Channel 6 (Ireland)
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| Channel 6 | |
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| Launched | 20:00 IST, 30 March 2006 |
| Owned by | Channel 6 Broadcasting Limited |
| Slogan | All the entertainment you need |
| Country | Ireland |
| Headquarters | Dublin |
| Website | channel6.ie |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Digital terrestrial | Mux 2 (encrypted) |
| Satellite | |
| Sky Digital | 190 |
| Cable | |
| UPC Ireland (Analogue) | 256 MHz (Dublin) Varies elsewhere |
| UPC Ireland (Digital) | 106 |
Channel 6, also marketed as Six, is an Irish cable and satellite television operation, currently available on the Dublin, Galway, and Waterford cable systems formerly owned by NTL, the nationwide Chorus digital platform (both owned by Liberty Global), and - as of February 2007 - on Sky Digital. It is also available on some, though not every, Chorus analogue platform, including Cork, Limerick and Tralee. Since March 2007, the channel has also broadcast to a trial of 1,000 homes in counties Dublin and Louth via digital terrestrial television. Earlier, Channel 6 applied and was successful in a process to become a potential DTT 'channel manager'. The channel is encrypted and available via this method of transmission only to the trial users.
The Channel 6 website caused some confusion over the launch date. Initially the website holding image mentioned an April 2006 launch, but this referred to the launch date of the website, and not of the actual channel itself. The channel launched at 20:00 on March 30, 2006, while promotional reels began airing on NTL Digital from March 26, 2006. The website launch coincided with the programming launch and its content includes channel listings and information on the channel and its programmes.
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[edit] Background
The channel was initially only licenced by Ofcom in the UK for Sky Digital operation, and as such would have been operating as a semi-pirate in broadcasting to Ireland. However, the BCI has granted the station a cable and MMDS broadcasting licence, and its Ofcom licence has been withdrawn.
Despite these initial plans, the channel did not debut on Sky Digital in the Republic of Ireland due to a dispute with Sky on where the channel should appear on the EPG. Presumably, the dispute with Sky was to do with channel 106. as channel 106 was used for NTL, and channel 6, was used for Chorus, it is presumable that the channel 106, was requested for Sky also. However the channel 106 is currently occupied by Sky's flagship channel Sky One, while 107 and 108 used for Sky Two and Three respectively, which would have made a move difficult. Prior to launch, reports also indicated that Channel 6 had been offered a 'late 200s' EPG slot, which channel bosses suggested in media reports would 'devalue the brand' by not placing it with other Irish channels carried by Sky. The channel launched on Chorus and NTL only. Channel 6 finally launched on Sky in Ireland on 5 February 2007, with the EPG number 223 (since moved to 190). The channel is carried on SES Sirius for distribution to regional cable head-ends, encrypted in Cryptoworks.
Its backers include the Gowan Group, a motor dealership chain, and Barrys, a food and beverages company.
Channel 6 is one of the few free-to-view channels on NTL digital (channels which are viewable without a subscription to the digital service/without an authorisation card inserted).
[edit] Company Information
Channel 6's first Managing Director was Martin Drake. Prior to taking up this position, Martin was Director of Finance for Discovery Networks Europe with responsibilities spanning 6 offices across the major European TV markets. In addition to this, he had also held senior management positions at the BBC and Five in the UK, and at Orbit Satellite TV Network in Italy. Martin Drake however left the company after eight months. His departure was described as "quite amicable" [1]. Drake was followed by interim CEO Mark Kellett who joined the company in June 2006 from Yahoo Europe where he served as Chief Financial Officer. He has since returned to the hi-tech sector.
Channel 6's current Chief Executive is Michael Murphy, who is also the channel's Director of Programming.
The Channel 6 logo was designed by Dynamo, a Dublin based creative team.
[edit] Possible sale
On 2008-05-16, it was reported by RTÉ News, that Channel 6 was in discussions about a possible sale of the company to TV3 for a sum of approximately €10 million. The same report also suggested that Channel 6 had been in talks with a number of other possible buyers.[2]
[edit] Website
The initial Channel 6 website was designed by ShopeCentre, a Dublin based Web Applications Development firm. However, following issues related to the site - a replacement interim site had to be put up in its place in mid 2007.
A wholly new interactive site is was launched in late December 2007.
[edit] Launch
The available schedule (from the Irish Times Magazine) indicated that it would launch on Thursday, 30 March, at 18:00. It began with a two-hour "preview", simply a repeated cycle of the preview trailer that had earlier aired on NTL, before programmes started proper at 20:00. The first face on the channel was Michelle Doherty, who fronted a mock newscast explaining the focus of the channel on entertainment, which also served as the station's first continuity announcement. Programmes then began with a film review show, Take Six. From Friday 31 March it began programming at 15:00. Programming initially aired from 15:00 each weekday and 12:00 each weekend. It has now commenced broadcasting from 07:00 every morning. The channel promised the biggest Irish media launch to date. They reportedly spent approximately €3 million on advertising.
The channel’s launch marketing began on 26 March with double-page spreads across a number of national newspapers, which is to be followed by a significant outdoor and radio campaign.
Channel 6 - all the entertainment you need, is the simple advertising slogan for the channel in line with the fact that it will not feature any news, sport or current affairs.
[edit] Home produced programmes
Channel 6 show a mix of Irish produced shows and foreign imports. Home-produced shows broadcast by Channel 6 include:
- Take Six - a movie show hosted by Taragh Loughrey-Grant.
- Popscene - a weekday afternoon chart music show hosted by Brian Devereux.
- Day Shift - a weekend morning music show hosted by Laura Woods.
- Night Shift - a late night interactive music show hosted by Michelle Doherty.
- Access Hollywood - an entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry hosted by Jenny Buckley based on Access Hollywood sharing the same logo and some reports.
- Cois Farraige - an Irish surfing and surf culture show also hosted by Jenny Buckley
- Quiz 6 - a phone in quiz show, where viewers could answer on screen puzzles to win cash.
- Game On - a video games show.
- Pop20 - The official Irish top 20 singles chart.
- Late Night TV- An infomercisl narrated by Naomi Millbank Smith.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Launch date & target market figures: Irish Independent, Feb 2, 2006.
- No Sky launch for Channel Six: Digital Spy (see link below)
[edit] External links
- Channel 6 Official website
- BCI licence agreement (link currently unavailable)
- Digital Spy article
- Dynamo website
- Intermission Studios website
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