For a country with a population smaller than Scotland which has access to 99% of British television, a very strong state broadcaster and established commercial channels, it has always baffled me that Ireland business types continue to launch new stations.
I can see what UTV was trying to do but even they must have known that it was going to end one way - with the destruction of TV3 or UTV as a totality. And Irish TV feels like another one of those channels that comes around every decade or so that you know is just doomed.
As far as I'm concerned Irish broadcasting punches well above its weight, and I often look over from Scotland with sheer jealousy with some of the programming on offer - especially on radio. But when you've got a relatively small population to sell to and the whole of UK TV to compete with, someone has to restore some common sense. Brutally, it appears to be the market that's done it on this occasion.
Actually the theory was sound, Start a Station in the Republic with the soaps and regain the Market share that UTV had 15 years ago when it was a clear number 2 in the market (probably the only Commercial TV station in Ireland North or South that has made a healthy profit most years) TV3 was a basket case of a station and without the soaps it would quickly flounder.
However, While the theory was sound the implementation of the plan was terrible. If there was a mistake to be made, UTV management made it. They spent too much on News, too little on other Irish Programmes. They signed Pat Kenny who is not a ratings draw even if he would like to think so. But the biggest mistake they made was calling it UTV Ireland. Most Irish people would have a soft spot for RTE1, UTV and the BBC. Trading on the UTV name might have seemed like a good idea, but they thought that they were getting UTV Ulster with a few added programmes. Instead they got a watered down version that didn't know what it was.
Having said that and looking at the losses of both UTV and TV3 there would still have been a chance of this plan of sweating out TV3 succeeding until John Malone and Virgin Media came along. For whatever reason he bought TV3 and with the cash that He and Virgin has there could only be one winner. TV3 group lost 17 million last year, UTV Ireland lost 19 million. They have a huge job on their hands. However, One big commercial Broadcaster should make a profit out of the country. But the early signs aren't good. UTV Ireland is a healthy Second in Primetime right now because of the soaps but from the 1st of December TV3 are taking the Soaps back and they're gutting UTV Ireland.
I would hope in the new year all 3 channels are relaunched with logical schedules but it won't surprise me if in 12 or 18 months TV3 executives are complaining again about the uneven pitch they play on. I hope I'm wrong. However, ITV have wisely decided not to run UTV Ireland themselves, that should tell us something.