CH
Starting to smack of desperation I think - the perfect vehicle to promote the evening news service? - wonder how many people they are thinking will tune in for GMB?
It's PR speak which all the stations are guilty of. However, I don't think they're desperate, Their figures are pretty much on Target or slightly ahead of Target in Primetime. Their News isn't watched at 6.30 but that's not hard to work out, it's on at the wrong time. Their 10pm News will grow given time. Remember UTV are prepared for big losses in year One and year two, they only expect to go into profit on a day to day basis at the end of 2016. They need about 9% market share to make a profit. Agencies are predicting 8% year one. Every percentage point over 9% will mean millions into the UTV vaults.
You really do get the feeling that if UTV north and south could get away with it they wouldn't come on air until mid afternoon and would shut up shop about 11.30. They seem to focus making their profits between 6 and 11. They don't really care what goes out the rest of the time.
Confirmed by The Irish Times - Good Morning Britain to air on UTV Ireland from Monday with Ireland Live Updates. Head of Channel Mary Curtis says the updates will be the perfect vehicle to promote the evening news service. Comments on social media prompted the change of heart.
Starting to smack of desperation I think - the perfect vehicle to promote the evening news service? - wonder how many people they are thinking will tune in for GMB?
It's PR speak which all the stations are guilty of. However, I don't think they're desperate, Their figures are pretty much on Target or slightly ahead of Target in Primetime. Their News isn't watched at 6.30 but that's not hard to work out, it's on at the wrong time. Their 10pm News will grow given time. Remember UTV are prepared for big losses in year One and year two, they only expect to go into profit on a day to day basis at the end of 2016. They need about 9% market share to make a profit. Agencies are predicting 8% year one. Every percentage point over 9% will mean millions into the UTV vaults.
You really do get the feeling that if UTV north and south could get away with it they wouldn't come on air until mid afternoon and would shut up shop about 11.30. They seem to focus making their profits between 6 and 11. They don't really care what goes out the rest of the time.
CR
Not every agency is predicting 8% though are they?
Scheduled properly to maximise potential in the Irish market I think would make a difference - at the morning there doesn't appear to be a cohesive scheduling strategy - that being said that seems to be the case across the board with all the Irish channels
Scheduled properly to maximise potential in the Irish market I think would make a difference - at the morning there doesn't appear to be a cohesive scheduling strategy - that being said that seems to be the case across the board with all the Irish channels
CH
Not every Agency publishes figures, but it would be assumed by most in the business that a 7 to 10 percent spread in the first year is fair. At the moment 1 ep of Coronation Street has more viewers than all the eps of Red Rock added together plus the repeats and the omnibus edition. TV3 Claimed they couldn't make money on the Soaps, UTV Ireland have different Ideas, we'll see who's right. However TV3 can't afford to make a loss this year of 4 million euro. UTV Ireland can and have budgeted for it. And at the moment excluding RTE1 (which is the Market leader by far) if we take RTE2, TV3 and UTV. UTV Ireland would have all the top 10 shows (all soaps) and the most watched Irish made programme not made for RTE 1. (even if it is only one of two programmes they appear to be making)
CR
That's why I'm a bit surprised with their reliance on ITV daytime stuff - GMB plugs it's competitions endlessly - presumably that means their transmission is manned from 6am now?
An over zealous warning I imagine. I can't imagine viewers being able to enter unless UTV begin contributing to the prize - the deal is UTV Ireland get to rebroadcast ITV shows - they're not involved editorially at all.
That's why I'm a bit surprised with their reliance on ITV daytime stuff - GMB plugs it's competitions endlessly - presumably that means their transmission is manned from 6am now?
CH
Playout has been the biggest failing of UTV Ireland since it's begun. There appears to be mistakes all the time and the announcers voices still appear to be slightly clipped at the start of every link. (almost as if the sound comes on half a second too late) Plus the Continuity Announcers themselves need training, they don't appear to be ready for the airwaves.
CR
I agree completely - it did seem that they had been thrown in at the deep end - are they out of vision now? I assumed that it (playout) was from Dublin after the pictures from their website of the playout area
Playout has been the biggest failing of UTV Ireland since it's begun. There appears to be mistakes all the time and the announcers voices still appear to be slightly clipped at the start of every link. (almost as if the sound comes on half a second too late) Plus the Continuity Announcers themselves need training, they don't appear to be ready for the airwaves.
I agree completely - it did seem that they had been thrown in at the deep end - are they out of vision now? I assumed that it (playout) was from Dublin after the pictures from their website of the playout area
CH
Playout is from Belfast. I have never seen them in vision except for the first announcement on the first night. They seem to have had very little training, or they're just not suited for the job. I honestly don't think that UTV Ireland is the finished product yet. I think they had to rush onto air because the Soaps were to be shown from the 1st of January. Even their MD said they would have preferred to have started on the 5th rather than the 1st.
Their News Service is very good at 10 and the 6.30 is fine but it's never going to succeed there. But again I don't think they're bothered. It's almost as if they're playing a waiting game. I would think that what you get this time Next year is what UTV Ireland will be like long term
Their News Service is very good at 10 and the 6.30 is fine but it's never going to succeed there. But again I don't think they're bothered. It's almost as if they're playing a waiting game. I would think that what you get this time Next year is what UTV Ireland will be like long term
BR
They had more than a years notice and although 5th Jan might have been easier than 1st Jan as launching anything on New Years Day isn't ideal, it's really not that crucial a factor a month on.
People forget that it is essentially a new channel and it'll just take time - TV3 were only just about finding their feet when UTV came and took most their content away. Personally I think it'll be local content that's the key - a breakout hit of their own which makes UTV Ireland seem a worthwhile investment not just for UTV, but for viewers as well.
Most new channels, whether brand new or spin-offs from existing channels, evolve quite significantly over their first few months on air (and indeed to remain successful for their lifetime).
People forget that it is essentially a new channel and it'll just take time - TV3 were only just about finding their feet when UTV came and took most their content away. Personally I think it'll be local content that's the key - a breakout hit of their own which makes UTV Ireland seem a worthwhile investment not just for UTV, but for viewers as well.
Most new channels, whether brand new or spin-offs from existing channels, evolve quite significantly over their first few months on air (and indeed to remain successful for their lifetime).
Last edited by Brekkie on 1 February 2015 12:15am
CH
What I meant was that the station doesn't seem fully formed now. The comment about the 5th instead of the first was from the MD. The first 4 days were pretty ropey. Right Now they only seem to have the soaps and a few other shows new. There are a lot of repeats in primetime. These shows of course would not have been seen on UTV Ireland, but 90% of the Irish population would have had access to them on UTV or ITV already.
They don't seem to be even trying on Saturday or Sunday right now. It's likely they're waiting for Britains Got Talent to finish up for the year before they start to market Saturdays. I would assume they will be fully up to speed with all the shows they've rights to in the Autumn. Some local content is needed but ITV programmes will always have enough of a Market Share to keep One station going in Ireland. ITV programmes basically kept TV3 on Air over the last 10 years. Almost all their top 20 week in and week out were ITV shows. If UTV can achieve the same figures they should make a healthy profit as they have lower overheads in the republic. I doubt you'll see more than 3 or 4 hours of Irish Programmes a week on UTV Ireland outside of the News.
Having said all that they're only on air One Month and seem to have the same Market Share roughly as RTE2 and TV3. If they get to 9 or 10% Market share by the end of year one, they'll be the second most watched station in the country.
They had more than a years notice and although 5th Jan might have been easier than 1st Jan as launching anything on New Years Day isn't ideal, it's really not that crucial a factor a month on.
People forget that it is essentially a new channel and it'll just take time - TV3 were only just about finding their feet when UTV came and took most their content away. Personally I think it'll be local content that's the key - a breakout hit of their own which makes UTV Ireland seem a worthwhile investment not just for UTV, but for viewers as well.
People forget that it is essentially a new channel and it'll just take time - TV3 were only just about finding their feet when UTV came and took most their content away. Personally I think it'll be local content that's the key - a breakout hit of their own which makes UTV Ireland seem a worthwhile investment not just for UTV, but for viewers as well.
What I meant was that the station doesn't seem fully formed now. The comment about the 5th instead of the first was from the MD. The first 4 days were pretty ropey. Right Now they only seem to have the soaps and a few other shows new. There are a lot of repeats in primetime. These shows of course would not have been seen on UTV Ireland, but 90% of the Irish population would have had access to them on UTV or ITV already.
They don't seem to be even trying on Saturday or Sunday right now. It's likely they're waiting for Britains Got Talent to finish up for the year before they start to market Saturdays. I would assume they will be fully up to speed with all the shows they've rights to in the Autumn. Some local content is needed but ITV programmes will always have enough of a Market Share to keep One station going in Ireland. ITV programmes basically kept TV3 on Air over the last 10 years. Almost all their top 20 week in and week out were ITV shows. If UTV can achieve the same figures they should make a healthy profit as they have lower overheads in the republic. I doubt you'll see more than 3 or 4 hours of Irish Programmes a week on UTV Ireland outside of the News.
Having said all that they're only on air One Month and seem to have the same Market Share roughly as RTE2 and TV3. If they get to 9 or 10% Market share by the end of year one, they'll be the second most watched station in the country.