2008
RTÉ International: It’s coming sooner than we think
RTÉ International: It’s coming soon!
THE NEW Irish TV service for Britain is to be called RTÉ International, The Irish Post can reveal.
And the new channel could also be operational ahead of the previously scheduled date of March 17, 2009.
The service is set to be called RTÉ International and not Diaspora TV as originally thought.
The news will come as music to the ears of the 850,000 Irish-born people in Britain who have long sought for Irish television to be available to them outside of Ireland.
Now RTÉ is preparing to provide that link to those living abroad and viewers here can look forward to Irish news, sport and entertainment beamed directly to their screens.
This week the national broadcaster is also recruiting on its website for several positions relating to the new channel, which is dedicated solely to the Irish and those of Irish descent living in Britain.
RTÉ International is looking for applications for the role of full-time channel manager.
And the successful candidate, who is expected to possess a thorough knowledge of the Irish and British television markets, will be responsible for the scheduling and delivery of suitable content to the Diaspora community scattered across the country. The role of channel administrator is also being advertised on the RTÉ website.
The move to introduce a Celtic television channel in Britain follows a long-running Irish Post campaign to establish a dedicated service especially for the Irish in Britain.
Details of the new service released so far indicate that the channel will be a hybrid of RTÉ One and RTÉ Two with some additional programming from TG4.
The One, Six-One and 9 o’clock news bulletins will be carried live. It will also carry a range of h o m e g r own Irish programming that will be of interest to Irish communities abroad.
The introduction of the Diaspora channel comes on the back of last year’s Broadcasting (Amendment) Act. Enacted in April 2007, the Act gave national public service broadcasters, RTÉ and TG4, digital terrestrial television obligations. It also required RTÉ to set up a digital television channel for Irish citizens living abroad.
Commenting on the new service Ireland’s Communications Minister Eamon Ryan said:
“I know that many of these people have been looking for an RTÉ channel in Britain for some time.
“This new channel will provide the Irish abroad with a valuable link to home. “And I will be working closely with Minister Dermot Ahern to ensure that vulnerable groups in Britain will be supported in receiving the service.”
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clipped from boards.ie
Seo Cathain has made a Comment
Interesting Brian…everything seems to be picking up steam. Isn’t it great! But I think RTE International….well I think Ireland One would be better. Or Ireland TV. I think advertising should be allowed since BBC Ireland and ITV Ireland could be upon us, see the BCI proposals webpage under boxers programming content proposals. So why deny our broadcast sector the same opportunity eh! Ain’t that better than increased TV license? Remember DTT will bring more market fragmentation pressures that opportunities. Once Irish programming is substantial enough on for all Irish broadcasters to have 12 hours of programming then fine, let broadcasters have their own international channel. But for now I don’t think it should. But if it shall be then I hope TV3, City Channel and Channel 6 come together and do something with perhaps the Ireland One name…
June 12, 2008 @ 9:05 pm
wezgil has made a Comment
no wonder no one else posts on here. you go to the effort of typing out a reply and then it’s wiped out because you didn’t add 2 and 3 bloody annoying, get rid of it or make it more visable, what spammers are gonna find this site anyway no one else dose!?!?
June 14, 2008 @ 6:22 pm
Brian Greene has made a Comment
wezgil, “did you pass maths?” (that’s its name) plugin removed, basic CAPTCHA added. I did this for you.
June 16, 2008 @ 11:20 am
MARC RICKETTS has made a Comment
I am looking forward very much to the NEW Irish Channels in Britain very much dispite i am English. I would like to get RTE 1, 2 and TG4. i would like to hear whats going on in ireland. Not only the News. I would like to see plenty of Gaelic Football and Hurling. And Football. Maybe next year we could see some irish Snooker Masters wherever it is. Maybe we could see about Drogheda as well. And i would like to see Plenty of Football Matches as well Especially DROGHEDA UNITED. And Premier League Football. Maybe we might see Tennis from the Queens Open and Wimbledon Open Championships as well. And what would be good if we got Learning Zone at Night just like in Britain. But what Time will the Channell begin during the day when irish TV begins on March 17th?
June 18, 2008 @ 1:50 pm