TV3 News - Ireland

Of course this could be one of those rare times when Market forces come to the rescue of Public Service Broadcasting. UTV have a very different approach to Television than TV3. One station believes News will capture and increase audiences, the other does not.

Guys

Why are we all getting so excited about the news coverage of TV3? Surely a tv channel should be judged on more than just one programme element?

RTE 2 has never broadcast news on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for more years than I can remember, and has never run news in primetime until now.

TV3 is entirely funded by advertising, unlike RTE 1, 2 and TG4. Cut 'em some slack!

You can't compare RTÉ 2 with TV3 because TV3 is a broadcaster in its own right whereas RTÉ 2 is a channel that is run by the national public service broadcaster, which has regular news bulletins on RTÉ 1. There is no news coverage at weekends or on bank holidays on RTÉ 2 just like there is no news coverage at weekends or on bank holidays on BBC 2.

TV3 could have maintained a 10-minute bulletin at weekends if it had been more inventive about the cutbacks that it had to make. For instance, it could have considered a partnership with a larger news operation, e.g. Sky News, ITN.

Have UTV Ireland confirmed their news plans then?

Yes.
http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/media-and-marketing/utv-ireland-counts-down-to-launch-as-docklands-studio-fit-out-well-under-way-1.1940097

But TV3 is already a member of Enex, an international news exchange that includes Sky News and a host of other major broadcasters:

http://www.enex.lu/public/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/members_635c.jpg
Image: enex.lu

As for a closer partnership with Sky News (or ITN) -- one that would go beyond the sharing of footage and news reports --, how would that work considering that TV3 is based in a different country (and Sky News no longer has a dedicated Irish service)?

As far as I know, TV3 doesn't have reports from foreign journalists. A partnership could involve having reports from Sky or ITN journalists on foreign stories on TV3 bulletins. By the way, Sky News still carries some major Irish stories that are of interest in the Republic and also in the UK. Here are some examples:

http://news.sky.com/story/1282055/boy-6-shot-in-neck-by-gunman-in-dublin

http://news.sky.com/story/1043114/adrian-donohoe-killing-condemned-by-irish-pm

Maybe not reports, but it gets (or at least it has access to) international video via Enex. I also believe -- but am not 100% sure -- that TV3's Enex membership alone gives it the right to air Sky News reports if it wanted to.

TV3 is indeed a broadcaster in its own right, with a budget less than 1/6th that of RTE, and 1/10th of the staff While it's decision to cut weekend news a few years ago was not great, it was also necessary to survive the economic downturn.

As a commercial broadcaster in a crowded market, I think TV3 is doing a reasonable job offering a fairly wide range of locally produced programming, including a late night current affairs / talk show 4 nights a week, news at breakfast, lunch and early evening 5 nights a week.

Well the title of the thread is TV3 News - Ireland. What else would you expect

As it being entirely funded by Advertising, this is true but let's not forget the 140million of debts that have been written off by the Irish Taxpayer.

But your not judging like with like. Your judging TV3 v RTE2 when a fairer comparison is TV3 Television Network Limited v Radio Telefis Eireann. Then the comparison becomes zero news at weekends vs two hours plus (once short summaries are taken into account, and The Week in Politics).

Why is this important? Because TV3 is not just any commercial TV company. It is in receipt of a franchise from the Irish state that gives if 103/3 on all EPGs (ahead of actually state owned and quite clearly public service TG4) plus must carry obligations on every multichannel TV platform including guaranteed capacity on Saorview.

If it wants to be a fully commercial station then fine. Let it negotiate EPG placement and carriage on the same basis any other station must. But while it has these state granted privileges then it must also meet the obligations which are the condition under which these privileges are granted.

Actually realised that statement isn't correct. (even if I agreed with it) Much of TV3 prime time Irish programming is partly funded by the BAI Sound and Vision Fund. So they do get licence fee money. Their New Soap will be getting nearly 20 percent of it's funding from the Licence Fee.