TV3 Group

The TV3 Group is a commercial TV network in the Republic of Ireland. Launched in 1998 (as TV3 Television Network), the TV3 Group was formed in January 2009.

The network operates TV3 and its sister channel 3e and the online service tv3.ie. The network's studios are located at Ballymount, Dublin. TV3, the first channel from the network, launched in 1998. The network expanded in 2008 with the launch of 3e. In November 2008, the tv3.ie website was rebranded, with the intention of developing it into an entertainment portal. Catch-up facilities, as well as exclusive content, are available for TV3 programming as are news, weather, sport and entertainment updates. In October 2011, 3Player a video-on-demand service was launched.

Channels

Proposed

History

TV3 was intended to be Ireland's third terrestrial channel. In October 1988 the Independent Radio and Television Commission (IRTC) was created to regulate new independent stations. The original TV3 licence to broadcast was granted in 1990 to the consortium Tullamore Beta Ltd (some of this consortium made up of Windmill Lane Productions and Paul McGuinness [manager of U2]). It was envisaged that the channel would broadcast on cable and MMDS, but it was later decided that the channel should broadcast on terrestrial television similar to other Irish channels.