TV3 GROUP HAS elected to move all its children’s television programming to its new, ‘female focused’ station Be3.
The new station was announced yesterday at a media briefing outlining the group’s plans for 2017.
Along with the launch of the new station, which takes over from the troubled UTV Ireland on 9 January, the group has rebranded its existing channels, TV3 itself and 3e.
TV3 is now to be seen as the “grown ups”, flagship channel, and as part of the changes kids’ programming will move from 3e to Be3.
The actual output of that programming should remain unchanged.
TV3 Group finally acquired UTV Ireland last Thursday at a cost in the region of €10 million.
“We’ve rebranded all three stations for bespoke audiences,” director of programming Bill Malone told TheJournal.ie by way of explanation for the decision at the launch.
Far from a demotion for such programming, Malone says its new home will allow it to flourish.
Be3, which is set to be the group’s ‘female focused’ family channel, is to feature second showings of TV3′s major soaps, together with programmes like Loose Women, Midsomer Murders, and Benidorm.
RTÉ decision
Last month, citing “financial difficulties”, RTÉ announced it would cease all in-house production in favour of outsourcing all of its kids’ TV.
That decision was met with anger by the Trade Union Group (TUG) which claimed that RTÉ had jumped the gun in declaring its intention to outsource.
Both sides in that dispute are currently working through a “consultation period” in an attempt to resolve differences. That period finishes on 31 January, although channel controller for RTÉ One and Two Adrian Lynch has said that the broadcaster’s “obligation” to outsource remains.
Voice of Bosco, Paula Lambert previously said that RTÉ’s decision “brought back incredibly bad memories for me”.
“The first thing to be cut is children’s programmes. I feel very, very sorry for the young enthusiastic people who are working in the children’s department today. I know that they give it their all with very little facilities,” she said.
Bosco him/herself didn’t pull his/her punches regarding the situation in a recent interview with TheJournal.ie:
I think it’s because they (RTÉ) don’t care about children… because if they did care about children then they wouldn’t take away the programmes.
Note: This story was amended at 10.45am. An earlier version said that children’s programming was moving from TV3 to Be3.
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