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This.
What?
And I mean that in a genuine sense; that sentence makes no sense.
No, they wouldn't. UTV and TV3 are both very strong brands in their respective territories. UTV would have nothing to gain from ditching one or both of these brands.
There is potential for this, yes, but you'd still need headquarters in both Belfast and Dublin to serve both markets.
Nope. UTV would have no automatic right to use any ITV News content on TV3. Although they may be able to negotiate a deal to show ITV News bulletins in full, why would they? Showing a British news programme wouldn't fly. Irish viewers sometimes tune in to British news for better international coverage/to have a look at what's going on across the water, but there's no appetite for such a programme to be shown on an Irish channel. If there were, TV3 would have done so already. Doughty Hanson-owned TV3 and UTV-owned TV3 negotiating a deal to show ITV News would not be materially different.
The other alternative you seem to be suggesting is some kind of pooled resources arrangement with ITN. Again, why? ITN would have nothing to gain from it, and UTV would have certainly have nothing to gain from it commercially. Again, if it were in any way attractive, UTV would already be producing some sort of "Scottish Six"-style integrated bulletin for Northern Ireland. And they're not, so why on earth would they do it in the Republic?
No, it's not.
You're massively overstating the extent of TV3's content deal with ITV. It amounts to the soaps, a few crappy daytime shows, and Saturday night stuff like the X-Factor and BGT. As far as I can make out, TV3 don't have automatic rights to any of ITV's weekday prime time schedule beyond the soaps.
I'm not 100% au fait with STV's and UTV's arrangement with ITV plc since they got rid of the ITV Network structure a couple of years ago. But I presume there's some sort of legacy Channel 3 arrangement that means UTV and STV have exclusive/first dibs rights to ITV plc content. If UTV were trying to purchase content from ITV plc for use on TV3, it wouldn't be negotiating on the aforementioned terms. It would just be another foreign broadcaster trying to buy programme rights. So there can be no automatic assumption that UTV would somehow magically bring all of ITV's content to TV3.
Whilst bought-in programmes could be an issue, they really wouldn't be the main one.
Again, no they don't
WTF? Do you think republicans and unionists have different tastes in consumer goods?
There is no correlation whatsoever.
This bit makes a bit more sense.
Politically insensitive to the Irish situation? Well, no. The Good Friday agreement called for the harmonisation of broadcast media across all Ireland. The last obstacle to this is ructiousness over TV3's ITV programme rights. This would all be swept away. UTV has 50 year’s experience of being neutral(ish) in the conflict, it knows how not to diss its audience.
I really don't know what you're talking about here. I suspect you don't either.
Irish perspective? There my be an issue with national/international news, but presumably the combined resources of TV3, UTV and ITN could make a hybridised Irish version of ITV News that could affordably challenge the prominence of RTE1.
Apart from the expense for UTV in doing this, which I mentioned above, it's been tried before. It was called Sky News Ireland, and it bombed.
Removing local content? No, potentially the reverse: UTV has journalistic resources in its commercial radio stations across the RoI.
Again, you seem completely unfamiliar with what TV3 is. Over the last few years, it's developed a huge amount of homegrown content. Most of it's tacky and low-brow, but if, as you're suggesting, TV3 would adopt ITV's prime time schedule, that would inevitably reduce the amount of Irish content. Given the nature of most of TV3's indigenous programming, I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I'm just pointing out that you're wrong. As you may have gathered by now, I'm quite enjoying doing so.
If, as you're suggesting, they procure RoI rights to all of ITV's prime time schedule, I'd imagine it would cost quite a bit of money and for very little return, given that Irish viewers already watch the stuff on UTV, and UTV benefits from carrying advertising specifically aimed at those Irish viewers.
A bit of ITV outside OfConm's regulatory grip? Well, they hardly grip and any case the RoI's mechanisms are at least compatible.
TV3 wouldn't be "a bit of ITV" under UTV. It would be a foreign subsidiary of UTV, and of absolutely no concern to Ofcom. They could show hardcore porn on it all day, and it would be of no concern to Ofcom.
Branding? Shouldn't be a big issue, ITV is already "Channel3" and the "U" of UTV doesn't represent the red glove of Ulster any more. Infact the "i" in ITV's current logo looks so much like a "U" that rebranding the whole thing as ITV Ireland would be walk-over. The "I" could even be said to mean... - well, you get it! -
What on earth are you talking about? UTV has spent years airbrushing out ITV brand. They would never adopt it. In fact, since ITV Network has been abolished, I don't think they even have the right to any more.
Presumably UTV can't just lift its schedule and rebroadcast it in the Republic. While it pays the appropriate fees to use ITV PLC content in the north, presumably it would need to pay again to do so in the south, and it may just be the case that programming it owns the rights to would be a cheaper option.
This.
Yet have the media in republic is sometimes worse...
What?
And I mean that in a genuine sense; that sentence makes no sense.
TV3 and UTV woud re-brand as something pan-Ireland,
No, they wouldn't. UTV and TV3 are both very strong brands in their respective territories. UTV would have nothing to gain from ditching one or both of these brands.
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News would be interesting though. I'd immagine that UTV would integrate its existing TV and Irish radio news assets with TV3's...
There is potential for this, yes, but you'd still need headquarters in both Belfast and Dublin to serve both markets.
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Would ITV News carry in the South though? Yes, presumably UTV would take elements of it to mix with its own TV3 content from Dublin to make a massivly competitive programme.
Nope. UTV would have no automatic right to use any ITV News content on TV3. Although they may be able to negotiate a deal to show ITV News bulletins in full, why would they? Showing a British news programme wouldn't fly. Irish viewers sometimes tune in to British news for better international coverage/to have a look at what's going on across the water, but there's no appetite for such a programme to be shown on an Irish channel. If there were, TV3 would have done so already. Doughty Hanson-owned TV3 and UTV-owned TV3 negotiating a deal to show ITV News would not be materially different.
The other alternative you seem to be suggesting is some kind of pooled resources arrangement with ITN. Again, why? ITN would have nothing to gain from it, and UTV would have certainly have nothing to gain from it commercially. Again, if it were in any way attractive, UTV would already be producing some sort of "Scottish Six"-style integrated bulletin for Northern Ireland. And they're not, so why on earth would they do it in the Republic?
It pretty well could, given that TV3 has an existing and extendable contract for supply of ITV content, and overlapping European football rights. TV3 is in effect an ITV affiliate.
No, it's not.
You're massively overstating the extent of TV3's content deal with ITV. It amounts to the soaps, a few crappy daytime shows, and Saturday night stuff like the X-Factor and BGT. As far as I can make out, TV3 don't have automatic rights to any of ITV's weekday prime time schedule beyond the soaps.
I'm not 100% au fait with STV's and UTV's arrangement with ITV plc since they got rid of the ITV Network structure a couple of years ago. But I presume there's some sort of legacy Channel 3 arrangement that means UTV and STV have exclusive/first dibs rights to ITV plc content. If UTV were trying to purchase content from ITV plc for use on TV3, it wouldn't be negotiating on the aforementioned terms. It would just be another foreign broadcaster trying to buy programme rights. So there can be no automatic assumption that UTV would somehow magically bring all of ITV's content to TV3.
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Where problems could arise would be with ITV bought-in content, where rights lie elsewhere in the RoI. This could (would) happen with US drama and possibly films and some sport. UTV could just schedule away from contentious areas, or replace some ITV content in the Republic with something else.
Whilst bought-in programmes could be an issue, they really wouldn't be the main one.
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UTV and TV3 already hold similar territorial rights to all the major audience pulling stuff, so other issues would be marginal and workable.
Again, no they don't
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One of the big advantages for UTV with this (possible/potential) deal is it gets to eradicate a serious competitor. The combined UTV/TV3 audience in the RoI is significant, and UTV would be able to control the destiny of the overspill transmitters
Holywell Hill
and
Clermont Cairn
potentially allowing them to sell the NI Republican and Unionist audiences separately.
WTF? Do you think republicans and unionists have different tastes in consumer goods?
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Where would objections come from?
Anti-competitive? Well yes, but only just a little more so than when ITV regions with significant overlap merged. There's a correlation between this and say, STV and Grampian.
Anti-competitive? Well yes, but only just a little more so than when ITV regions with significant overlap merged. There's a correlation between this and say, STV and Grampian.
There is no correlation whatsoever.
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An issue may be with the combined TV and radio interest in the RoI.
This bit makes a bit more sense.
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Politically insensitive to the Irish situation? Well, no. The Good Friday agreement called for the harmonisation of broadcast media across all Ireland. The last obstacle to this is ructiousness over TV3's ITV programme rights. This would all be swept away. UTV has 50 year’s experience of being neutral(ish) in the conflict, it knows how not to diss its audience.
I really don't know what you're talking about here. I suspect you don't either.
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Irish perspective? There my be an issue with national/international news, but presumably the combined resources of TV3, UTV and ITN could make a hybridised Irish version of ITV News that could affordably challenge the prominence of RTE1.
Apart from the expense for UTV in doing this, which I mentioned above, it's been tried before. It was called Sky News Ireland, and it bombed.
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Removing local content? No, potentially the reverse: UTV has journalistic resources in its commercial radio stations across the RoI.
Again, you seem completely unfamiliar with what TV3 is. Over the last few years, it's developed a huge amount of homegrown content. Most of it's tacky and low-brow, but if, as you're suggesting, TV3 would adopt ITV's prime time schedule, that would inevitably reduce the amount of Irish content. Given the nature of most of TV3's indigenous programming, I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I'm just pointing out that you're wrong. As you may have gathered by now, I'm quite enjoying doing so.
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Financially streach UTV plc? No, not if they get it on the cheap.
If, as you're suggesting, they procure RoI rights to all of ITV's prime time schedule, I'd imagine it would cost quite a bit of money and for very little return, given that Irish viewers already watch the stuff on UTV, and UTV benefits from carrying advertising specifically aimed at those Irish viewers.
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A bit of ITV outside OfConm's regulatory grip? Well, they hardly grip and any case the RoI's mechanisms are at least compatible.
TV3 wouldn't be "a bit of ITV" under UTV. It would be a foreign subsidiary of UTV, and of absolutely no concern to Ofcom. They could show hardcore porn on it all day, and it would be of no concern to Ofcom.
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Branding? Shouldn't be a big issue, ITV is already "Channel3" and the "U" of UTV doesn't represent the red glove of Ulster any more. Infact the "i" in ITV's current logo looks so much like a "U" that rebranding the whole thing as ITV Ireland would be walk-over. The "I" could even be said to mean... - well, you get it! -
What on earth are you talking about? UTV has spent years airbrushing out ITV brand. They would never adopt it. In fact, since ITV Network has been abolished, I don't think they even have the right to any more.