RTE Business reports on the latest JNLR figures. The biggest surprise perhaps was the strong performance of most stations, with the phrase ‘everyone’s a winner’ encapsulating the statistics. Cian Ginty has a quick round up and links on his blog, pointing out that RTE’s Drivetime won out in the battle of the three main drivetime radio shows. While the Irish Times provides a detailed breakdown.
The Irish Times broke a news story (subscription required) on Friday that it was in discussions about possibly buying TV3 for 10 million euro. The Sunday Business Post follows up on the story this weekend, reporting that should the deal go through the station would be made available on its proposed new digital television platform if it succeeds in buying the loss-making Irish station.
In a separate report, the same paper reveals that RTE plans to launch a third television channel, provisionally called RTE 3, as part of a free-to-air digital terrestrial television (DTT) service which is likely to be on air by 2012.
The Sunday Business Post also goes onto report that Halifax will not be renewing its sponsorship of the Late, Late Show and that RTE has already begun the search for a new sponsor.
TV3 launched the lineup of its live GAA championship coverage. The Irish Times reports (subscription required) that it marks the first time a terrestrial broadcaster has been assigned a share of the rights held exclusively by RTÉ for the past 46 years.
In a busy Irish media week, the Irish Independent reports on plans for a new free-to-air Irish film TV station which is expected to be launched in 2009. The Independent reveals that “the operating cost of the low-budget channel…would range between €3m and €4m a year [less than the cost to run each year than one series of RTE medical drama ‘The Clinic’.] A decision has not been made on where the new station will be based, or whether it will show Irish, European and world films around the clock.”
The biggest news of the week was the announcement of the new Broadcasting Bill. The main premise of the bill is that the “RTÉ Authority and the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland are to be replaced by a single regulator under new legislation” (via RTE.) The Irish Independent reports that “TV and radio stations will have to give people who are damaged in a broadcast a right of reply.” The same paper also goes on to point out that “bad language and fast-food ads targeting children are being banished from the airwaves as part of a dramatic revamp of Ireland’s broadcasting landscape.”
