2016 in Irish television

Overview of the events of 2016 in Irish television

List of years in Irish television

(table)

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The following is a list of events relating to television in Ireland from 2016.

Events

17 January – The Sunday Business Post reports that Virgin Media Ireland have plans to launch additional TV3 channels, including a 24-hour rolling news channel.^[1] The TV3 Group later denies such reports.
20 January – RTÉ announces that it has partnered with Freesat, the UK free-to-air television company, to develop a new product for Saorview, Ireland’s free digital television service and the largest television platform in Ireland.^[2]
29 February – ITV completes its purchase of UTV Group's television business, which includes UTV Ireland. The remainder of UTV Group operates as radio broadcaster Wireless Group, and is later sold to News UK).^[3]^[4]
24 April – Michael Lawson wins the fifth series of The Voice of Ireland.^[5]
27 April – Joanne Cantwell becomes the first woman to anchor RTÉ's coverage of the Champions League.^[6]
27 June – Children's strand 3Kids launches on 3e.
3 July – Irish TV has received ministerial approval from Minister for Communications Denis Naughten to launch on the Irish Digital Terrestrial Saorview platform.^[7]
5 July – Following the purchase of Setanta Sports' Irish operations by Eircom, Setanta Sports Ireland is renamed Eir Sport 1 and Setanta Sports 1 is renamed Eir Sport 2.
11 July – ITV plc announces that it has sold UTV Ireland to TV3 Group for €10 million. As part of the deal, TV3 Group inherits UTV Ireland's ten-year program supply contract with ITV.^[4]
3 August – RTÉ announces its intention to replace The Voice of Ireland with an Irish version of Strictly Come Dancing.^[8]
22 November – It is announced that Coronation Street and Emmerdale will move from UTV Ireland back to TV3 beginning on 5 December.^[9]
1 December – TV3's The 7 O'Clock Show is moved forward an hour and renamed The 6 O'Clock Show in order to facilitate the return of Emmerdale and Coronation Street to the channel.
6 December – It is announced that TV3, along with 3e and its newly purchased channel UTV Ireland, will receive new logos, idents and new schedules.^[10]
7 December – Nicky Byrne and Amanda Byram are confirmed as the presenters of Dancing with the Stars.^[11]
17 December – Boxer Conor McGregor is voted the 2016 RTÉ Sports Person of the Year.^[12]
18 December –
- RTÉ confirms that Julian Benson, Loraine Barry and Brian Redmond will be the judges on Dancing with the Stars.^[13]^[14]
- The Cummins family from County Tipperary, coached by Anna Geary, win season four of Ireland's Fittest Family.^[15]^[16]
21 December – Irish TV confirms it will cease broadcasting.

Debuts

RTÉ

3 January – Rebellion on RTÉ One (2016)
1 February – Bridget & Eamon on RTÉ Two (2016–2019)
10 February – 1916: The Irish Rebellion. (First part of a 3-part documentary) on RTÉ One.^[17]
14 March – Hey Duggee on RTÉjr (2014–present)
21 April – First Dates on RTÉ Two (2016–present)
6 November – Know The Score on RTÉ One (2016)

TV3 (Including 3e)

27 June – Origanimals (2016)
22 September – Gogglebox Ireland (2016–present)

TG4

19 September – Inspector Gadget (2015–2018)

Ongoing television programmes

1960s

RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock (1961–present)
RTÉ News: Six One (1962–present)
The Late Late Show (1962–present)

1970s

The Late Late Toy Show (1975–present)
The Sunday Game (1979–present)

1980s

Fair City (1989–present)
RTÉ News: One O'Clock (1989–present)

1990s

Would You Believe (1990s–present)
Winning Streak (1990–present)
Prime Time (1992–present)
Nuacht RTÉ (1995–present)
Nuacht TG4 (1996–present)
Ros na Rún (1996–present)
TV3 News (1998–present)
Ireland AM (1999–present)
Telly Bingo (1999–present)

2000s

Nationwide (2000–present)
TV3 News at 5.30 (2001–present) – now known as the 5.30
Against the Head (2003–present)
news2day (2003–present)
Other Voices (2003–present)
Saturday Night with Miriam (2005–present)
The Week in Politics (2006–present)
Tonight with Vincent Browne (2007–2017)
Xposé (2007–2019)
At Your Service (2008–present)
Championship Live (2008–present) – Now rebranded as GAA on 3
Operation Transformation (2008–present)
3e News (2009–present)
Dragons' Den (2009–present)
Two Tube (2009–present)

2010s

Jack Taylor (2010–present)
Love/Hate (2010–present)
Mrs. Brown's Boys (2011–present)
The GAA Show (2011–present)
MasterChef Ireland (2011–present)
Irish Pictorial Weekly (2012–present)
Today (2012–present)
The Works (2012–present)
Deception (2013–present)
Celebrity MasterChef Ireland (2013–present)
Second Captains Live (2013–present)
Claire Byrne Live (2015–present)
The Restaurant (2015–present)
Red Rock (2015–present)
TV3 News at 8 (2015–present)
Ireland Live (2015–2017)

Ending this year

24 April – The Voice of Ireland (2012–2016)
28 October – The Fall (2013–2016)
23 December – Midday (2008–2016)
Unknown date – Republic of Telly (2009–2016) and The Mario Rosenstock Show (2012–2016)

Deaths

31 January – Terry Wogan, 77, Irish-British radio and television broadcaster.^[18]

References

^ Sexton, Colette. "TV3 plans 24-hour news channel – BusinessPost.ie".
^ Saorview. "Saorview | News | RTÉ and Saorview partner with Freesat to deliver a next-generation product for Irish audiences". www.saorview.ie. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
^ McDonnell, Francess (29 February 2016). "UTV rebrands as Wireless Group and shifts focus to radio". The Irish Times. Dublin. ISSN 0791-5144. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
^ ^a ^b "TV3 owner Virgin Media buys UTV Ireland for €10m". Irish Times. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
^ "Voice of Ireland winner Michael leaves victory after party early – to save his voice". The Irish Independent. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
^ "The Overwhelmingly Positive Reaction To Joanne Cantwell's Anchoring Tonight". balls.ie. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
^ Big boost for mayo based Irish TV station as Saorview deal extends its reach by Michael Brennan and Colette Sexton, Business Post, 3 July 2016.
^ "RTÉ drops The Voice for Dancing with the Stars". RTÉ. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
^ "The rovers return: TV3 is getting Emmerdale and Corrie back". The Journal. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
^ Brennan, Cianan. "UTV Ireland is to be relaunched... as the "female orientated" Be3". Retrieved 18 March 2018.
^ "Byram, Byrne 'so excited' to host Irish Dancing with the Stars". RTÉ. 7 December 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
^ "McGregor crowned RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year". RTÉ News. RTÉ. 17 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
^ O'Donnell, Áine (18 December 2016). "The judges for Dancing With The Stars have been REVEALED - Goss". goss.ie. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
^ RTE One [@RTEOne] (18 December 2016). "// Meet the Judges // We can finally introduce you to our #DWTSIrl judges - Julian Benson, Brian Redmond & Loraine…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^ "Cummins family hailed as Irelands Fittest Family 2016 - Tipp FM". Tipp FM. 19 December 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
^ "Being Ireland's fittest family: how did they do that?". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
^ "1916 documentary on RTE One review: 'A big, lavishly produced slab of prestige television'". Irish Independent. 11 February 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
^ "Sir Terry Wogan: Veteran broadcaster dies, aged 77". BBC News. 31 January 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2016.