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REPUBLIC OF IRELAND TERRESTRIAL CHANNELS

These channels are available as free-to-air analogue broadcasts, as well as on satellite and cable systems. Approximately 21.5% of homes receive only these channels. 78% of homes receive additional channels.

'' Radio Telefís Éireann - the independent state broadcasting company''
  • RTÉ One - main RTÉ national station (broadcast from both Cork and Dublin).

  • RTÉ Two - secondary RTÉ national station (previously called RTÉ2 then Network 2) (broadcast from both Cork and Dublin).


''Independent terrestrial stations''
  • TV3 - independent commercial broadcaster

  • TG4 - National Irish Language station (formerly TnaG), operating as a wholly-own subsidiary of RTÉ, with editorial independence.


''Digital Channels''
  • Bubble Hits - independent music channel available on digital cable and Eurobird 1 satellite

  • Channel 6 - commercial broadcaster available on digital cable and Sky

  • Setanta Ireland - subscription sports channel available on digital cable and Eurobird 1 satellite

  • City Channel - local channel localised for Dublin, Waterford and Galway on UPC Ireland only

  • Chorus Sports - Sports channel carried on the Chorus Cable and Digital MMDS networks (UPC Ireland)


In some areas (particularly in the west and south) a number of "deflector systems" re-broadcast UK terrestrial channels (often illegally) on low power UHF transmitters. In some areas, TV3 is also re-broadcast by 'deflector' groups to localities where TV3's own UHF coverage is unsatisfactory.


Reception of Republic of Ireland Terrestrial Channels in Northern Ireland

Many, but by no means all, areas of Northern Ireland can receive the four analogue channels listed above using a high gain UHF Aerial . Under the Belfast Agreement (Good Friday Agreement) RTÉ were to boost signal strength at their Clermont Carn UHF transmitter in Co. Louth to allow better reception of their channels in Northern Ireland. In addition, RTÉ built a low power UHF transmitter on Holywell Hill in Co. Donegal to serve North Donegal, but as the transmitter site overlooks the City of Derry , the city gets the Irish terrestrial channels also. All the channels (except TV3 Ireland) are now available on Sky Digital to Northern Ireland subscribers (but not Great Britain subscribers) without additional charge but with certain programmes (such as live English Football ) blocked with the message: ''This programme is not available''.


CHANNELS AVAILABLE FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM


Northern Irish Terrestrial Channels

The main UK terrestrial channels are also available in most parts of the Republic via various means with the Northern Irish variants the most widely available. The UK Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) system, Freeview , can be received in border areas of the Republic. The main analogue channels are:

In addition, a number of local television stations operate in Northern Ireland


Welsh Terrestrial Channels

In some areas of the Republic of Ireland (mainly the South East), Welsh channels are available off-air, via both analogue and Digital terrestrial.

Some cable, MMDS and deflector systems towards this part of the country carry these channels as opposed to the Northern Irish variants, although this is generally changing with the consolidation of cable networks.


CABLE/SATELLITE CHANNELS

A number of Irish channels operate solely on cable (or MMDS systems operated by cable firms), or on cable and Sky Digital


FUTURE CHANNELS



DEFUNCT CHANNELS

  • Channel 3 (Later known as '''Channel D''') was a short-lived Dublin based television station broadcasting from July 1981 to October 1981. It was a pirate TV channel.

  • Capital Television was another short-lived Dublin channel which only broadcast a caption for a week, along with a testcard at night another week. It, too, was a pirate TV channel.

  • Nova TV was another Dublin pirate TV channel that was broadcast for a short time in the 1980s.

  • Telefís na Gaeltachta, which inspired the later TnaG(today TG4 ), was a pirate Irish language service in the west of Ireland.

  • Tara TV was an Irish channel that was broadcast in the UK on Sky Digital from 1997 until RTÉ forced its closure in 2002. It was also broadcast in the Republic Of Ireland for much of this time.

  • A large amount of cable systems prior to the mergers of the 1990's broadcast "local information" channels which rarely consisted of more than local advertisements, text news, bus timetables and similar, although local-level sport, particularly Gaelic Games , were also common.

  • Some deflector systems run or have run their own services (illegally), generally similar to those run (legally) by the cable operators. Also, some relay satellite services for which terrestrial overspill reception is physically impossible, such as EWTN .

  • RLO TV was another pirate television station (UHF), broadcast in Limerick by Radio Limerick One in 1999 and 2000. While the station were not airing their own content they would broadcast a relay of UK Channel 5 .

  • Chorus Sports on Chorus Cable (replacing similar programming on Irish Multichannel), which showsed local sports, greyhound racing, and national motor racing events. This ceased broadcasting in January 2007 .

  • Sky News Ireland is a 1 hour daily Irish Opt-out on Sky News , carried to Ireland on Sky Digital, and by most cable companies. Stopped in November 2006 .



PAN-EUROPEAN CHANNELS IN IRELAND

These are channels which are not based in Ireland but produce special programming, offer local advertising for the Irish market.

  • Discovery Channel

  • National Geographics Channel

  • MTV Ireland

  • Nickelodeon

  • Nick Jr

  • Sky News Ireland

  • Sky Sports 1

  • Sky Sports 2

  • Living TV

  • Sky One Ireland

  • E4

  • TV5 Monde



OTHER CHANNELS

In September 2006, it was estimated Commission for Communications Regulation that 70% of Irish homes have cable, satellite or MMDS TV, with 70% of these using digital systems. As a result the majority of Irish homes have a large number of TV channels available - a full list is available at the page List Of Television Channels Available In Ireland .

TV stations from other countries available in Ireland include those from Poland , China , Iceland , Italy , France , Middle East , Netherlands , Spain , Austria , Nordic Region , Germany , India , Pakistan and the U.S.A. . These are mainly viewed by immigrants from those countries and are not available on the packages offered by the main cable, satellite or MMDS operators.


TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Analogue television in both parts of Ireland uses System I with 625 lines and the PAL colour standard, with NICAM digital stereo sound where applicable. In the Republic both VHF and UHF are used but in Northern Ireland, in common with the rest of the UK , VHF is no longer used for analogue TV. VHF for TV transmission is slowly being phased out in Ireland - only RTÉ One and RTÉ Two are on VHF band III in some areas, and the more recently established stations ( TV3 and TG4 ) have been only broadcast on UHF.


DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL TELEVISION (DTT)

There is no public Digital Terrestrial television in the Republic of Ireland as yet, although RTÉ and the Department Of Communications, Marine & Natural Resources are trialling a DVB-T based system at the moment. Digital Terrestrial Television In Ireland is currently limited to retransmitting the nationally available TV and radio services via a single multiplex.

UK DTT aka '' Freeview '' can be received in parts of Wicklow , Wexford , Westmeath , Roscommon , Sligo as well as those counties bordering Northern Ireland .


SEE ALSO



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