TG4
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| TG4 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | October 31, 1996 |
| Owned by | Teilifís na Gaeilge |
| Audience share | 3.2% (2005, [1]) |
| Country |  Ireland |
| Formerly called | Teilifís na Gaeilge (TnaG) (1996-1999) |
| Website | www.tg4.ie |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Irish analogue | Normally tuned to 4 (formerly tuned to 3 until TV3 launched.) |
| Irish digital | Mux 1 |
| NI analogue | UHF channel 59 (from Divis transmitter) |
| Satellite | |
| Sky Digital | channel 104 (ROI) channel 164 (NI) |
| Cable | |
| UPC Ireland | channel 104 |
| Virgin Media | channel 877 (NI) |
TG4 (Spoken as TG Ceathair or TG a Ceathair; pronounced [tiː dʒiː kʲahəɾʲ]) is a television channel in Ireland, aimed at Irish-language speakers and established as a wholly owned subsidiary by Radio Telefís Éireann on 31 October 1996. It was formerly known as Teilifís na Gaeilge or TnaG, before a rebranding campaign in 1999. The channel is now headed by an independent public corporation, Teilifís na Gaeilge[1], since 1 April 2007[2], following the passage of relevant legislation in 2001. Additional funding is anticipated.
Initially derided as a white elephant by journalist Kevin Myers formerly of the Irish Times (who called it 'Telefís De Lorean', in a reference to the ill-fated De Lorean Motor Company), the station attracts approximately 730,000 viewers every day and the core audience is in the region of 100,000, giving it an audience share of between 2-3%. Ladies gaelic football broadcasts attract up to 180,000 viewers. In July 2007, TG4 was accepted as a new member of the European Broadcasting Union.
Contents |
[edit] Operation
| Teilifís na Gaeilge | |
|---|---|
| Type | Statutory Corporation |
| Founded | 1 April 2007 |
| Headquarters | Baile na hAbhann, County Galway, Ireland |
| Key people | Peter Quinn, Chairman, Pól Ó Gallchóir, Ceannasaí (Director-General) |
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Products | Television |
| Revenue | First accounts to be published 2008. |
| Employees | 75 - 2007 |
| Website | www.tg4.ie |
The daily Irish-language programme schedule is its central service, broadcasting approximately 2.5 hours a day of 'First Showing' Irish-language programming, together with an estimated 2.5 hours a day of Irish-language programmes repeats. RTÉ supplies TG4 with 1 hour a day of all 'First Showing' Irish- language programming. The remainder of the TG4 schedule is made up of English-language acquired programmes from the USA (such as Nip/Tuck and The O.C.). On 1 April 2007, coinciding with its independence from RTÉ, TG4 changed its overnight sustaining service from Euronews, which it had previously relayed for some years, to France 24. RTÉ channels relay Euronews still.
Operating as a publisher and broadcaster, TG4 annually invests up to €15m in original indigenous programming from the independent production sector in Ireland. The Irish-language soap opera Ros na Rún is one of its most popular programmes, and it also commissions a number of documentaries.
On 1 April 2007, Teilifís na Gaeilge became an independent statutory corporation, with former Gaelic Athletic Association president Peter Quinn becoming first chairperson of the corporation. The other members appointed to the authority were Joe Connolly, Padraig MacDonnacha, Eilís Ní Chonghaile, Méabh Mhic Ghairbheith, Méadhbh Nic an Airchinnigh, Bríd Ní Neachtáin, Feargal Ó Sé, and Regina Culliton.[3]
[edit] Programming
-
For more details on this topic, see List of programmes broadcast by TG4.
TG4 has nurtured a reputation for innovative programming in film, arts, drama, documentaries, and sports. For example, it broadcast popular US imports such as Nip/Tuck, Carnivàle, The Wire, The O.C., One Tree Hill, Everwood, Survivor, Invasion and Curb Your Enthusiasm before mainstream UK channels, and in 2005, it broadcast exclusive Irish coverage of the Wimbledon championships tennis tournament and Tour de France French cycling. The channel extensively covers Irish sports, such as Gaelic football and hurling leagues and club championships, and women's gaelic football (formerly it also broadcast Celtic League rugby). These are events which generally do not appeal to a mass audience, but have a reasonably loyal following. It also frequently shows classic films in English, such as Westerns.
TG4 also produces a small amount of light entertainment, such as the chat show Ardán and the fashion/dating show Paisean Faisean. Most of TG4's programming is subtitled in English. On October 31, 2006 it aired the first episode of a comedy-drama series aimed at an adolescent audience, entitled Aifric after the programme's fourteen-year-old protagonist. On 24 September 2007, TG4 began broadcasting South Park in Irish. TG4 has also began to broadcast episodes of Sesame Street (Tar ag Spraoi Sesame) that have been dubbed into Irish. A new drama aimed at an older audience than 'Aifric' has also begun and is called Seacht. It follows the lives of seven college students in Belfast.
It also actively commissions documentaries such as the acclaimed and popular Amú series of travel programmes which launched the career of Hector Ó hEochagáin, one of a number of TG4 presenters who have gone on to success at other channels. Others include newsreader Gráinne Seoige. As many of these programs are subtitled in English, they are often popular with recent immigrant populations, who find spoken English very fast on Irish produced television, as well as native Irish speakers.
The station has a teletext service called Téacs TG4. Additionally, in June 2006, the station began a trial online simulcast of most of their content, available at tg4.tv. Certain content is blacked out for rights reasons.
[edit] Northern Ireland
TG4 was originally only available in Northern Ireland via 'overspill' of the terrestrial signal from across the border. In the 1998 Belfast Agreement there was provision for TG4 (then TnaG) to be made available in Northern Ireland, along with increased recognition of the Irish language. Similarly, while TG4, along with the Republic's other terrestrial channels, is carried on Sky Digital there, it was not available to Sky subscribers in Northern Ireland until 18 April 2005, and on Cable until February 2007.
In March 2005, TG4 began broadcasting from the Divis transmitter near Belfast, as a result of agreement between the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Northern Ireland Office. However, because of overcrowding on the frequency bands only a low power signal can be transmitted and reception is still unavailable in many areas, even in parts of Belfast. The channel is however available on cable and on to Sky satellite subscribers. It is hoped that the channel can eventually be made available on digital terrestrial services (Freeview) and Free to Air on satellite.
An Ofcom report, released in Nov 2007, seemed to confirm that TG4 will be carried on Freeview in the future. [2]
[edit] TG4 Analogue UHF Transmitters
Source: http://www.irish-tv.com/irishtrans.asp
| Channel | Location |
|---|---|
| 23 | Mount Leinster |
| 31 | Mullaghanish |
| 33 | Holywell Hill |
| 50 | Cairn Hill |
| 55 | Three Rock |
| 59 | Divis (Northern Ireland) |
| 59 | Kippure |
| 63 | Spur Hill |
| 63 | Truskmore |
| 68 | Clermont Carn |
| 68 | Maghera |
[edit] References
- ^ Broadcasting Act, 2001, Section 44
- ^ "New board announced for independent TG4", Radio Telefís Éireann, 2007-04-03.
- ^ Minister for Communications Marine and Natural Resources Noel Dempsey T.D. Announces Members of Teilifis na Gaeilge / Ainmníonn Aire Nollaig Ó Díomasaigh Baill Theilifís na Gaeilge - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources | An Roinn Cumarsáide, Mara agus í
- "Irish Viewers to get a '6' Sense Soon." (9 February 2006). The Irish Independent Business section, p10
[edit] See also
- List of Irish television channels
- Raidió na Gaeltachta
- Gaelic Digital Service
- List of Celtic language media
[edit] External links
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