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Irish TV & Radio
Radio Telefís Éireann
Radio Telefís Éireann is the Public Service Broadcaster of the Republic of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making it one of the oldest continuously operating public service broadcasters in the world.
RTÉ is a statutory body run by an authority appointed by the Government. General management of the organisation is in the hands of the Executive Board headed by the Director-General. Radio Éireann was one of 23 founding organisations of the European Broadcasting Union in 1950.
RTÉ has always had to compete for viewers and listeners with British TV and radio channel, this competition has increased in recent times as digital satellite broadcasts from the UK deliver perfect picture and sound to even the remotest corners of Ireland.
Website: www.rte.ie
 
Television
RTÉ One (Aertel 1)
RTÉ One (Irish: RTÉ a hAon) is the Republic of Ireland's oldest and most popular television channel, operated by Irish state broadcaster Radio Telefís Éireann.
RTÉ One is almost universally available on the VHF and UHF bands in Ireland (though VHF has mostly been phased out). RTÉ One is also available on digital terrestrial in some areas.
The channel is available on the Sky Digital satellite service in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, as well as cable and MMDS, including the Virgin Media digital cable service in Northern Ireland. The channel broadcasts 24 hours a day. The network's headquarters are in Donnybrook, Dublin.
Programming

RTÉ One carries both domestic and foreign programming, airing programming from America, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and UK. The majority of foreign imports are broadcast on RTÉ's sister station RTÉ Two.
Most of RTÉ's home produced drama and reality shows are broadcast on RTÉ One and the station is seen as the flagship of the RTÉ network, focusing on News, Current Affairs, Lifestyle programming and Drama. The channel's flagship programme is The Late Late Show, aired on Fridays at 22:30 CET.
History

The station began life in 1961 as Telefís Éireann. It was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, upon the renaming of the Radio Éireann Authority to RTÉ, and became RTE1 upon the launch of RTÉ2 in 1978. Originally the station broadcast in black and white, begining colour transmissions in 1969.
RTÉ One was also the sole Irish TV channel until 1978, when RTÉ2 was created.
Since 1998 RTÉ One has also had to compete with commercial rival TV3, along with UK channels from the BBC, ITV and Channel 4. British television has always been popular in Ireland, satellite distribution has only served to increase this, doing away with poor reception and then need for costly MMDS (Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service) relaying. Unlike the Irish television services, all BBC and ITV channels are broadcast Free-To-Air on satellite.
From March 2007, content from RTÉ One (and its sister network RTÉ Two) has been available online on its website www.rte.ie. The shows are played in conjunction with RealPlayer. All commercial breaks are cut out and sponsorship is generally not included.
 
RTÉ Two (Aertel 2)
RTÉ Two, known from 1988 to 2004 as Network 2, RTÉ Network Two, RTÉ2 or N2) is Ireland's second-oldest television channel, operated by Irish state broadcaster Radio Telefís Éireann. RTÉ Two is almost universally available throughout the island of Ireland on the VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to subscribers of Sky Digital in the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland.
RTÉ Two's main emphasis is on programmes for children and young people together with sports and acquired imported programmes. The channel's children's strand, The Den runs from 06:00 to 17:30 each weekday, followed by its youth strand, TTV from 17:30 to 19:00. RTÉ News on Two airs each weekday after 22:45.
The channel also has a number of other strands, including Two Wild, Two Extreme, and RTÉ Sport on Two. Films are also regularly aired on the channel especially European cinema and International cinema.
After 19:00, RTÉ Two airs its primetime lineup. This includes such imported shows as LOST, Desperate Housewives, 24, Prison Break, Ugly Betty, Law & Order, CSI:NY, CSI: Miami, CSI:Crime Scene Investigation, Grey's Anatomy etc. and such home produced shows as No Experience Required, How Low Can You Go?, The Podge and Rodge Show, The Panel and Dan & Becs. RTÉ Two also airs premier movies under the name SCREEN TWO and has first run rights to Irish rugby and soccer.
RTÉ Two has a reputation for airing many US shows such as LOST, Desperate Housewives, 24, Ugly Betty etc. before any other network in Europe.
RTÉ Two's schedule is carefully made so as to maximise the viewing figures for RTÉ Two but not at the expense of it's sister channel, RTÉ One.
 
RTÉ International
RTE is set to launch a new television channel for Irish emigrants living in Britain, at a cost of between €5m and €7m a year. RTE International, as the channel is likely to be called, will have to be financed from the €180m raised each year from the €158 licence fee.
Peter Feeney, RTE’s head of public affairs, said the station is hoping to get support from the Department of Foreign Affairs, but will also seek advertising and sponsorship.
The channel will feature home-produced programmes from RTE 1, RTE 2 and TG4. While aimed at emigrants in Britain, it will expand into Europe and eventually America and Australia.
The channel is expected to launch in the UK in 2009, on the Freesat satellite platform.
Distribution
If financial resources are provided by the Irish Government, RTÉ believe it will be able to relay the service on Freeview, or even on the new Freesat platform.
A spokesman said: “The only funding RTÉ require is on the cost of delivery. We are not seeking provision for the funding of programming or anything like that.
The Irish in Britain have endured a neverending wait for an Irish television service in the United Kingdom and RTÉ maintains that funding is now the crucial issue.
 
TV 3 Ireland
TV3 Ireland is a television channel in Ireland, and was the country's first commercial broadcaster. TV3, along with other properties are a part of the TV3 Group - which also owns TV3's sister channel 3e. It launched on 20 September 1998.
The main studios of TV3 are located in Ballymount, Dublin. The channel broadcasts from 06.00 to around 02.00 each day.
TV3 purchased digital satellite station Channel 6 in summer 2008. Following this the channel was rebranded in January 2009 as 3e, with a logo and schedule designed to compliment that of its parent channel.
In November 2008 tv3.ie website was rebranded, with the intention to develop it into an entertainment portal. Catch up facilities, as well as exclusive content is available for TV3 programming as are news, weather, sport and entertainment updates. A dating section has also been established on the website.
With the launch of the website and rebranding of Channel 6, TV3 as a television channel became part of the TV3 Group in January 2009.
Ireland AM has been on air since 1999 and is the only live breakfast television programme in Ireland. Broadcast on weekdays from 07:00 to 10:00, it includes regular news updates on the hour and half-hour, but is mainly features and lifestyle based. The show is currently presented by original presenter Mark Cagney and Sinead Desmond.
Many media commentators have criticised TV3 for the lack of original programming on the station, although a major effort has been made in 2008 to deal with this criticism. The view of many commentators such as Stephen Price of The Sunday Times and Tom McGurk of The Sunday Business Post is that TV3 need to differentiate themselves in the growing Irish multi-channel market by making more original programming than at present.
Website: www.tv3.ie
 
3e
3e is a television service operated in the Republic of Ireland by the TV3 Group. The channel operates daily between 10:00 and 01:00.
Originally known as Channel 6 when it launched on 30 March 2006, it was rebranded as 3e on January 5, 2009. The channel targets the under-35 age bracket and airs a mix of foreign made programming, with shows such as 24 and Frasier. The station was the first, and is still the only Irish general entertainment channel not to air news or sport bulletins. 3e is available to more than 80% of the country through cable and satellite television, and will also be available on the new Irish digital terrestrial television system (DTT), which will be launched in 2009.
However, in July 2008, it was confirmed that Ireland's first independent broadcaster, TV3, was to buy the channel for around €10 million. The deal was given the approval of the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland, and is now pending a preliminary probe by the Irish Competition Authority.
TV3 immediately landed itself in hot water when it set about lowering standards of home-produced broadcasts on the channel to a level similar to its own style.
In December 2008 it axed Night Shift, the popular night-time music show and Ireland's main outlet for its band's music videos. An online petition has been set up to reinstate the show in a move similar to the No Disco fiasco of the early 2000s and had received over 15,000 pledges of allegiance within 24 hours.
Website: http://3e.tv3.ie
 
Teilifis na Gaelige TG4
TG4 (TG Ceathair or TG a Ceathair; unofficially as TG Four) is a television channel in Ireland, aimed at Irish-language speakers and established as a wholly owned subsidiary by Radio Telefís Éireann on October 31, 1996. It was formerly known as Teilifís na Gaeilge or TnaG, before a rebranding campaign in 1999. TG4 was the third national station to be launched in Ireland; after RTÉ One in 1961 (as Teilifís Éireann) and RTÉ Two in 1978, and was followed by TV3 in 1998. The channel is now headed by an independent public corporation, Teilifís na Gaeilge, since 1 April 2007, following the passage of relevant legislation in 2001.
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.
Reception - Irish Republic
The channel's signal covers the Republic of Ireland, it is receivable directly by aerial and on cable throughout the island. It is carried on digital satellite to BSkyB customers in the Republic.
Reception - 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.
TG4 Irish language programmes will be broadcast on RTÉ International if and when the channel launches. There is also some talk of the channel going free-to-air in the future, though there is currently no confirmation of this from TG4.
Website: www.tg4.ie
TG4 Live Stream
 
Radio
In contrast to Irish television, Irish radio is Free-To-Air (FTA), and listed on Sky's UK Electronic Programme Guide and on the Freesat platform.
RTÉ Radio 1

RTÉ Radio 1 (Irish: RTÉ Raidió 1) is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Radio Telefís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926. The station is a rare modern example of a mixed radio network, broadcasting a mixture of music and speech programming.

 
Programming
Radio 1 broadcasts a mixture of news, current affairs, features, arts coverage, drama, sport, music (from popular music favourites through country and traditional to world music and jazz), and general entertainment. Major weekday programmes include:
Morning Ireland - the station's flagship news programme, on air from 7.00 to 9.00.
The Tubridy Show - talk-based entertainment with Ryan Tubridy following the news at 9.00.
Today with Pat Kenny - a lively current affairs magazine, broadcast between 10.00 and 12.00.
Liveline with Joe Duffy - phone-in discussion from 13.45 until 15.00.
Drivetime - rolling news and talk (sport, popular culture, music and arts) between 17.00 and 20.00.
Its sports coverage includes Drivetime Sport with Des Cahill Monday to Friday 18.30 to 19.00, Friday Sportsnight (during the National League season), Saturday Sport with John Kenny from 14.00 to 18.00, and Sunday Sport with Adrian Eames (Winter) and Jimmy Magee (during the GAA Championship season).
Reception
Today RTÉ Radio 1 is available in Ireland on 88-90FM and 252 kHz LW. It is also available on the web and from the Astra 2D, Eurobird 1 (which are co-located at 28E) and Hotbird satellites and at nighttime also on the mentioned medium- and longwave frequencies in Europe. Listeners outside Europe can hear a selection of RTÉ Radio 1 programmes on the WRN service.
The FM versions of the station differ from those broadcast on longwave, with significant additional sports coverage on the latter, as well as other changes. The MW and LW versions are also known as RTÉ Europe. Both versions of the station are carried at 28E (as is the case with the similar split of BBC Radio 4), and only the longwave version is carried on Hotbird. Both versions are available in the UK and Ireland on Sky Digital and on Freesat and Sat4free.

DAB broadcasts of the station began in the east of the country (on the Clermont Carn and Three Rock Mountain high power transmitters via the RTÉ DAB Multiplex) on 1 January 2006. RTÉ Radio 1 has been carried on shortwave in DRM during specific events.
Important Changes from 24 March 2008
On March 24, 2008 RTÉ's MW broadcast will close down.
RTÉ Radio 1 will no longer be available on Medium Wave from this date
Medium Wave listeners should retune to RTÉ Radio 1 on FM.
MW programme options such as sport and religious services will still be available on alternative platforms, including Long Wave 252.
Website: www.rte.ie/radio1
 
RTÉ 2FM
RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is commonly referred to, is RTÉ's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young audience.
RTÉ Radio 2, as it was originally known, began broadcasting on May 31, 1979. "Like Clockwork" by the Boomtown Rats was the first song on air, played by Larry Gogan. It was developed as a response by RTÉ to the pirate radio craze sweeping Dublin and the country. Its main inspiration in format was BBC Radio 1. Its original slogan was "Radio 2 Comin'atcha" and as well as broadcasting popular music, it carried a number of other musical strands as well as news and current affairs.
Its original broadcast frequencies were 612 kHz MW (until 2004) and later, 90-92 MHz FM. Original DJs included Larry Gogan, who moved over from RTÉ Radio 1, Mark Cagney, Michael McNamara, Declan Meehan, Vincent Hanley, Ronan Collins, Gerry Ryan and Dave Fanning.An all-music, mostly rock, sister station of 2FM, "RTÉ 2XM", operates on the RTÉ DAB Multiplex.
Website: www.rte.ie/2fm
 
RTÉ Lyric fm
RTÉ lyric fm, part of Radio Telefís Éireann, it plays mainly classical and jazz music. The station, which is based in Limerick, was launched in 1999 and is available on FM in Ireland (96-99 FM), and on digital satellite and is listed on the Sky Digital EPG in the UK.
RTÉ lyric fm developed from FM3 Classical Music, which began broadcasting in the early 1980s. FM3 broadcast classical music on the Radio na Gaeltachta network at breakfast time, lunchtime and in the evenings.
The station was rarely marketed, except via promotions on RTÉ Radio 1, and had low listenership ratings. It was probably best known for occasionally simulcasting the stereo sound track of movies being shown on the RTÉ television channels prior to RTÉ's deployment of NICAM digital stereo.

As Radio na Gaeltachta Expanded broadcast hours FM3's service hours changed to 19:30 till 01:00. Eventually it stayed on air until breakfast time when RnaG came back on. In 1999, RTÉ put in place an additional national FM transmitter network, and it was decided to separate FM3 from Radio na Gaeltachta, and expand its remit to include other types of minority music. This was partly on the model of Classic FM in the UK. The resulting station was Lyric FM (since rebranded to: RTÉ lyric fm), launched in May 1999. It also moved from Dublin to Limerick as part of a policy of regionalisation.

Website: www.rte.ie/lyricfm
 
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta's mandate is to provide a national Irish language radio service as part of RTÉ's public broadcasting service. The station was first established to provide a comprehensive radio service for the people of the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking region) and for Irish speakers nationwide and began broadcasting at 3pm on Easter Sunday, 2 April 1972.
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2002. During the early years, broadcasting was restricted to a couple of hours a day and that limited service could only be received in Gaeltacht areas. Transmission facilities and programming were gradually developed and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta is now available worldwide on the web. Since 1st October 2001, the station broadcasts 24 hours a day, with a wide range of news and current affairs, magazine programmes, music, sport, discussion and entertainment. RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta's livestream was launched in May 2000 www.rte.ie/rnag. Since then the station has been getting feedback on a regular basis from listeners in North America, Australia, UK, Europe, Moscow and Estonia. Since Tuesday, April 23rd 2003, all four RTÉ radio services are carried live on the Sky Digital Platform and on Freesat.
Website: www.rte.ie/rnag
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