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THE NEW TV channel that could be offered to Irish viewers at the start of 2015 won’t just be relying on ITV staples like ‘Coronation Street’, ‘Emmerdale’ and ‘The Jeremy Kyle Show’ — at least according to the submission handed into the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland by UTV Media.
The company announced this morning that it plans to have a new station on the air within the next 18 months. The move follows the signing of an agreement giving UTV exclusive Irish broadcasting rights for ITV Studios programmes, including the above-mentioned soaps and a raft of entertainment shows like ‘I’m a Celebrity…’, yesterday.
The development is likely to have set alarm bells ringing in TV3: the ITV shows are currently staples of the Ballymount broadcaster’s schedule – the station even flew Jeremy Kyle over to help launch their new season of shows earlier this year.
In its submission to the BAI, the company says it’s applying to set-up “a television service, web and mobile platform” that will also offer video on demand.
It says the TV service - to be known simply as ‘UTV’ will have a “similar style” to UTV’s Northern Ireland station, but will be “a completely separate” channel.
One of the anchors of the proposed new channel will be a “one hour, peak-time news, current affairs and community programme similar to UTV Live Tonight” which runs from Monday to Thursday evenings.
According to the submission, the station will develop original documentary programming as it grows, launching shows similar to ‘Lesser Spotted Ulster’ and ‘Hidden Heritage’.
The company has announced plans to create 100 jobs as part of the new venture — with a likely 70/30 between Dublin and the rest of the country. About 50 per cent of those jobs will be on the editorial side.
Announcing details of the plans at a press conference this afternoon, UTV Managing Director Michael Wilson confirmed the company would be looking to set up additional office space in the Docklands/Point Village area.
UTV currently occupies two floors of a building on Mayor Street, where its two Dublin stations Q102 and FM104 are based.
The media firm runs six radio stations in the Republic of Ireland, including Cork’s 96FM/C103, the Drogheda-based LMFM and Live 95FM in Limerick, alongside the two Dublin services. Wilson said there is “no intention to change the model of the stations”, adding that radio journalists will work with the new station to generate news content.
Its UK stations include TalkSport, which is the country’s number one commercial speech broadcaster.
Wilson would not be drawn on earlier reports that UTV had considered a takeover of TV3 but cited the station as a new rival.
“We will be going head to head with RTÉ and TV3,” he told reporters.
The BAI application process is expected to take about three months. Although an exact figure was not given, the move is a multi-million-euro investment and the executives today said they had “faith in the Irish economy”.
Additional reporting, Sinéad O’Carroll.
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Goldman Sachs – I thought they already owned everything, – well blow me down…
Now the budget priorities make sense, leaving the low vat rate in place reflects the ownership rate by the big investor firms. There was silly me, wondering how the small hotel and restaurant businesses managed to get into the governments ear so well.
I’ve never stayed in a Travelodge before but ya can be Damn sure I’ll never stay in one now!
This is not good news.
Goldman Sachs is a vulture capitalist firm engaging in the most appalling style of exploitative cancer capitalism,. #
Plus it had its evil paws all over the 2008 financial crash.
@stiofain. I’m so socialist but I agree with you regarding goldman dachshund 100% I’m no socialist with it agree with regarding Goldman Sachs 100% Goldman Sachs 100%
Predictive text and a new phone
a couple of the Dublin travel lodges would make nice 6storeis apartments blocks.
Great, now Peter Sutherland has somewhere to house all the migrants he wants us to take.
@Eamon Mac Gowan:
Great point, that was an angle I didn’t see.
Travelodge – one to avoid in the future. Goldman Sachs’ new Vulturelodges!
Hiliary Clinton is giving a 20 min speech in the conference room for 500k
Does this mean they’ll be able too afford to put plug sockets actually beside the beds in future ?
Interesting… I don’t suppose they’ll be installing the private wealth management floor carpeting in them.
Business I know is leasing property to one of the budget mass hotel chains in London, wouldn’t think so but the returns are actually a lot superior and more secure to that of a fancier or more prestigious hotel group.
Sell sell sell… FG still in …
Yea, FG sold a private hotel chain.
@(((Jason))): with the added benefit of a 9% VAT rate to bolster profit margins, great little country to do business
Tifco oh great, they will hire more Eastern Europeans & Asians to spit in your room glasses to make for a quicker clean time and outsource all the Irish workers who actually take care and do it right.
@Colleen McGovern: Racist much?
@Colleen. Not nice and not true.
@Phil Blanc:
We do have a right to our own country you know, our ancestors did fight for the resources of this island for us, their descendants.
Arah ffs!! Evil evil evil.
Great news. Goldman will be able to provide a much need cash injection into the business. No doubt they spot an opportunity to invest and expand.
The best handle on Goldman Sachs agenda is from David Icke. I know he’s a nutter in lots of respects, but his take on these “Rothchild Zionists” is very very revealing. Check it out with an open mind…
Don’t these greedy userers “own” enough already?
Business does business with other business – grand.
Goldman Sachs – ZOMG ITS A CONSPIRACY!!! PETER SUTHERLAND ENDA KENNY DENNIS O’BRIEN!!!!
Welcome to the journal.
Always coming to the defence of marginalised groups, aren’t you Phil? This time its a banking outfit so corrupt they make Anglo Irish look like saints in comparison, headed up by a man who arrogantly claimed they were doing “God’s work”.
The yanks will soon own more of ireland than the Irish,
Well there’s one hotel I won’t be staying in
Goldman Sachs has to pay $5.1 billion to settle a lawsuit related to its handling of mortgage-backed securities in the USA. Money talks.
Yet another story about a foreign company saving the asses of the group that “privately” run this franchise and hire Irish people to “work” in them. Well done U.S.
Next the US and EU will become a common market as that is what CETA, TTIP and TiSA Agreement is all about, the rape of our assets thanks to the IMF.
I am going to Appeals Tribunal soon after 4 years waiting for it against Travelodge Ireland. They have unfairly dismissed my partner after she said she is pregnant! I hope all newspapers across Europe will write down about this when it has come to an end in court. They will have a great FREE advert from us.
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