UTV

I'll take a guess, probably around 2 million in the Republic could watch UTV with ease. I'm taking that as two thirds of the population there.

How much of the south can get SKY digital? Then thats how much can get UTV as its on there.

It is indeed on Sky Digital - and is encrypted and blocked to the Republic of Ireland. Therefore unless they have a UK registered viewing card, viewers there will not be able to see it.

Just as an aside ....

I was passing through Ballybofey in Sunday past and saw no less than THREE Outside Broadcast vehicles, all 'lorry' size, emblazoned with UTV livery, parked outside the GAA ground there, where Antrim were playing Donegal.

Now, UTV don't have the rights to GAA matches, so I can only assume they were hired-out to the BBC, RTE or TG4 or the like?

Unless they were over-egging it a bit for the impressive programmes that is The Nigel Carr Spot, AKA UTV Sport on Sunday.

As far as I know UTV were covering it for BBC NI. No idea why. Or indeed why, by the time it was edited into the highlights programme that particular match was 14L12 and the rest of the material was 12F12.



It's award-winning you know.

I meant to say Chorus

I don't think you can attribute an *increase* in revenue to the fact that they transmit unofficially to the South as well, since that was just as much the case 3, 5, 10, 20 years ago as it is now.

You can put it down to the fact that now, more than ever, they exploit the potential of the audience in the Republic and they have fewer staff which they pay less. And it's not like they're hard pressed making programmes.

That's all fair enough of course, but that's not the same thing really. What you're basically saying is that they're marketing themselves more aggressively and making cutbacks -- exactly the same as ITV, but, it seems, more successfully, even if their on-screen output is ragged.

UTV is a company and therefore primaty aim is to make money from its buisnesses.
BBC as state owned company is probably top heavy with staff and over generous in salaries like all other government departments, and so have money to waste on fine tuning things UTV dont bother about, because the viewers dont care either..

Slightly OT, but related nonetheless: Why are BBC1&2 available on cable and MMDS via ntl and Chorus in Ireland? I read somewhere else in the forum that they're available in Holland too (or was that Denmark?). Being able to pick them up from NI or Wales or from unencrypted satellite is understandable, but they're officially available on cable and MMDS. IS the BBC paid for this? If so, is this arrangement with BBC Worldwide?

Being Irish, I'm not complaining, long may the BBC be available here. I just wonder what's up. Sorry for all the questions, I hope someone can answer them. It's something I've always wondered about.

So is it your opinion that it would be ok for the BBC to not bother "fine tuning" things as "viewers don't care"? Why do ITV1 care about "fine tuning" things? Indeed would it be ok if all TV channels had the technical standards of Friendly TV?