[Rdd]

They had Tara TV in the late 1990s which was exactly that, and it died a death. The RTE International channel seemed to be a victim of the Bord Snip era, and I get the impression the Player, with all its faults, is currently their favoured way of serving the diaspora.

[AJB39]

I have written to RTE and actually got to speak with some people there, and suggested that RTE should set up a UK variant of their channel - that suggestion was given last year, so we see what will ever come of that.

RTE also should launch an archive TV channel for both Ireland and the UK - they have a vast archive of classic RTE shows going all the way back to the 60s, which would be an Irish version of say ITV 3, GOLD and Talking Pictures TV - it would be a great venture to have, shame they never bothered to do it.

RTE will be lucky to keep its current channels open never mind launch a new one. UK and World viewers can watch quite a bit of RTÉ home produced content on the RTÉ Player which unlike the BBC iPlayer is available internationally albeit in a slimmed down format.

[bkman1990]

The Sunday Times have reported last weekend that the Government won't give funding to RTÉ unless significant reforms were made at the broadcaster. Separately; VMTV have written a 4 page letter which was seen by Independent.ie about the type of reforms that RTÉ should be doing to retain it's licence fee funding. It been outlined in the letter that VMTV should take over BBC Studios programmes in The Republic of Ireland along with American shows & films. They also want to RTÉ to go ad free which could signal the government via legislative means to establish a new national broadcasting charge to fund RTÉ services. Is that charge palatable in today's climate among the public?

[JMT1985]

RTE have had a bad habit of poaching BBC and US dramas and then airing them at the worst time - literally putting two fingers up to VMTV - they do it, so to ensure VMTV don't get those shows which could make them a lot of money.

I agree with VMTV - they should get a large chunk of the US dramas, but BBC Studios also own Eastenders, and I doubt VMTV will want that drama back as there is simply no room for it, alongside Corrie and Emmerdale.

Doctor Who could be a great addition to VMTV, especially considering streaming of Doctor Who is not possible, as the BBC iPlayer is not available in the Republic of Ireland.

[JamieMurph25]

The Sunday Times have reported last weekend that the Government won't give funding to RTÉ unless significant reforms were made at the broadcaster. Separately; VMTV have written a 4 page letter which was seen by Independent.ie about the type of reforms that RTÉ should be doing to retain it's licence fee funding. It been outlined in the letter that VMTV should take over BBC Studios programmes in The Republic of Ireland along with American shows & films. They also want to RTÉ to go ad free which could signal the government via legislative means to establish a new national broadcasting charge to fund RTÉ services. Is that charge palatable in today's climate among the public?

I doubt VMTV would acquire BBC Studios back catelogue, even if the BBC's commercial arm are planning a service similar to what they're doing in the Nordics, but I agree with the other part, I personally think American shows and films may end up on commercial/subscription TV or streaming services.

[Roger Darthwell]

RTE have had a bad habit of poaching BBC and US dramas and then airing them at the worst time - literally putting two fingers up to VMTV - they do it, so to ensure VMTV don't get those shows which could make them a lot of money.

I agree with VMTV - they should get a large chunk of the US dramas, but BBC Studios also own Eastenders, and I doubt VMTV will want that drama back as there is simply no room for it, alongside Corrie and Emmerdale.

Doctor Who could be a great addition to VMTV, especially considering streaming of Doctor Who is not possible, as the BBC iPlayer is not available in the Republic of Ireland.

To be brutally honest if there was a place in Ireland where Doctor Who has to air......I would rather see that on RTE, I don't think that Doctor Who on VMTV would be a good fit, I think it would be the opposite given that VMTV sometimes acts like a de facto ITV region, and given that almost all of ITV's shows in the Republic of Ireland air on VMTV, putting Doctor Who on there would seem like an extremnely odd fit

[Rdd]

With all respect to VMTV, it’s up to the BBC who they sell their content to.

Unfortunately - and I say this as a sci-fi fan (yes I’m one of the few who love both sports and sci-fi) — Irish TV channels are not interested in science fiction, not since RTE aired Star Trek TNG in prime time in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Some shows got aired late at night after that (including a virtually entire run of Red Dwarf’s first eight series, which was all that had been made at the time) but nothing in prime time. They have no interest in airing Doctor Who even if they were given it for free.

TV3 aired the first two RTD series of Doctor Who and dropped it then. TG4 did a very haphazard run of Pertwee stories in 1999 too (very haphazard, some stories weren’t finish, had episodes aired out of order, confusing the two Peladon stories - it was a total mess).

[Jon]

With all respect to VMTV, it’s up to the BBC who they sell their content to.

I guess the argument is, it shouldn’t be what RTE are doing rather than it should be what VMTV and the BBC should be doing.

[Happy2001]

To be brutally honest if there was a place in Ireland where Doctor Who has to air......I would rather see that on RTE, I don't think that Doctor Who on VMTV would be a good fit, I think it would be the opposite given that VMTV sometimes acts like a de facto ITV region, and given that almost all of ITV's shows in the Republic of Ireland air on VMTV, putting Doctor Who on there would seem like an extremnely odd fit

Though no TV Channel in Ireland could show new Doctor Who on TV due to the Disney+ deal. Unless a special exemption is made.

[F4C]

Though no TV Channel in Ireland could show new Doctor Who on TV due to the Disney+ deal. Unless a special exemption is made.

The BBC hold first rights on the show in the UK and Ireland. I suspect the show would be sub-licenced to an Irish broadcaster (like RTE).