TEILIFIS na Gaeilge has been criticised by Dail deputies and senators for sparse local coverage, poor availability and a lack of controversial "punch".
The new station badly needed an equivalent of RTE's Late Late Show, Mr Eamon O Cuiv (FF, Galway West), told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Irish Language yesterday.
Questioning a delegation from the station which attended the committee, Mr O Cuiv said poor availability and reception problems were also hampering progress.
Senator Tom Fitzgerald (FF) asked if the station had staff on the road to assist potential viewers.
Senator Paddy Burke (FG) asked why there were now more programmes in Irish on RTE television than there had been before Teilifis na Gaeilge came on air.
Defending the station's record, the head of TnaG, Mr Cathal Goan, said RTE was answerable on reception, but assistance was available to viewers who had difficulty tuning in including a freephone helpline number.
Mr Padraic McCormack (FG, Galway West), expressed concern about the station's lack of local coverage.
Mr Goan said TnaG was a national, not a regional station and was endeavouring to cover the ground with the resources and staff it had.
Mr John Browne (FG, Carlow Kilkenny), asked the delegation to respond to reports of poor audience figures. Ms Mary Coughlan (FF, Donegal South West) also referred to audience sizes and asked if a survey analysing viewers preferences was being carried out.
Mr Goan said that in spite of a report from the Nielsen market research company last November, which showed that fewer than, 6,000 people were tuning in the station's own survey had shown that some 170,000 people watched on one day in January. Popularity of programmes was being surveyed, he said. When the British independent television station, Channel 4, was launched initially, it had taken a year before it was drawing 1 per cent of the audience available, he noted. Television critics had given a favourable response to programme content, the delegation added.
The committee chairman, Mr Dinny McGinley (FG, Donegal South West) said that in spite of reservations expressed, he was sure the station would do well.
