Television in Northern Ireland
Encyclopedia
Television in Northern Ireland is available using analogue terrestrial, digital terrestrial (known as Freeview
), digital satellite (from Sky) and cable (from Virgin Media).
Analogue terrestrial uses UHF 625 lines, in common with the rest of the UK, although transmission with cease in October 2012, as part of the UK Digital Switchover. Northern Ireland will be the last region to switchover, in a process which will coincide with the switchover in the Republic of Ireland. Both the analogue and digital networks are managed by Arqiva
.
Regulation of the broadcasting and telecommunications sector is regulated by OfCom
) when it began broadcasting television programmes in 1953, followed in 1959 with the launch of Ulster Television (now known as UTV
).
DVB-T
service with a MHEG-5
interactive layer. Between now and 2012 Freeview HD—an MPEG-4
DVB-T2
service—will begin in regions that end analogue terrestrial TV. Northern Ireland is one of the last scheduled ASO's and therefor Freeview HD rollout areas scheduled for completion.
Currently two-thirds (66%) of homes in Northern Ireland will be able to receive Freeview services from the three main transmitters (Brougher Mountain, Divis and Limavady) At switchover in 2012 the Freeview service will be boosted in power and extended to the relay transmitters for the first time, making it available to 98% of homes. DigitalUK's postcode checker advises consumers of Freeview availability before and after switchover at www.digitaluk.co.uk.
Since the launch of DTT services in the Republic on 29 October 2010, some households will find that they can receive 'cross-border' Saorview DTT services. The extent to which it overlaps into Northern Ireland has to be determined as coverage expands.
, owned and operated by BSkyB, which broadcasts digital satellite television services. Another option for viewers is Freesat
, which provides FTA channels from the same Astra satellites as Sky.
Virgin Media operates cable networks in Belfast and Derry. Viewers can receive RTÉ and TG4 via these multichannel networks, as well as, in much of Northern Ireland, overspill from terrestrial transmitters in the Republic.
12% of Northern Irish Viewers subscribe to cable services.
48% of Northern Irish Viewers use Satellite as their platform for viewing TV according to the an Ofcom report.
's Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan
signed an agreement with the UK's Ben Bradshaw
. This agreement will enable viewers within Northern Ireland
to watch RTE One
, RTE Two
and TG4
on a free-to-air
basis as of 2012. The agreement between both jurisdictions will also guarantee that viewers within the Republic of Ireland will be able to view BBC One Northern Ireland
and BBC Two Northern Ireland on the Republic of Ireland's free-to-air service to debut in late 2010. A cross-border initiative has always been on the agenda for the Green Party
in the Republic of Ireland. However it was later announced that a change has occurred such that BBC services are now to be offered in the Republic of Ireland on a 'paid for' basis and not the original free-to-air basis.
Following a broad range of technical work, the two Governments have now agreed an effective way to provide for the continuing provision of TG4 by building a new, low power TV multiplex in Northern Ireland. This multiplex will use the DVB-T2/MPEG-4 standard with a very robust modulation and a very strong FEC (error correction code).
FreeviewHD branded equipment will be needed.
In addition to carrying TG4, this multiplex, which will be part of the UK DTT system, will also carry RTÉ 1 and RTÉ 2.
When the new DVB-T2 multiplex is in operation - some Irish radio channels may be added.
This would be expected to increase coverage of these channels in Northern Ireland, to 90% of the population in Northern Ireland to receive their services on a free-to-air basis, either through overspill as before or via the new multiplex.
The existing analogue signals will be switched off on a co-ordinated basis in Ireland and Northern Ireland at the end of 2012 and more work will to be done between then and now. Digital UK plans to keep NI viewers abreast of compatible equipment in time for ASO switch to digital and know what sort of equipment viewers might need to receive these services.
Foreseen as part of the agreement between both Governments is the establishment of a joint venture between RTÉ and TG4 to run the multiplex which will be licensed under the UK's Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 by Ofcom at the request of the UK Government. This will be a not-for-profit company. In addition, the licensee will have to put out to competitive tender all the elements
of the multiplex operation which are contestable and the multiplex will be operated on a not-for-profit and open book basis.
Freeview
DTV Services, trading as Freeview, is the name for the collection of free-to-air services on the Digital Terrestrial Television platform in the UK. The service is jointly run by its five equal shareholders, BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky and transmitter operator Arqiva. DTV Services is designed to market...
), digital satellite (from Sky) and cable (from Virgin Media).
Analogue terrestrial uses UHF 625 lines, in common with the rest of the UK, although transmission with cease in October 2012, as part of the UK Digital Switchover. Northern Ireland will be the last region to switchover, in a process which will coincide with the switchover in the Republic of Ireland. Both the analogue and digital networks are managed by Arqiva
Arqiva
Arqiva is a telecommunications company which provides infrastructure and broadcast transmission facilities in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. The present company, with headquarters located at Crawley Court in the village of Crawley, Hampshire, was formed by National Grid Wireless...
.
Regulation of the broadcasting and telecommunications sector is regulated by OfCom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
History
Television on the island of Ireland began with the launch of BBC in Northern Ireland (BBC Northern IrelandBBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland is the main public service broadcaster in Northern Ireland.The organisation is one of the three national regions of the BBC, together with BBC Scotland and BBC Wales. Based at Broadcasting House, Belfast, it provides television, radio, online and interactive television content...
) when it began broadcasting television programmes in 1953, followed in 1959 with the launch of Ulster Television (now known as UTV
UTV
UTV is a television channel based in the UK region of Northern Ireland. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.- Terrestrial :* Analogue: Normally tuned to 3 * Freeview : 3...
).
Digital terrestrial television
Digital terrestrial television is provided by the Freeview service. Freeview is a MPEG-2MPEG-2
MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of lossy video compression and lossy audio data compression methods which permit storage and transmission of movies using currently available storage media and transmission...
DVB-T
DVB-T
DVB-T is an abbreviation for Digital Video Broadcasting — Terrestrial; it is the DVB European-based consortium standard for the broadcast transmission of digital terrestrial television that was first published in 1997 and first broadcast in the UK in 1998...
service with a MHEG-5
MHEG-5
MHEG-5, or ISO/IEC 13522-5, is part of a set of international standards relating to the presentation of multimedia information, standardised by the Multimedia and Hypermedia Experts Group...
interactive layer. Between now and 2012 Freeview HD—an MPEG-4
MPEG-4
MPEG-4 is a method of defining compression of audio and visual digital data. It was introduced in late 1998 and designated a standard for a group of audio and video coding formats and related technology agreed upon by the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group under the formal standard ISO/IEC...
DVB-T2
DVB-T2
DVB-T2 is an abbreviation for Digital Video Broadcasting – Second Generation Terrestrial; it is the extension of the television standard DVB-T, issued by the consortium DVB, devised for the broadcast transmission of digital terrestrial television....
service—will begin in regions that end analogue terrestrial TV. Northern Ireland is one of the last scheduled ASO's and therefor Freeview HD rollout areas scheduled for completion.
Currently two-thirds (66%) of homes in Northern Ireland will be able to receive Freeview services from the three main transmitters (Brougher Mountain, Divis and Limavady) At switchover in 2012 the Freeview service will be boosted in power and extended to the relay transmitters for the first time, making it available to 98% of homes. DigitalUK's postcode checker advises consumers of Freeview availability before and after switchover at www.digitaluk.co.uk.
Since the launch of DTT services in the Republic on 29 October 2010, some households will find that they can receive 'cross-border' Saorview DTT services. The extent to which it overlaps into Northern Ireland has to be determined as coverage expands.
Cable and satellite
The biggest single multichannel television network is SkySky Digital (UK & Ireland)
Sky is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting's digital satellite television and radio service, transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28.2° east and Eutelsat's Eurobird 1 satellite at 28.5°E. The service was originally launched as Sky Digital, distinguishing it from the original...
, owned and operated by BSkyB, which broadcasts digital satellite television services. Another option for viewers is Freesat
Freesat
Freesat is a free-to-air digital satellite television joint venture between the BBC and ITV plc, serving the United Kingdom. The service was formed as a memorandum in 2007 and has been marketed since 6 May 2008...
, which provides FTA channels from the same Astra satellites as Sky.
Virgin Media operates cable networks in Belfast and Derry. Viewers can receive RTÉ and TG4 via these multichannel networks, as well as, in much of Northern Ireland, overspill from terrestrial transmitters in the Republic.
12% of Northern Irish Viewers subscribe to cable services.
48% of Northern Irish Viewers use Satellite as their platform for viewing TV according to the an Ofcom report.
Cross-border Partnership
On 1 February 2010 the Republic of IrelandRepublic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
's Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan
Eamon Ryan
Eamon Ryan is an Irish politician and leader of the Irish Green Party. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South constituency from 2002 to 2011, and served as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources from 2007 to 2011....
signed an agreement with the UK's Ben Bradshaw
Ben Bradshaw
Benjamin Peter James Bradshaw is a British Labour politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Exeter since 1997, and served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport....
. This agreement will enable viewers within Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
to watch RTE One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
, RTE Two
RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of...
and TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
on a free-to-air
Free-to-air
Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...
basis as of 2012. The agreement between both jurisdictions will also guarantee that viewers within the Republic of Ireland will be able to view BBC One Northern Ireland
BBC One Northern Ireland
BBC One Northern Ireland is the national variation for BBC Northern Ireland of the network BBC One service broadcast by the BBC. The service is broadcast in Northern Ireland from Broadcasting House in Belfast...
and BBC Two Northern Ireland on the Republic of Ireland's free-to-air service to debut in late 2010. A cross-border initiative has always been on the agenda for the Green Party
Green Party (Ireland)
The Green Party is a green political party in Ireland. It was founded as the Ecology Party of Ireland in 1981 by Dublin teacher Christopher Fettes. The party became the Green Alliance in 1983 and in 1987 was renamed to its current title in English...
in the Republic of Ireland. However it was later announced that a change has occurred such that BBC services are now to be offered in the Republic of Ireland on a 'paid for' basis and not the original free-to-air basis.
Following a broad range of technical work, the two Governments have now agreed an effective way to provide for the continuing provision of TG4 by building a new, low power TV multiplex in Northern Ireland. This multiplex will use the DVB-T2/MPEG-4 standard with a very robust modulation and a very strong FEC (error correction code).
FreeviewHD branded equipment will be needed.
In addition to carrying TG4, this multiplex, which will be part of the UK DTT system, will also carry RTÉ 1 and RTÉ 2.
When the new DVB-T2 multiplex is in operation - some Irish radio channels may be added.
This would be expected to increase coverage of these channels in Northern Ireland, to 90% of the population in Northern Ireland to receive their services on a free-to-air basis, either through overspill as before or via the new multiplex.
The existing analogue signals will be switched off on a co-ordinated basis in Ireland and Northern Ireland at the end of 2012 and more work will to be done between then and now. Digital UK plans to keep NI viewers abreast of compatible equipment in time for ASO switch to digital and know what sort of equipment viewers might need to receive these services.
Foreseen as part of the agreement between both Governments is the establishment of a joint venture between RTÉ and TG4 to run the multiplex which will be licensed under the UK's Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 by Ofcom at the request of the UK Government. This will be a not-for-profit company. In addition, the licensee will have to put out to competitive tender all the elements
of the multiplex operation which are contestable and the multiplex will be operated on a not-for-profit and open book basis.