TV Home Forum

Are there too many channels?

And if so, which ones would you close? (December 2015)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
MI
Michael
And all those beers, all we really need is one lager and one bitter....

Like a Samuel Smiths Pub


Oh yes... now you're talking my language.....
MR
mr_vivian
I would strongly recommend that Irish TV stays because I think it's wonderful for Irish Tourism.

What Freeview really needs is a channel that shows the best of RTE and TV3's original output for the UK. I think we have some good shows here that could work well for the UK too and I think they would offer something different for UK viewers.



Like what? Alot of stuff is from the USA, ITV used to broadcast Glenroe.


All the Chat Shows would be good. Republic Of Telly. RTE2 have a good amount of original stuff. TV3 are even making their own soap since they lost the rights to Emmerdale and Corrie.

RTE were actually going to make a freesat channel for Irish people living in England and it was to be called Diaspora TV but it fell through as they had no money.

They also planned an RTE 3 channel to launch in Ireland but they decided to launch RTE ONE + 1 instead.

Anyway, the idea has been battered about is what I'm saying.
RD
rdd Founding member
Should be pointed out that Irish TV (the channel, not the concept in general!) is hardly watched in Ireland, it's not on Virgin Media and you'll find very few newspapers including it in their listings.

RTE was never really interested in Diaspora TV (what a name!)/RTE International/RTE Ireland at all. It was an idea that the Government, under pressure from Irish lobby groups abroad, was pushing on RTE, but at the same time, giving them no extra money to do it. The channel would have to self fund if it was going to happen. And it won't now.
OR
orange
Off the top of my head.... 5 Star from Channel 5 should close.

Don't know what the purpose of it is. It was hoping to be Channel 5's answer to E4 but there's not a lot on there IMO.

Oh and... Get rid of all the teleshopping channels I really hate them.

I would strongly recommend that Irish TV stays because I think it's wonderful for Irish Tourism.

What Freeview really needs is a channel that shows the best of RTE and TV3's original output for the UK. I think we have some good shows here that could work well for the UK too and I think they would offer something different for UK viewers.

Anyway - 5 Star is the main one I have a grudge for and don't get me started on how disappointing Spike has been whenever I tune in there's You've Been Framed types of shows on it or cop shows. Disappointed about Spike.

I think 5* should be replaced with a UK version of Logo imo
MR
mr_vivian
rdd posted:
Should be pointed out that Irish TV (the channel, not the concept in general!) is hardly watched in Ireland, it's not on Virgin Media and you'll find very few newspapers including it in their listings.

RTE was never really interested in Diaspora TV (what a name!)/RTE International/RTE Ireland at all. It was an idea that the Government, under pressure from Irish lobby groups abroad, was pushing on RTE, but at the same time, giving them no extra money to do it. The channel would have to self fund if it was going to happen. And it won't now.


I wouldn't expect it in the TV Listings. They play the same programmes daily pretty much. But my mum and dad (we are Irish) found it and love it - they watch it once a week and if they miss their weekly Irish music programme then they just tune in the next day to catchup which is quite handy.
Last edited by mr_vivian on 12 December 2015 3:09pm
CH
chinamug
rdd posted:
Should be pointed out that Irish TV (the channel, not the concept in general!) is hardly watched in Ireland, it's not on Virgin Media and you'll find very few newspapers including it in their listings.



It's a huge personal project for John Griffin who's put 15 to 18 million into it already, but almost no one is watching. It's constantly promising that it'll be on Saorview in Ireland and across America and the promises never come to pass. Ratings would be very very low, in fact they have decided not to use BARB in the UK.

If Griffin loses patience/interest it'll close almost straight away as it doesn't appear to have any real income source.
HC
Hatton Cross
So, the money back from the regulation breaks between and mid-programmes, plus that 6am paid for Tellyshopping block, basically pays some, but not all of the bills?

It's odd one with the breaks, because some are aimed at a UK audience, with UK based companies/addresses, and then you'll get one for a home renovations company based in Co. Clare - and you wonder, apart from the one man and his hamster watching in Ireland via Sky, who that was aimed at?
And more importantly what the hell are the ad sales house, saying to clients about the reach of the station to get ads on a channel, that (apart from Sky) isn't broadcast in Ireland? Weird.
CH
chinamug
So, the money back from the regulation breaks between and mid-programmes, plus that 6am paid for Tellyshopping block, basically pays some, but not all of the bills?

It's odd one with the breaks, because some are aimed at a UK audience, with UK based companies/addresses, and then you'll get one for a home renovations company based in Co. Clare - and you wonder, apart from the one man and his hamster watching in Ireland via Sky, who that was aimed at?
And more importantly what the hell are the ad sales house, saying to clients about the reach of the station to get ads on a channel, that (apart from Sky) isn't broadcast in Ireland? Weird.


Those ads basically start at 5 and 10 euros for every time they're shown (and cheaper) To keep the station on air they'd need to be generating at least 10 million a year if their production and employment claims are true, I doubt they're even getting a million at this point.

More than half the homes in Ireland have Sky or FTA Sat, so Irish TV is available in more than 50% of households, it's just no one wants to watch something that appears to be from 1975 content wise. The only shows that would really bring the viewers in are the Music ones but the most successful one's of those broke way and started up on Showbiz TV. Ireland West Music TV does have BARB figures and does appear to make a tidy profit, but now has no connection with Irish TV.

Plus the station is starting to show the signs of setback... Like many stations before it on Satellite when times are getting tough shows from 1950's America start to show up, they've started to show The Mickey Rooney Show which would have little connection to Ireland (unless someone else can point out the link)
Last edited by chinamug on 12 December 2015 9:22pm

53 days later

RI
Riaz
It's almost like asking the question: are there too many websites?

There certainly are more TV channels than anybody can keep count of but whether they are used effectively is a different matter.

The analogue switch off has created an opportunity to completely reorganise BBC and ITV channels. There is no logical reason why BBC1 and ITV1 have to remain in a form anywhere close to what they currently are, and previously have been, other than legislation remaining from the analogue era and pure sentimentality, if not outright luddism. These channels had to comply with certain public service obligations and it was not socially acceptable (!) to move Eastenders or Coronation Street off to a digital BBC or ITV channel when analogue terrestrial was still in operation. This potential for reorganisation is why I disagree with the OP that broadcasters should only be allowed one channel.

As for the other independent TV channels, my concern is (the lack of) profitability and how it impacts on the type of programmes offered. Factual programmes, children's programmes, certain special interest programmes, cultural programmes, and local programmes are all vulnerable to becoming victims of unprofitability. Some satellite channels have shifted away from high quality programming focused at a particular target audience towards bludgeoned mass entertainment cut down to a low common denominator in order to attract a broader audience. A notable example is Discovery Channel which mostly offered documentaries about science and technology in the 1990s but metamorphasised into offering a large output of reality TV and pseudoscience.

Does anybody on TV Forum watch any religious, ethnic, or foreign TV channels?
LL
London Lite Founding member
Riaz posted:


Does anybody on TV Forum watch any religious, ethnic, or foreign TV channels?


As I live in a bi-lingual household, French tv is heavily watched. Like in the UK, there are brand extensions of the commercial channels which super serve niche demographics and other channels on TNT, France's version of Freeview, while France Télevisions state run channels while allowed commercials (except between 9-11pm CET) provide a wide range of programming like the BBC. France 4 for example is more like BBC Choice of old with programming for children and teens during the day, which then turns into a BBC Three style channel during the evening.
MI
Michael
Riaz posted:
Does anybody on TV Forum watch any religious, ethnic, or foreign TV channels?


We're mostly nerdy white boys. What do you think?
FB
Fluffy Bunny Feet
How about more HD channels at the expense of some SD channels?

No - not everyone has HD sets or indeed gets HD services.

Newer posts