UTV Ireland

UTV Ireland HD - 12.012 V, 29.500, 3/4

UTV Ireland SD - 12.188 H, 27.500, 2/3

Announcement on carriage deals due very shortly according to Michael Wilson.

Carriage deals signed. Sky 116, UPC 110 (replacing UTV), eVision 108 and Saorview (channel number TBC)

Looks like the end of availability of UTV (and thus ITN and ITV Sport programmes) on cable in the Republic after nearly 40 years, but that was expected.

It has been confirmed by Michael Wilson that UTV Ireland will be in HD on Sky, UPC and eVision.

An announcement for UTV Ireland's LCN on Saorview will be made at the end of this week. Promotional videos from Saorview will be made in the lead up to the launch on how to receive the channel through the Saorview user's approved STB or TV.

http://www.u.tv/blogs/Michael-Wilson/Final-pieces-of-the-jigsaw/a1fc057b-874c-4de9-bec4-84bbe8fdb93a

Also confirmed tonight that UTV will no longer be available to most cable customers in Ireland after 1st January, though presumably ITV2, ITV3 and (most of) ITV4 will continue.

UTV Ireland now has an updated website to include the new UTV Player. It was only updated since Today.

http://utvireland.ie/

UTV Ireland is on Channel 6 and in SD 'For Now' on Saorview according to Saorview's Facebook page.

Schedules for 1st and 2nd now out. On NYD opens at 7:25pm with Emmerdale followed by a Pat Kenny special and a movie.

2/1/15 follows ITV from 9:25-12:25 then an independent schedule composed largely of films and repeats, except for Emmerdale and double Corrie.

Interesting to see that they will be showing The Graham Norton Show now instead of TV 3. Are they showing Jonathan Ross's show as well?

Indeed they are.

What are TV3 broadcasting instead? Could TV3 be brought out by UTV?

Well they've commissioned a soap and an Irish version of Blind Date, among some other stuff. Their "New Dawn" trailer is quite well made but it's a pity their programming doesn't really follow suit. Really it will be when we see the schedules for week beginning the 3/1/15 that we'll get a better idea of both stations plans. A buyout won't happen due to TV3's massive debt.

Also worth noting is that the results of the auction for the 2015-2018 UEFA Champions League for Ireland will be announced any day now and TV3 may well be vulnerable to losing that contract, which would leave them with no ongoing sports rights.