The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), today (20.08.14) announced that it will enter into negotiations for a television content provision contract, under Section 71 of the Broadcasting Act, with Teilifís Mhaigh Eo Teoranta.
Irish TV is a new local and international channel targeting the global Irish diaspora. Its schedule consists of weekly half-hour programmes from all counties in Ireland, plus a selection of themed programmes on sport, music, entertainment, business, lifestyle, education and agriculture. It also offers some news and current affairs programming. Irish TV is a linear television channel, distributed by Arqiva on the Astra satellite across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Households in Ireland have access to Irish TV on a range of platforms including Sky TV, eircom eVision and Freesat. The service is currently in negotiations with UPC for carriage on its platform, while it will also be available throughout the USA, Asia and Australia.
The BAI will now enter into contract negotiations with Teilifís Mhaigh Eo Teoranta and further details will be announced at the conclusion of the process.
ENDS
Media Queries to: Emily Kelly, DHR Communications, Tel: 01-4200580 / 087-9759248.
Note to Editors
Irish TV commenced broadcasting on 1st May 2014 under a licence issued by the UK regulator Ofcom. On completion of contract negotiations and the signing of a contract with the BAI, Irish TV will operate under a Section 71 content contract, granted in this jurisdiction.
The contract to be negotiated between the BAI and Teilifís Mhaigh Eo Teoranta is provided for under Section 71 of the Broadcasting Act 2009. There are a number of elements to a contract granted under this section of the Act which differ from the regulatory regime applied to the public service broadcasters, RTÉ and TG4, and the commercial broadcaster, TV3 and its sister station, 3e, specifically in the areas of carriage, content, and levy.
Contracts granted by the BAI under Section 71 are for content only and do not carry an automatic right to carriage on a platform. From a programming perspective, the programme service obligations associated with Section 71 extend only to compliance with statutory Codes and Rules and with the European Audiovisual Media Services (AVMS) Directive requirements relating to European and Independent Production works. Finally, services licensed under Section 71 of the Act are not subject to a broadcasting levy, while the free-to-air services are all subject to the payment of a levy to the BAI.