Television viewers would be able to get dozens of domestic and foreign television channels at a lower cost under a new plan to set up an all-Ireland digital system, writes Mark Hennessy, Political Reporter
If a project floated by the Minister for Communication, Mr Ahern, last night were implemented, customers would pay a once-off fee of approximately €160, with no further payments.
The Minister's plan is modelled on Britain's Freeview service run by the BBC and BSkyB. Customers pay £99 for a set-top box capable of receiving 30 channels.
Addressing the Dublin Chamber of Commerce last night, Mr Ahern said the platform could see RTÉ 1, Network 2 and TG4 freely available to viewers throughout Northern Ireland.
"It is certainly a potential solution to our digital terrestrial television problems and it is in line with the broadcasting commitments in the Good Friday agreement," he said.
The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources believes RTÉ's transmission network could be upgraded to carry the new services at a cost of €40 million.
Some 80 per cent of homes in the State receive BBC and UTV. However, RTÉ is content with the proposal as it gives it a chance to increase its Northern Ireland audience. The all-Ireland network has been discussed frequently over recent months by executives from RTÉ, TG4 and TV3, along with their Northern counterparts in UTV and the BBC.
The cost of acquiring all-Ireland television rights has proved to be a major hurdle, the chief executive of TV3, Mr Rick Hetherington, told The Irish Times.
"It is sold as a job lot. You can't buy the rights for Northern Ireland separately. You would need the co-operation of all the variety of sources from whom we buy our programming," he said.
Although prepared to go along with the plan, Mr Hetherington said: "There is nothing in it commercially for TV3. BBC and UTV will swap access to a 1.5 million market for one with 3.7 million people."
A cheaper multi-channel option would be a blow for NTL and Chorus, because they cannot yet supply the high-speed Internet and telephone services that would keep subscribers paying monthly fees.