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Irish language broadcasting in Northern Ireland received has received a boost as the Irish and UK Governments agreed a memorandum of understanding which provides a framework for continuing co-operation on broadcasting issues on the island of Ireland.

The memorandum, which is aimed at ensuring a smooth transition to digital switchover and the switch-off of analogue services in Northern Ireland and Ireland, was signed by Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Ben Bradshaw.

The memorandum commits the two Governments to facilitating the widespread availability of RTE services in Northern Ireland and BBC services in Ireland on a free-to-air basis. It will also ensure the continuing widespread availability of the Irish language channel TG4 in Northern Ireland following the digital switchover.
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The group which last year won a contract to provide digital terrestrial television DTT services in Ireland has pulled out of the project. The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland said Boxer – which includes Denis O’Brien’s Communicorp and BT – had withdrawn its applications for the three multiplex contracts.

Boxer blamed the economic downturn and ‘challenges’ in reaching a deal on transmission facilities with RTE Networks for its decision. The BCI said it would now ask the second place applicant in last year’s competition – One Vision – whether it was interested in negotiating on the contracts. One Vision includes TV3, Setanta and Eircom.

BCI chairperson Conor Maguire said the commission was ‘disappointed’ but was committed to pursuing its digital policy objectives. Under legislation, the BCI was to licence commercial DTT for three multiplexes – or bundles of channels – while RTÉ was assigned a single DTT multiplex to ensure the continued availability of the four existing free-to-air services in Ireland – RTÉ 1, RTÉ 2, TG4 and TV3.

RTÉ is to set up and run this DTT multiplex independently of BCI-licensed multiplexes in fulfilment of its public-service obligations.

via RTÉ Business: Boxer throws in towel on digital.