I wonder if TV3 becomes Virgin Media 1 for example then will TG4 rename?
The numbering is going to be a bit odd
RTE1
RTE2
VM1 (for example)
TG4
Weird.
Channel 4 and Channel 5/Five didn't seem particularly bothered by the whole ITV 1 thing at the time...
And I don't think TG4 would want to spend the money
and
risk damaging their own brand just because another broadcaster is willing to gamble with theirs.
A bit of a curiosity at this stage, but TG4 are called TG4 precisely because TV3 launched. They actually got on air two years before them, in 1996, broadcasting under their original name TnaG.
Now TV3 had been attempting to get on air since long before that, having originally been awarded their contact as far back as 1989, and having had a mixture of funding problems (including an aborted dalliance with UTV as a shareholder) then having their contract stripped from them by an IRTC that had lost hope that they were ever going to make it to air, having to take a JR to get it back, and then finally finding what was then CanWest Global to back them. So they weren’t going to change their name, and despite being Ireland’s fourth channel launched as TV3 anyway.
TnaG may have rebranded anyway. Certainly their initial schedule did not get much attention from English speaking viewers (even today, they have conquered the wider audience largely through sports rights). But putting the number “4” into the name was almost certainly an attempt to stop any further “gazumping” of its potential EPG position in the future, because sure enough when Digital TV came along, it was TV3 that got priority over TG4 on systems, notwithstanding that it launched first. (While the analogue era continued it wouldn’t have been uncommon for viewers to assign both TV3 and TG4 channel numbers lower than the four U.K. channels, incidentally).
TG 4 are happy to change things regularly, their on screen look, the position/size/look of their logo/ DOG, it honestly wouldn't surprise me if they did re-brand after TV 3 changes their name.
MR
mr_vivian
I guess it is an established brand now but I think it is something the channel would think about as RTE and Virgin become the kings of the spectrum.
If anything TG4 is the only Irish broadcaster that generally meets expectations and provides the service it's supposed to. It's highly unlikely that it's going to change its name just because TV3 is making that choice. It's more likely that TV3 will change its name again in two or three years.
As rdd posted they changed their name so that it wouldn't be pushed further down the EPG as the years went by. From 2000 onwards there were several stations planning to open that would have been more popular than TG4 (because they were in English) Channel 6, City Channel, and Bubble Hits come to mind and there were others.
If anything TG4 is the only Irish broadcaster that generally meets expectations and provides the service it's supposed to. It's highly unlikely that it's going to change its name just because TV3 is making that choice. It's more likely that TV3 will change its name again in two or three years.
As rdd posted they changed their name so that it wouldn't be pushed further down the EPG as the years went by. From 2000 onwards there were several stations planning to open that would have been more popular than TG4 (because they were in English) Channel 6, City Channel, and Bubble Hits come to mind and there were others.
If anything TG4 is the only Irish broadcaster that generally meets expectations and provides the service it's supposed to. It's highly unlikely that it's going to change its name just because TV3 is making that choice. It's more likely that TV3 will change its name again in two or three years.
As rdd posted they changed their name so that it wouldn't be pushed further down the EPG as the years went by. From 2000 onwards there were several stations planning to open that would have been more popular than TG4 (because they were in English) Channel 6, City Channel, and Bubble Hits come to mind and there were others.
What expectations would those be?
To provide an Irish language TV service with limited funds in a creative way. The general agreement in media circles that it has succeeded in doing this. They also have managed to give the Irish language greater exposure by showing sports with Irish language commentary. There's not too much it can do about it's generally low ratings for the simple reason most people in Ireland don't speak Irish. For those that do and those that are interested in Irish Culture, it fulfils its remit.
On top of that, it's been very inventive when it comes to Programming. Any funds spent on Foreign purchases would have hit the mark more often that RTE who just buy as much as possible and then show it at 2am in the morning.
As for sports, TG4 gave coverage to sports that RTE and TV3 wouldn't look at. Some of these (such as club GAA games/Womens football) are very popular. Because of this, there has been the rare Sunday when TG4 has the top-rated show on Irish TV for the day.
Do they still have many American imports in the schedule? I’m assuming they’re just shown as is and there aren’t any Irish subtitles on screen during them or anything like that? Presumably imports bring in larger audiences than many of their original shows and are used as a money spinner.
If anything TG4 is the only Irish broadcaster that generally meets expectations and provides the service it's supposed to. It's highly unlikely that it's going to change its name just because TV3 is making that choice. It's more likely that TV3 will change its name again in two or three years.
As rdd posted they changed their name so that it wouldn't be pushed further down the EPG as the years went by. From 2000 onwards there were several stations planning to open that would have been more popular than TG4 (because they were in English) Channel 6, City Channel, and Bubble Hits come to mind and there were others.
What expectations would those be?
To provide an Irish language TV service with limited funds in a creative way. The general agreement in media circles that it has succeeded in doing this. They also have managed to give the Irish language greater exposure by showing sports with Irish language commentary. There's not too much it can do about it's generally low ratings for the simple reason most people in Ireland don't speak Irish. For those that do and those that are interested in Irish Culture, it fulfils its remit.
On top of that, it's been very inventive when it comes to Programming. Any funds spent on Foreign purchases would have hit the mark more often that RTE who just buy as much as possible and then show it at 2am in the morning.
As for sports, TG4 gave coverage to sports that RTE and TV3 wouldn't look at. Some of these (such as club GAA games/Womens football) are very popular. Because of this, there has been the rare Sunday when TG4 has the top-rated show on Irish TV for the day.
I take your point however TG4 has no other option but to do this to survive.
If RTE or TV3 showed any of these or undertook more Irish language programming... TG4 could be toast.
My worry would be that if the rumour is true this could happen...... especially on Virgin Media Cable....
To provide an Irish language TV service with limited funds in a creative way. The general agreement in media circles that it has succeeded in doing this. They also have managed to give the Irish language greater exposure by showing sports with Irish language commentary. There's not too much it can do about it's generally low ratings for the simple reason most people in Ireland don't speak Irish. For those that do and those that are interested in Irish Culture, it fulfils its remit.
On top of that, it's been very inventive when it comes to Programming. Any funds spent on Foreign purchases would have hit the mark more often that RTE who just buy as much as possible and then show it at 2am in the morning.
As for sports, TG4 gave coverage to sports that RTE and TV3 wouldn't look at. Some of these (such as club GAA games/Womens football) are very popular. Because of this, there has been the rare Sunday when TG4 has the top-rated show on Irish TV for the day.
I take your point however TG4 has no other option but to do this to survive.
If RTE or TV3 showed any of these or undertook more Irish language programming... TG4 could be toast.
My worry would be that if the rumour is true this could happen...... especially on Virgin Media Cable....
RTE1
RTE2
VM1
VM2
VM3
TG4
Somebody obviously doesn't understand the system in Ireland, a little explanation.
TG4 is very much supported by RTE, they provide the news service of TG4, at no cost to TG4. In many ways, TG4 took RTE's own Irish language programming which had aired on RTE's channels prior to TG4's launch, and massively increased it. It wouldn't be in RTE's interests to destroy TG4.
As for the TV3 group, or whatever they're becoming, Irish language programming just isn't commercially viable. They have 3 channels and not one second of programming is or has ever been in the Irish language.
If somehow TG4 ended, it would be RTE and RTE alone that would have to pick up the pieces and probably create a new version of the channel.