TG4

TG4

Ownership
Owner	Radio Telefís Éireann

TG4 (Irish: TG Ceathair or TG a Ceathair; IPA: /tiː dʒiː kʲahəɾʲ/) 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. It is set to become an independent television broadcaster in April 2007, following the passage of relevant legislation in 2001. Additional funding is anticipated. Approximately 730,000 viewers tune in to the station 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.

Operation

The daily Irish-language programme schedule is its central service, broadcasting approximately 2.5 hours a day of 'First Showing' Irish-language programming, together with an estimated 2.5 hours a day of Irish-language programmes repeats. RTÉ supplies TG4 with 1 hour a day of all 'First Showing' Irish- language programming. The remainder of the TG4 schedule is made up of English-language acquired programmes from the USA (such as Nip/Tuck and The O.C.) and EuroNews.

Operating as a publisher and broadcaster, TG4 annually invests up to €15m in original indigenuous programming from the independent production sector in Ireland. The Irish-language soap opera Ros na Rún is one of its most popular programmes, and it also commissions a number of documentaries.

TG4 has a separate advisory council, Comhairle Theilifís na Gaeilge, although this is currently not activated. Under the Broadcasting Act 2001, the assets of TG4 could be transferred to a new public corporation called Teilifís na Gaeilge. However, this portion of the act has yet to commence. Under the Broadcasting Bill 2006 this provision will be replaced with a provision to establish a company limited by guarantee instead, also to be called Teilifs na Gaelige.

Programming

See also: List of programs broadcast by TG4

TG4 has nurtured a reputation for innovative programming in film, arts, drama, documentaries, and sports. For example, it broadcast top US imports such as Nip/Tuck, Carnivale, The Wire, The O.C., One Tree Hill, Everwood, Survivor, Invasion and Curb Your Enthusiasm before mainstream UK channels, and in 2005, it broadcast exclusive Irish coverage of the Wimbledon championships tennis tournament and Tour de France French cycling. It also frequently shows classic films in English, such as Westerns.

The channel also extensively covers Irish sports, such as Gaelic football and hurling leagues and club championships, and women's gaelic football (formerly it also broadcast Celtic League rugby). These are events which generally do not appeal to a mass audience, but have a reasonably loyal following.

TG4 also produces a small amount of light entertainment, such as the chat show Ardán and the fashion/dating show Paisean Faisean. Most of TG4's programming is subtitled in English.

On October 31st 2006 it aired the first episode of a comedy-drama series aimed at a teenage audience, entitled Aifric after the programme's fourteen-year-old protagonist.

It also actively commissions documentaries such as the acclaimed and popular Amú series of travel programmes which launched the career of Hector Ó hEochagáin, one of a number of TG4 presenters who have gone on to success at other channels. Others include newsreader Gráinne Seoige.

Additionally, in June 2006, the station began a trial online simulcast of most of their content, available at tg4.tv. Certain content is blacked out for rights reasons.

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, reception is still unavailable in many areas, even in Belfast.

Future

TV3, the only terrestrial channel in Ireland not publicly funded, would like TG4 to become a full time Irish language channel which doesn't show any English language programmes, more Information here.

Trivia

• When TnaG was launched, it was derided as a white elephant by Kevin Myers of the Irish Times, who called it 'Telefís De Lorean', in a reference to the ill-fated De Lorean Motor Company.
• Its first manager (Ceannasaí) was Cathal Goan who is now the Director General of TG4's parent company, RTÉ.
• The teletext service is called Téacs TG4.
• Pól Ó Gallchóir is the current (2007) manager or Ceannasaí, he originates from Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal.

TG4 Analogue UHF Transmitters

Source: http://www.irish-tv.com/irishtrans.asp

Channel	Location
23	Mount Leinster
31	Mullaghanish
33	Holywell Hill
50	Cairn Hill
55	Three Rock
59	Divis (Northern Ireland)
59	Kippure
63	Spur Hill
63	Truskmore
68	Clermont Carn
68	Maghera

References

• ”Irish Viewers to get a '6' Sense Soon.” (9 Feb. 2006). The Irish Independent Business p10

See also

• List of Irish television channels
• List of TG4 television programming
• Raidió na Gaeltachta

External links

• Official Site
• TG4 online stream
• Ros na Rún
• Ros na Rún - production designer's site