Ireland’s public TV channels may be allowed to broadcast in UK

[BGonaSTICK]

Irish politicians are due to consider a new Bill which will enable Irish public broadcasters RTÉ and TG4 to broadcasts their TV programmes in the UK.

The Irish Government’s Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources is due to start hearings in Dublin on the Broadcasting Bill in early January.

It is proposed to amend the public service remits of RTÉ and TG4 to allow for the provision and public funding of broadcasting services to Irish communities in Britain.

The move is being strongly backed by the Irish Post, a newspaper serving the Irish community in the UK. RTÉ’s radio services are already available in Britain on the Sky Digital platform.

Source: Irish Post

[Analoguesat]

Before everyone gets excited - this is unlikely to be the full RTE package - more something along the lines of the old Tara channel "best of RTE"

[jontydog]

I like the RTE channels too. There used to be an ace programme on there called " A Scare at Bedtime" with Podge and Rodge 2 little leprechaun characters.

[Analoguesat]

More info on RTE:

In an interview with the Irish Post, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has spoken about the plans to bring a TV service of public broadcaster RTÉ to the Irish communities in Britain. He said:

“The government has proposed to allow RTÉ to use its public funding to reach Irish communities in Britain in the draft Broadcasting Bill which was subject to the consultation by the Joint Oireachtas Committee earlier this year. In view of the importance we attach to this issue I have now accelerated this aspect of the Bill and government has approved a new Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006. This new Amendment Bill will be published in the coming days and I expect to have it enacted early in the New Year.

“The new Bill deals with the issue of RTÉ broadcasting to Irish communities abroad and also with amendments to the existing legislation for digital terrestrial television in Ireland and analogue switch-off. It is intended that RTÉ will produce a service that reflects and represents the content of the channels currently available in Ireland — RTÉ1 and RTÉ2 — and also that TG4 would contribute to this service.

“This will now be a fundamental part of RTÉ’s remit and an obligation. Various possibilities will be available to RTÉ as to the means it uses to broadcast to communities in Britain — be it terrestrial, cable or satellite — and RTÉ will have to explore these possibilities. Once the legislation — now approved for publishing by government — is in place RTÉ will commence developments in this regard.”

(Source: Irish Post via Media Network)


This means that there will be a special channel for the UK, we are NOT getting the full RTE package

[BGonaSTICK]

Better than nothing though