Channel 6 (Ireland)

Infobox TV channel
name = Channel 6
logofile = Channel 6 (Ireland).png logosize =
logoalt =
launch = 20:00 IST, 30 March 2006
closed date =
share =
share as of =
share source =
owner = Channel 6 Broadcasting Limited (TV3 takeover pending Competition Authority approval)
slogan = All the entertainment you need
country = flagicon|Ireland Ireland
broadcast area =
headquarters = Blackrock, County Dublin
former names =
replaced names =
sister names =
timeshift names =
web = [http://www.channel6.ie www.Channel6.ie]
terr serv 1 = Digital terrestrial
terr chan 1 = "To be confirmed"
sat serv 1 = SCTV Digital
sat chan 1 = Channel 106
sat serv 2 = Sky Digital
sat chan 2 = Channel 182
cable serv 1 = UPC Ireland
cable chan 1 = Channel 106
sat radio serv 1 =
sat radio chan 1 =
adsl serv 1 = Magnet Entertainment
adsl chan 1 = Channel 106
online serv 1 =
online chan 1 =

Channel 6 (also marketed simply as Six), is an Irish entertainment station that began broadcasting on 30 March 2006. The channel targets the under-35 age bracket and airs a mix of foreign made programming, with shows such as "24" and "Fraiser", as well as in-house productions like "Take Six", a movie review programme, and "Day Shift", a daily music show. The station was the first, and is still the only Irish general entertainment channel not to air news or sport bulletins, however, it has been suggested that this may change if the TV3 takeover is given the go ahead. Channel 6 is available to more than 80% of the country through cable and satellite television, and will also be available on the new Irish digital terrestrial television system (DTT), which will be launched in 2009. [ [http://www.rte.ie/business/2008/0725/tv3.html "RTÉ", 25 July 2008: "TV3 buys Channel 6 from founders"] ; retrieved 2008-08-03]

The station was founded by a group of investors that included the Barry's Tea family and Senator Feargal Quinn, however, in July 2008, it was confirmed that Ireland's first independent broadcaster, TV3, was to buy the channel for around €10 million. [ [http://www.independent.ie/business/media/tv3-to-buy-channel-6-for-836410m-1441338.html "Irish Independent", 26 July 2008: "TV3 to buy Channel 6 for €10m"] ; retrieved 2008-08-03] The deal was given the approval of the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland, and is now pending a preliminary probe by the [http://www.tca.ie/home/index.aspx Irish Competition Authority] . [ [http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/tv3s-836410m-takeover-move-for-channel-6-clears-first-hurdle-1445268.html "Irish independent", 2 August 2008: "TV3's €10m takeover move for Channel 6 clears first hurdle"] ;retrieved 2008-08-03]

History

Concept

The channel's founders were a consortium that had little experience in the media, and included the Barrys family and the Gowan Group, a motor dealership chain, who between them, raised more than €14 million to fund the project. The idea behind Channel 6 was to compete with the Irish state-owned station RTÉ Two, the independent station TV3 and British networks such as Channel 4. To do so, the station focused on acquiring the rights to cult American shows such as "Friends" and "Family Guy", and through locally produced magazine shows about music, movies and entertainment news. It also hoped the absence of any news or current affairs programming would attract younger audiences.

Name

Channel 6 is the sixth national station to be launched in Ireland after RTÉ One, RTÉ Two, TV3, TG4 and City Channel

Launch

Channel 6 began broadcasting a preview loop on 26 March 2006 on NTL and Chorus, on the same day as it launched a national marketing strategy aimed at building interest in the channel ahead of its launch, and included double-page spreads across a number of national newspapers, outdoor advertising and a radio campaign. The station was officially launched on Thursday 30 March 2006 with the first programme being a mock newscast by Michelle Doherty, explaining the focus of the channel on entertainment, followed by an episode of "Take Six". Despite the publicity campaign however, the launch came amid confusion among the public and those in the media sector. This was because of a number of issues, including a mix up where the station's website implied that the channel would not launch for another two weeks. As well as this, the station's initial plans to take out a licence from the UK regulator, Ofcom, and to broadcast only on Sky Digital, also posed some issues during the launch of the channel. Disputes over the positioning of the channel on Sky's EPG, meant that it was withdrawn from Sky's platform, plunging the network into a grey-area had it tried to broadcast on cable with only a UK licence. Following the dispute with Sky, Channel 6 returned its Ofcom licence and was subsequently granted one by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland to broadcast on the NTL and Chorus cable platforms. The station also faced issues in trying to get included in the TV listings of the main national newspapers, often given much less room than the other Irish channels and placed in the satellite channels section.

The station's first Managing Director was Martin Drake, who left the company after just eight months, and after a period under interim CEO Mark Kellett, the channel's top job was taken by current Managing Director Michael Murphy.

ky Digital dispute

The dispute with Sky Digital stemmed from the refusal of Sky to assign Channel 6 EPG channel 106 (the position the station had on both NTL and Chorus), which was used by one of its flagship channels, Sky1 or 105 (a still vacent slot between TG4 and Sky One), next to the other Irish channels. Instead Sky offered to place Channel 6 in the 200s at the bottom of the entertainment category as it was a general entertainment channel, and did not carry any public service remit, this being Sky's justification for placing the four Irish terrestrial channels in positions 101-104, as (unlike NTL or Chorus) they are accountable to Ofcom in the UK rather than the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. [ [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/satellite/a28568/no-sky-launch-for-irelands-channel-6.html "Digital Spy", 29 January 2006: "No Sky launch for Ireland's Channel 6"] ; retrieved 2008-08-03] The moving of Sky1 would also have been complicated further, as its sister channels Sky2 and Sky3 would also have to be reallocated to new positions. As a result, Channel 6 was launched outside of the Sky package, however, the station's low ratings led the company to accept Sky's original offer and it was placed on the EPG from 5 February 2007 at channel 223, which later moved to 190 and then moved again to 182.

Availability

Around 80% of homes have access to Channel 6 through a variety of platforms. These include the cable systems owned by NTL in Dublin, Galway, and Waterford, as well as the nationwide Chorus digital platform, and some of Chorus' analogue platform, including Cork, Limerick and Tralee. The dispute with Sky over the channel's location on the EPG, was sorted almost a year after the channel's launch, with the station being assigned channel 223 in February 2007, later being moved to 190 and then to 182 where it is currently. The channel is also carried on SES Sirius for distribution to regional cable head-ends, encrypted in Cryptoworks.

Channel 6 featured in the digital terrestrial trial that finished in summer 2008, and will be part of the platform when the DTT system is rolled out in 2009.

ale

In July 2008, the channel's owners accepted a takeover bid from rival broadcaster TV3, who had been looking to expand further with the launch of the new DTT system. TV3 had made an unsuccessful bid through 'Onevision' along with Setanta Sports, Arqiva and Eircom, to operate the new DTT system, loosing out to Boxer TV. under the proposal, the station had planned to launch two new channels: '3Xposé', a general entertainment channel based on the Xposé programme, and '3Today' a news and current affairs channel. The TV3 takeover is worth around €10 million and is subject to regulatory approval. If the deal goes ahead, TV3 say they would consider changing the format of the station, including rebranding it to make a strong connection between the two stations, as well as sharing TV rights for sporting competitions and working together on to increase the number of homemade productions. [ [http://www.independent.ie/business/media/tv3-to-buy-channel-6-for-836410m-1441338.html "Irish Independent", 26 July 2008: "TV3 to buy Channel 6 for €10m"] ; retrieved 2008-08-03] TV3 also plans to move the station's base to its headquarters at Ballymount. Tv3 as of September 2008 have started cross promoting Channel6 programming on its ad breaks and Channel 6.ie also provides a link to Tv3 programming online which could indicate that the approval of the Competition Authority for the acquisition of C6 by TV3 is expected shortly following the positive approval of it by the BCI in August 2008.

Programming

Home produced programmes

Home-produced shows broadcast by Channel 6 include:
* "Access Hollywood" (now defunct): an entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry hosted by Jenny Buckley.
* "Cois Farraige": an Irish surfing and surf culture show also hosted by Jenny Buckley.
* "Day Shift": a weekend morning music show
* "Game On" (now defunct): a video games show.
* "Late Night TV": an infomercial narrated by Naomi Millbank-Smith.
* "Night Shift": a late night interactive music show hosted by Michelle Doherty.
* "Pop20" (now defunct): The official Irish top 20 singles chart.
* "Popscene": a weekday afternoon chart music show hosted by Brian Devereux.
* "Quiz 6" (now defunct): a phone-in quiz show, where viewers could answer on screen puzzles to win cash.
* "Take Six": a movie show hosted by Taragh Loughrey-Grant.

Foreign programmes

Most programmes aired on Channel 6 are bought from the USA and include:
* "24"
* "CSI"
* "Dexter"
* "Family Guy"
* "Fraiser" (1993-2004)
* "Friends"
* "Heroes"
* "My Name is Earl"
* "Rachel Ray"
* "Sex and the City"
* "Scrubs"
* "The Sopranos"
* "The Wire"

ee also

* Media in Ireland
* List of Irish television channels

References

External links

* [http://www.channel6.ie Channel 6 Homepage]
* [http://www.tv3.ie/index.php TV3 Homepage]