I notice some people have been saying here that "only" UPC customers have been affected by the loss of UTV, but UPC have 400,00 digital TV customers and if we assume an average of say three people per household, that's over one million Irish TV viewers affected by this changeover.
It's a bit irritating too the way that ITV / UTV has been removed from the UPC platform and replaced by this new channel in the blink of an eye and presented as a fait accompli......no UPC customers were consulted about this.
That's indeed a fair point that 400,000 Households have been affected. However, the solution for some is to take more control of your own TV viewing. It's not possible for many of course, but there are many on UPC that have sleepwalked into this situation over the last few decades.
I can only offer a solution That might help.
As for losing UTV NI, UTV is a private company and can make whatever decisions it wants. After all UTV had been told by TV ratings people that it had a very low market share in the republic. So were the ratings people wrong or is it just a very vocal minority?
UTV Ireland would never have launched if it still had a 12-14% market share, like pre 2002.
This is getting worse... UTV have The Hangover and Dog Days Afternoon tonight while UTV Ireland have repeats of The Cube, some magician show,an old episode of an audience with Joan Rivers and has teleshopping at 12am instead..
That's indeed a fair point that 400,000 Households have been affected. However, the solution for some is to take more control of your own TV viewing. It's not possible for many of course, but there are many on UPC that have sleepwalked into this situation over the last few decades.
I can only offer a solution That might help.
As for losing UTV NI, UTV is a private company and can make whatever decisions it wants. After all UTV had been told by TV ratings people that it had a very low market share in the republic. So were the ratings people wrong or is it just a very vocal minority?
UTV Ireland would never have launched if it still had a 12-14% market share, like pre 2002.
Going by what's happening on Facebook and Twitter for the last 48 hours, a lot of Irish people are complaining bitterly about the loss of their favourite programmes. For example, I can see a lot of tweets and posts about Take Me Out been missing from the schedule tonight.
I've always been slightly suspicious too of the supposedly huge ratings for everything that RTE shows and the apparently miniscule audence for the British TV channels by comparison.....it's strange in that case how Irish viewers are very familiar with most programmes in the BBC and ITV schedule.
I've always been slightly suspicious too of the supposedly huge ratings for everything that RTE shows and the apparently miniscule audence for the British TV channels by comparison.....it's strange in that case how Irish viewers are very familiar with most programmes in the BBC and ITV schedule.
I'd agree with this. When I was growing up All my friends would watch BBC and ITV, there was rarely anything on RTE. None of them have lost the habit. It would be really puzzling to see huge TAM ratings for RTE shows in the 80's and 90's but not being able to find many who would have watched the show.
I will say however Modern Day RTE is a much improved product.
You'd think a new TV channel would be ambitious in wanting to impress viewers in its first few days instead of showing old repeats and having teleshopping at midnight on a Saturday?!
I'd agree with this. When I was growing up All my friends would watch BBC and ITV, there was rarely anything on RTE. None of them have lost the habit. It would be really puzzling to see huge TAM ratings for RTE shows in the 80's and 90's but not being able to find many who would have watched the show.
I will say however Modern Day RTE is a much improved product.
Yes it's always a bit odd when you hear that 17 of the top 20 programmes in any given week were on RTE1 and RTE2 and it seems nobody is watching BBC1 and UTV. But go into any house in the country and they'll often have BBC or UTV on.
Bizzarely, the one thing that could make or break their news bulletins is the infamous Irish personality cult of the weather presenter - TV3 struck it lucky first time with Martin King, RTE hit back with Jean Byrne, and even TG4 have had Daithí Ó'Sé and numerous cailíní álainn over the years. So, unless the forecaster has a mixture of gravitas and sex appeal, even Chris O'Donoghue's professionalism may not be enough in the ratings war!
Yes it's always a bit odd when you hear that 17 of the top 20 programmes in any given week were on RTE1 and RTE2 and it seems nobody is watching BBC1 and UTV. But go into any house in the country and they'll often have BBC or UTV on.
I find the opposite. The amount of people I know for example who will watch Eastenders on RTÉ One instead of BBC One, even with the ad breaks, would lead me to suggest this is a common theme across the country. I'd believe the RTÉ's ratings.
That's why TV3, TG4 and and now UTV Ireland being only SD on Saorview is such an issue. There are a lot of people outside of Dublin who have FTA Satellite for UK stations and Saorview for the Irish Stations. Loads of Dubs can make the same saving. So for those that use UPC for TV mostly you could save hundreds a year. Plus get back UTV Ulster.
I'm on the west coast (Galway) and soon I'm gonna be one of those people, though I'm in two minds about Saorview. I have the dish and all I need is a PVR box and someone to put it up. I'm relying on my parents to cancel UPC (they need 30 days notice) and organise the satellite installation as I'm at college full time doing a Masters. They want ITV and BBC London and I told them you can get those on the dish. They were happy then Once that dish goes up we'll be saving over €500 a year.
I find the opposite. The amount of people I know for example who will watch Eastenders on RTÉ One instead of BBC One, even with the ad breaks, would lead me to suggest this is a common theme across the country. I'd believe the RTÉ's ratings.
It's on ITV2 tomorrow, which UPC still has.
Yes, that would be true, However the reason that Eastenders is on RTE1 and TV3 Before that was because it was a solid ratings winner for BBC1 in Ireland (but at the time BBC1 only had 60-70% coverage in the Republic) so it was a sensible buy for either RTE or TV3. However there was a snob value of sorts because Eastenders went from 134,000 on TV3 on Christmas Day 2000 to 548,000 on RTE 1 in December 2001.
15 of the top 20 TV3 programmes were ITV. If they hadn't bought them, UTV's share wouldn't have fallen from 14 percent.
I will say that the station watched most by those I work with is RTE1 but then it's all the UK stations. Friends outside of work would nearly all be UK stations only. (sport being the exception to the rule)
The only way ITV will appear on UPC is with all programming which UTV Ireland and TV3 own blocked out. But I suspect that people would still complain.
I can't see that happening so it looks like UPC customers are stuck with UTV Ireland >:( Not good enough. There's a massive backlash of complaints on Twitter at the moment and has been since the launch. I can see UPC losing a lot of customers over this.
The only way ITV will appear on UPC is with all programming which UTV Ireland and TV3 own blocked out. But I suspect that people would still complain.
But UTV and TV3 were already going head to head on UPC?
What's the story with UTVI replacing UTV on UPC......would this have been forced on the company by the owners of Ulster Television? I'd say they would have removed UTV reluctantly and it's certainly not their job to be actively helping or promoting a new channel get off the ground.
But UTV and TV3 were already going head to head on UPC?
What's the story with UTVI replacing UTV on UPC......would this have been forced on the company by the owners of Ulster Television? I'd say they would have removed UTV reluctantly and it's certainly not their job to be actively helping or promoting a new channel get off the ground.
Actually it would be in their interest, they've done it before with Setanta, and having UTV Ireland on HD and TG4 on HD promotes the Cable service. I would think that they think everyone will settle down in the next few weeks. The likelyhood is that most people will complain but do nothing about it. Look at how many are annoyed with the blocking of ITV4 but there's no rush to go out and get dishes to get the same ITV4 for free.
I can't see that happening so it looks like UPC customers are stuck with UTV Ireland >:( Not good enough. There's a massive backlash of complaints on Twitter at the moment and has been since the launch. I can see UPC losing a lot of customers over this.
If this backlash was to continue, they could always tell Ulster Television to sod off, remove both UTV and and UTVI from their schedule and replace them with ITV1 UK.....the ways things are going, most of their customers couldn't care less if UTVI vanished tomorrow.
If this backlash was to continue, they could always tell Ulster Television to sod off, remove both UTV and and UTVI from their schedule and replace them with ITV1 UK.....the ways things are going, most of their customers couldn't care less if UTVI vanished tomorrow.
Contracts have been signed, no one is going to tell UTV to sod off. However, the reappearance of UTV NI is possible, with UTV IRELAND remaining in it's current position. but if that happens TV3 will probably take everyone to court...again.
Contracts have been signed, no one is going to tell UTV to sod off. However, the reappearance of UTV NI is possible, with UTV IRELAND remaining in it's current position. but if that happens TV3 will probably take everyone to court...again.
But UPC actually pay UTV for the right to relay their channel, isn't that correct? Bizarrely, it sounds like it's the other way around if UTV are trying to dictate what happens.....and yet UTVI surely need UPC far more than UPC needs UTVI.
If this backlash was to continue, they could always tell Ulster Television to sod off, remove both UTV and and UTVI from their schedule and replace them with ITV1 UK.....the ways things are going, most of their customers couldn't care less if UTVI vanished tomorrow.
You are assuming that ITV would allow them to show ITV.
Comments
That's indeed a fair point that 400,000 Households have been affected. However, the solution for some is to take more control of your own TV viewing. It's not possible for many of course, but there are many on UPC that have sleepwalked into this situation over the last few decades.
I can only offer a solution That might help.
As for losing UTV NI, UTV is a private company and can make whatever decisions it wants. After all UTV had been told by TV ratings people that it had a very low market share in the republic. So were the ratings people wrong or is it just a very vocal minority?
UTV Ireland would never have launched if it still had a 12-14% market share, like pre 2002.
Going by what's happening on Facebook and Twitter for the last 48 hours, a lot of Irish people are complaining bitterly about the loss of their favourite programmes. For example, I can see a lot of tweets and posts about Take Me Out been missing from the schedule tonight.
I've always been slightly suspicious too of the supposedly huge ratings for everything that RTE shows and the apparently miniscule audence for the British TV channels by comparison.....it's strange in that case how Irish viewers are very familiar with most programmes in the BBC and ITV schedule.
I'd agree with this. When I was growing up All my friends would watch BBC and ITV, there was rarely anything on RTE. None of them have lost the habit. It would be really puzzling to see huge TAM ratings for RTE shows in the 80's and 90's but not being able to find many who would have watched the show.
I will say however Modern Day RTE is a much improved product.
Though not as butch.
Yes it's always a bit odd when you hear that 17 of the top 20 programmes in any given week were on RTE1 and RTE2 and it seems nobody is watching BBC1 and UTV. But go into any house in the country and they'll often have BBC or UTV on.
I find the opposite. The amount of people I know for example who will watch Eastenders on RTÉ One instead of BBC One, even with the ad breaks, would lead me to suggest this is a common theme across the country. I'd believe the RTÉ's ratings.
It's on ITV2 tomorrow, which UPC still has.
Couldn't they have both UTVI and UTV NI?
I'm on the west coast (Galway) and soon I'm gonna be one of those people, though I'm in two minds about Saorview. I have the dish and all I need is a PVR box and someone to put it up. I'm relying on my parents to cancel UPC (they need 30 days notice) and organise the satellite installation as I'm at college full time doing a Masters. They want ITV and BBC London and I told them you can get those on the dish. They were happy then
So does that mean the new series starting on ITV on Monday won't be shown?
Yes, that would be true, However the reason that Eastenders is on RTE1 and TV3 Before that was because it was a solid ratings winner for BBC1 in Ireland (but at the time BBC1 only had 60-70% coverage in the Republic) so it was a sensible buy for either RTE or TV3. However there was a snob value of sorts because Eastenders went from 134,000 on TV3 on Christmas Day 2000 to 548,000 on RTE 1 in December 2001.
15 of the top 20 TV3 programmes were ITV. If they hadn't bought them, UTV's share wouldn't have fallen from 14 percent.
I will say that the station watched most by those I work with is RTE1 but then it's all the UK stations. Friends outside of work would nearly all be UK stations only. (sport being the exception to the rule)
UTV own both channels so I can understand why they want to promote UTVI.
I don't understand why UTV / ITV was removed from the UPC schedule though. Surely it's not their job to be doing UTVI's bidding for them?
I can't see that happening so it looks like UPC customers are stuck with UTV Ireland >:( Not good enough. There's a massive backlash of complaints on Twitter at the moment and has been since the launch. I can see UPC losing a lot of customers over this.
But UTV and TV3 were already going head to head on UPC?
What's the story with UTVI replacing UTV on UPC......would this have been forced on the company by the owners of Ulster Television? I'd say they would have removed UTV reluctantly and it's certainly not their job to be actively helping or promoting a new channel get off the ground.
That would actually be a reasonable solution.
Actually it would be in their interest, they've done it before with Setanta, and having UTV Ireland on HD and TG4 on HD promotes the Cable service. I would think that they think everyone will settle down in the next few weeks. The likelyhood is that most people will complain but do nothing about it. Look at how many are annoyed with the blocking of ITV4 but there's no rush to go out and get dishes to get the same ITV4 for free.
If this backlash was to continue, they could always tell Ulster Television to sod off, remove both UTV and and UTVI from their schedule and replace them with ITV1 UK.....the ways things are going, most of their customers couldn't care less if UTVI vanished tomorrow.
Contracts have been signed, no one is going to tell UTV to sod off. However, the reappearance of UTV NI is possible, with UTV IRELAND remaining in it's current position. but if that happens TV3 will probably take everyone to court...again.
But UPC actually pay UTV for the right to relay their channel, isn't that correct? Bizarrely, it sounds like it's the other way around if UTV are trying to dictate what happens.....and yet UTVI surely need UPC far more than UPC needs UTVI.
You are assuming that ITV would allow them to show ITV.