RTÉ programmes are to be broadcast on the Sky Digital platform from April, under a deal signed this morning between RTÉ and BSkyB. RTÉ says the deal will make programmes on RTÉ 1, Network 2 and TG 4 available to new audiences, particularly in Northern Ireland.
Output will continue to be available on the existing terrestrial services, including cable. The four radio channels will also be available to listeners in Britain, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands.
Sky's chief operating officer Richard Freudenstein said they would be giving RTÉ top positioning in its Electronic Programme Guide for Ireland. He has also confirmed that Sky now has almost 194,000 digital subscribers in Ireland.
This week the UK station, ITV, announced it was paying Sky Digital £17m to appear on the Sky digital platform. However, neither RTÉ nor Sky would confirm what, if any, payment was being made to Sky.
Meanwhile, IBEC has called on the Government to accelerate the roll-out of its digital terrestrial television service. The employers’ federation's audio-visual sector representative said that the Irish consumer had already voted for digital – 193,000 homes subscribe to Sky’s digital service.
However, Tommy McCabe warned that that because Sky Digital is well established in Ireland, there might not be a market in the future for a start-up digital network. Mr McCabe said that it was logical for RTÉ to do this deal, but called for a choice of digital platforms for Irish consumers.
However, the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands has confirmed that the digital terrestrial television project will not be affected by today’s deal. A Department spokesperson said that it is envisaged that DTT will be a commercial operation and as such will operate in whatever the current commercial climate.
In a separate development, Minister de Valera has been asked by the board of Udarás na Gaeltachta to intervene in a cut in Raidió na Gaeltachta's budget. The Irish language station’s 2002 budget has been cut by £370,000, due to the financial crisis at RTÉ. The motion was passed at a meeting in Achill today.
