Irish TV launching satellite channel
April 14, 2014
Irish TV is planning to launch a round-the-clock service aimed at the country’s diaspora in North America, Europe and Britain that will be launched on May 1st on Freesat, Sky and the US Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
Journalist Pierce O’Reilly, who previously worked for the Irish Echo in the US, and businesswoman Mairéad Ní Mhaoilchiaráin both also from Mayo, founded Irish TV.
O’Reilly said securing deals with Sky in Europe and Britain and PBS in the US would give the channel the potential to capture a large number of the Irish diaspora. “This will also create a positive commercial offering for advertisers, both at home and abroad,” he added.
The station will offer 50 home-produced programmes a week and broadcast six hours of original programming nightly from 6pm to 12am.
Irish TV will also broadcast specific RTÉ digital content, focused mainly on news and politics, to an international audience, and plans to offer an online service on IrishTV.com.