February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Andrew Bushe
DUBLIN — A new Irish TV age has been launched, providing 30 digital channels and a strategic partner for RTE . The multi-million-pound venture was recently given the go-ahead by the Irish government.
Some of the extra channels being run by the new, as yet unnamed company will be used by RTE, Teilifis na G’ilge and the new independent TV3 channel, which is due to start transmitting in September.
Other channels will be used for a variety of communications services, including data broadcasting and high-speed Internet-access services.
RTE will have a 40 percent share in the new operating company to develop and manage the infrastructure, according to Arts Minister Sile de Valera, who will publish detailed legislation in the fall.
The government also plans to abolish a controversial 3 percent levy on local radio stations and create a _500,000 fund to assist local radio transmission costs.
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“What we are talking about is a greater choice for the viewer with digitalization,” de Valera said.
She said there would be a new regulatory body to monitor standards of programs. It will subsume the existing IRTC and the Broadcasting Complaints Commission.
Cablelink, which is jointly owned by RTE and Telecom Eireann, has also announced that it is getting into the Internet business, with connections that it promises will be up to 100 times faster than ordinary telephone-only services.
The company, which is to be sold off by Christmas, is aiming for 20,000 customers in three years with home and business users.
Brian Moore, head of Cablelink’s commercial operations, said the speed of access would also mean enhanced services, like video-conferencing and video-streaming.