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The rovers return: TV3 is getting Emmerdale and Corrie back

Following Virgin Media’s takeover of UTV Ireland, TV3 are set to get the British soaps back.

TV3 HAS RECLAIMED the rights to broadcast Coronation Street and Emmerdale from UTV Ireland.

Britain actor Anne Kirkbride death The set of Coronation Street Jon Super AP / Press Association Images Jon Super AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

From the beginning of December, TV3 will air the soap operas alongside UTV Ireland, before it gets the exclusive rights to the shows from Monday 5 December.

It was announced last week that regulatory approval had been given for UTV Ireland to be sold to Virgin Media, the company that already owns TV3.

The TV3 group will now consist of three channels – TV3, the current UTV Ireland and 3e.

A schedule change for TV3 will see The Seven O’Clock Show become The Six O’Clock Show, with Xposé moving to a later primetime slot.

TV3′s group director of programming, Bill Malone, said that they will use their current line-up to “maximise viewership and to cross-promote the quality Irish programming” in development at TV3.

15/8/2013 TV3 Autumn Schedules TV3's parent company has acquired UTV Ireland Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

A subsidiary of Liberty Global, UPC Ireland rebranded to Virgin Media Ireland last year, after purchasing TV3 for €80 million.

Read: UTV Ireland and TV3 will soon be part of one big company. What will that mean for viewers?

Read: Things are going from bad to worse at UTV Ireland

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38 Comments
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    Mute Lee Jones
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 4:41 PM

    Think they may kill off UTV Ireland as a lame duck shockingly bad station.

    173
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    Mute Graham Dowling
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 4:37 PM

    Very impressive how TV3 have turned their fortunes and the tables around after so many said UTV would kill’em off

    158
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    Mute Billy Larkin
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 5:00 PM

    UTV Ireland is as amateurish as a local community T.V station.

    92
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    Mute Ted Murray
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 5:00 PM

    @Graham Dowling: __ It was strange that those behind UTV Ireland programmimg thought they knew what people down here wanted to watch, completely ignored public opinion and plodded on regardless. Kamikaze TV.

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 5:54 PM

    @Graham Dowling:

    Virgin Media are turning them around with investment. VM is owned by Liberty Global who just bought F1 for 8 Billion. there is no shortage of cash there!

    28
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    Mute Screaming Toddy
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 9:14 PM

    @Graham Dowling: Easily done when you have Virgin Media bankrolling them.

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    Mute Patrick James Walsh
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    Nov 23rd 2016, 1:46 AM

    @Nick Allen: If VM have access to so much cash, maybe they can invest in some decent programming and in commissioning some home grown talent and put it up to RTE them.

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    Mute Screaming Toddy
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    Nov 23rd 2016, 8:55 AM

    You question the cash reserves of Liberty Global?

    1
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    Mute Rochelle
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 4:58 PM

    Presumably UTV Ireland will be getting a name change if isn’t shut down?

    59
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    Mute Irish Cottage Rental
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 6:22 PM

    One small island two UTVs – makes no sense.

    57
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    Mute oliverjumelle
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 7:01 PM

    Wasn’t eastenders on tv3 years ago???

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 7:34 PM

    No don’t think it was …

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    Mute Screaming Toddy
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 9:15 PM

    @oliverjumelle: Yes it was.

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    Mute Dónal O'Flynn
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    Nov 23rd 2016, 12:29 AM

    @oliverjumelle: Yes, you’re correct: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=56409

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    Mute TommieB
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 9:02 PM

    TV3 better sort out their subtitling, its bad, UTV has it better, tbqh, as a deaf person, who has interests in current affairs, vincent browne show has none, same could be said for the rest of their programs, zero or poor subtitling.

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    Mute Ciarán Masterson
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 11:26 PM

    @TommieB:

    Agreed.

    However, the amount of news and current affairs coverage on TV3 is poor except for when the US presidential election takes place – Tonight with VB was extended and CNN was simulcast through the night. There’s no news coverage in the evenings at weekends or at all on bank holidays.

    RTÉ has flaws but it does make a huge effort in coverage of national and international news and current affairs.

    8
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    Mute Seán Domhnall O'Sullivan
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 10:04 PM

    Well that’s utv IRL finished then.the Chanel nobody wanted,with rubbish scheduling

    19
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    Mute Patrick James Walsh
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    Nov 23rd 2016, 1:48 AM

    @Seán Domhnall O’Sullivan: seems like UTV ireland had a death wish, they had access to all ITV`s output , but decided to broadcast utter tripe instead, go figure.

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    Mute Mike Galvin
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 5:43 PM

    Now that TV3 have the main programming back it now is a prime channel, it now must launch a HD service on Saorview.
    The others can remain on SD.

    17
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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 5:59 PM

    @Mike Galvin:
    TV3 is there as a ‘value add’ to get subscriptions to Virgin Media’s TV subscription. Its like Sky Atlantic or SkySports is to Sky TV. The last thing they will be wanting to do is make it better on Saorview, if anything VM will be trying to take TV3 off Saorview.

    13
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    Mute Ciarán Masterson
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 6:16 PM

    @Nick Allen:

    VM would lose advertising revenue if it pulled TV3 from Saorview.

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 6:33 PM

    @Ciarán Masterson:

    Yes they would lose some direct advertising revenue if the cancel saorview. But their core business strategy is to build their subscription business. If they cancel Saorview they would likely increase subscription revenue and also be able to charge more for advertising on TV3 via VM as they would have a larger audience.

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    Mute Peter
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 7:23 PM

    Mike, does the Seven O’Clock Show appear in HD on your TV? I have TV3 HD but it’s useless for that show only.

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    Mute bazhealy
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 9:01 PM

    They can’t pull TV3 from saorview cos if they did they would lose the rights to air the rugby. TV3 have the 6nations from, I think, next year and that is under the charter or being free to air. If they take TV3 off saorview they’ll have to hand back the rugby which was a major coup for them to get in the first place.

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    Mute Kevin Kirwan
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 9:05 PM

    VM cannot legally take TV3 off Saorview. It’s licencing dictates that it will always remain as a free to air channel.

    16
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    Mute Get Lost Eircodes
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 5:04 PM

    Yay brilliant…cancel that independent TD application for Donegal…

    16
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    Mute Seaghán Corcoran
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 5:10 PM

    They left?

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    Mute Screaming Toddy
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 9:16 PM

    Same shite, different channel.

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    Mute Mrs M
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 5:27 PM

    Yawn …..

    9
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    Mute Dónal O'Flynn
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    Nov 23rd 2016, 12:33 AM

    Why on earth would you broadcast them on both channels simultaneously for a few weeks? What a waste of airtime! If both channels are in the same group then all you need is for the continuity announcer on TV3 to say that Coronation Street is just about to start over on our sister station UTV Ireland and it’ll be back here on TV3 in the New Year, then do the opposite on UTV Ireland after the changeover. Simples!

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    Mute Luke Ronan
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    Nov 23rd 2016, 9:43 AM

    Their only doing it on both channels for 2 days- Dec 1st and 2nd. From Monday their on tv3 only

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    Mute Luke Ronan
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    Nov 24th 2016, 12:05 AM

    Their only broadcasting them on both channels for 2 days!! Dec 1&2. Which is a great idea. Give people who don’t read online forums the chance to get used to it and for people to adjust recording devices

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    Mute Mike Galvin
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 10:38 PM

    TV3 should be made available on saorsat, whatever about the 2 more.

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 11:09 PM

    Why?

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    Mute Ciarán Masterson
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    Nov 22nd 2016, 11:22 PM

    @Mike Galvin:

    That cannot happen because of rights issues due to the fact that Northern Ireland is in the satellite footprint for Saorsat – which means that, according to someone on the Digital Spy forum, Champions League matches were blacked out when RTÉ broadcast them.

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    Mute Mike Galvin
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    Nov 29th 2016, 10:46 AM

    @Nick Allen: There are still a lot of black spots where Saorview cannot be received, that’s why, Saorview covers 98% of country, Saorsat covers 100%.

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    Mute Mike Galvin
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    Nov 29th 2016, 10:48 AM

    @Nick Allen: Saorsat offers 100% coverage in Ireland as to 98% with Saorview

    1
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