is with rights holders who have sold Irish rights to other companies (primarily but not exclusively TV3). A second problem, which relates primarily to ITN, is that UTV Ireland obtained its PSB designation (which paved the way for it to go on Saorview) primarily on the back of the Irish news service of promised. It's not insurmountable- GMB incorporates ITV News branded updates which do feature ITN correspondents which are aired on UTV Ireland.

Joo0

galtee boy wrote: »

Agree completely. The only way forward for UTVI is to pretty much relay UTV NI to the South, but the BAI won't allow that. Would they get away with the exact same schedule as UTV NI including ITV news and just show ROI news instead of the NI news after the ITV news ?

An Irish ad feed with Irish news would have worked a lot better for them. They are heading down the road of Sky news Ireland at this stage

icdg

A big difference between UTV and the satellite broadcasters which offer Irish ad feeds is that these broadcasters typically hold Irish rights to their programmes. ITV only buys UK rights. That's why a simple Irish ad feed wasn't an option.

irishfeen

Big question is whether the people who run UTVI have the ability to see the wood from the trees.. that interview with the MD is very worrying from their point of view... its like they are steadfast in thinking Irish viewers will come round to their way of thinking eventually.

"no point in us saying we’re going to be racing for rights when actually we need to make a return first because sport is very expensive"... big question is do they not realise why sports rights are expensive? ... big sporting event - Champions League, 6 Nations, Irish Rugby/Soccer Internationals, Premier League, Olympics, World Cup, Euro Championships etc. draw massive viewership and in turn big advertisement revenue.

UTV will have to spend big to get rights to compete with RTÉ and TV3... The more high profile programming that appears over time will start making a name for itself as a proper Irish Broadcaster. On their current path I wouldn't be surprised if they pull the plug within 3/4 years.

political analyst

Elmo wrote: »

It was always very unlikely that UTV would do a drama. It took TV3 nearly 20 years to actually have a regular drama commission, and that was purely due to the loss of the ITV soaps. 15 years for TV3 to even consider a drama, many of which were pie in the sky. UTV have no really history of Drama north of the border. The Irish RM... only because of Channel4.

UTV Ireland has a drama called "Pilgrimage" coming up.

https://www.screenproducersireland.com/utv-ireland

Elmo

political analyst wrote: »

UTV Ireland has a drama called "Pilgrimage" coming up.

https://www.screenproducersireland.com/utv-ireland

Supported by the BAI

icdg wrote: »

A big difference between UTV and the satellite broadcasters which offer Irish ad feeds is that these broadcasters typically hold Irish rights to their programmes. ITV only buys UK rights. That's why a simple Irish ad feed wasn't an option.

I don't know I think that ITV could for their extra channels start providing opt-out advertising. Particularly when they are available on UPC.

iseegirls

The way he said their daytime ratings are so down because of Jeremy Kyle repeats on TV3 performing better is laughable. It's the only programme they share throughout the whole day. Yet it's a lazy reason to blame TV3 for their bad ratings in the daytime. They should look at the other rubbish surrounding JK and make a decision whether Loose Women and GMB really is needed.

Another thing that was brought up when he was asked about British docu shows like Britain's best canals - saying that if there are 60, 70 thousand people tuning in then he's happy with that. Such rubbish. How can they be happy with 70,000 for a show at 8pm, after the soaps give them such a good lead in. If they want to become 2nd channel in Ireland - he'll have to aim better for that.

Elmo

iseegirls wrote: »

The way he said their daytime ratings are so down because of Jeremy Kyle repeats on TV3 performing better is laughable. It's the only programme they share throughout the whole day. Yet it's a lazy reason to blame TV3 for their bad ratings in the daytime. They should look at the other rubbish surrounding JK and make a decision whether Loose Women and GMB really is needed.

Another thing that was brought up when he was asked about British docu shows like Britain's best canals - saying that if there are 60, 70 thousand people tuning in then he's happy with that. Such rubbish. How can they be happy with 70,000 for a show at 8pm, after the soaps give them such a good lead in. If they want to become 2nd channel in Ireland - he'll have to aim better for that.

TV3 aren't doing much better at time and the never really held on to the strong audience for soap operas. Though we know that neither UTVI or TV3 are getting 80,000 at 7:30 on Tuesday nights.

Daytime should not be a priority for either channel.

Infoanon

iseegirls wrote: »

The way he said their daytime ratings are so down because of Jeremy Kyle repeats on TV3 performing better is laughable. It's the only programme they share throughout the whole day. Yet it's a lazy reason to blame TV3 for their bad ratings in the daytimet.

When a competitor is re running old episodes of Jeremy Kyle/Ant and Dec/Graham Norton etc and getting better ratings then the new episodes on UTVI then it is a valid point being made.