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Contrary to popular opinion, digital TV isn't just about pay-tv. One of the benifits of switching to digital is that you'll have access to a new range of free to air channels from your favourite terrestrial broadcasters (whose channels are tops in even pay-tv households). In this feature we look at the terrestrial broadcasters plans for new free to air TV channels.

D I G I T A L
The Broadcasting Bill 1999 gives RTE an entire multiplex on DTT and provides that all the services of RTE shall be must-carry on Digital Cable, though not Digital MMDS - although with Chorus keeping its Digital Cable and Digital MMDS services the same at the moment, the latter is expected to carry all the RTE services. RTE have set up three new business units for digital TV - The first is RTE Network (DTTN Limited), which will develop the digital platform and will be privatised this Spring. Remaining within RTE however as intergal parts of the Digital multiplex plans are RTE Digital, headed by Gerry Reynolds, and RTE Interactive.

RTE Digital is currently planning and recruiting key personel for its three new channels, which will launch on Mux 1 alongside RTE ONE and N2. IRELAND TODAY is the most advanced channel in development. Detailed business plans and budgets for the channel went before the RTE Authority in December 2000 and are expected to be approved soon. The channel is described as "The Digital News, Sport, and Information Network", it is expected to launch by the end of 2001 or early 2002. It will have a budget of £7.5m. Programming will consist of regular half-hour news bulittens provided by RTE News, as well as bought in programming and repeats of RTE ONE current affairs programmes. One of the innovations of the new channel will be its regional programming - news hubs are to be developed in Galway and Cork, staffed by Video-Journalists who will carry their own cameras and edit their own reports. The channel could be up and running rather quickly, however this will depend on the unions at RTE (NUJ and SIPTU) which are quite prone to delaying things. It will, like the other channels, also depend on platforms being available to carry it. Unlike the other channels it is possible that RTE may well put Ireland Today on SkyDigital (possibly as an overnight/breakfast-time service on Tara?) as a service for ex-pats in the UK.

Much less is known about the other two channels. Only that one will be an Arts, Culture, Entertainent, and Educational service either called EOLAIS or ACE. This service may incorporate repeats of "classic" RTE programmes alongside its high-browe BBC4-type brief. The other will be a youth-oriented, possibly heavily music-video based channel provisionally called ZAP@TV. Neither of the three working titles are likely to stick - RTE will possibly commission a PR company to think up better names. RTE Interactive are working on interactive layers on all five channels using MHEG-5. This is likely to incoporate a digital form of Aertel.

BCI Analogue Terrestrial Programme Contractor

The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland's analogue terrestrial programme contractor - until 2012, TV3 Television Network Ltd - has two and a half-channels (could squash in three with stat muxing) on Mux 2. One of these must be used to simulcast its analogue service. The other two, if used, are likely to be ITV or Granada related channels. Either that, or TV3 may sell the space for cash.

Telifis na Gaelige (TG4)
The Broadcasting Bill 1999 will set up a new government owned corporation, Telefis na Gaelige, which will take over the business of Serbhisi Telifis na Gaelige - more commonly known as TG4. The new Corporation recieves half of multiplex 2. It will broadcast TG4 as one of its channels. TnaG will have special responsiblity for Parliamentary coverage under the Bill, and thus the second channel may be used for this pupose - while Parliament is in recess Euronews could be broadcast.

BBC New Digital Services
Currently the BBC Digital services consists of the regular BBC ONE Northern Ireland and BBC TWO programmes. Alongside BBC NEWS 24, there were two extra services - BBC CHOICE Northern Ireland, and BBC KNOWLEDGE.

In late 2000, the BBC decided to change its digital strategy. Its new strategy sees BBC ONE move towards mass market entertainment. BBC TWO will become a channel for the over-35s. but another aspect of the new services sees it become the major channel for national programming in Northern Ireland (as well as Scotland and Wales). BBC TWO Northern Ireland Digital will be have its peak hours devoted to regional programmes, although Digital Satellite viewers will continue to be able to watch the English version. There will also be two new channels - BBC THREE replaces BBC CHOICE and will provide a UK-wide youth/teen programming services. BBC KNOWLEDGE becomes BBC FOUR and will have "cultural" programmes as well as other high-browe programming and features. There will be childrens programmes on BBC THREE and BBC FOUR during the day, and a BBC TEXT digital teletext service.

Although Carlton and Granada have been operating pay-TV channels for a while now, the ITV Network Centre's first foray into the multichannel world was a second TV channel, ITV2, launched in 1998. In mid-1999 this channel launched in Ireland as TVyou, although only ONdigital viewers were able to recieve it. On 1st January the name UTV-2 was adopted in line with UTV's new year mini-rebranding of its main channel. UTV still have not managed to extend the reach of this channel, which is not making them any money - although it doesn't cost much since its automatically played out - in spite of their intentions to make it an all-Ireland premier FTA channel. UTV are still waiting to see the final shape of DTT in the Republic to see what to do.

Meanwhile with the consolidation of ITV the Network Centre is considering further FTA plans. ITVText Plus is the first, a digital teletext service. It is produced mainly by the Network Centre, though it has input from, and is co-branded with, the ITV companies (eg. ITVText+UTV in Ireland). Rumour has it that the Carlton and GSkyB channels are about to be rebranded ITV (although these are Granada owned, and are not FTA). The Network Centre is also considering commissioning a news channel off ITN - though how this could possibly be any different from the existing ITN News Channel is beyond me

Which brings me nicely along to ITN, the ITV news contractor. It operates two FTA digital channels - the ITN News Channel and Euronews. Euronews, a pan-European service based in Lyon, is broadcast terrestrially in Ireland on TG4's frequency overnight and in the mornings (until 12 noon some weekdays), as well as on RTE ONE and N2 in the mornings. It is likely to make an appearence on Irish DTT in one form or another, and will also be shortly available FTA on SkyDigital. Meanwhile the ITN News Channel is available to all digital viewers in Northern Ireland - although only at breakfast time for DTT viewers. It is likely to be available to NTL digitalplus viewers in the Republic of Ireland.