TG4
TG4 (/ˌtiː dʒiː ˈkæhər/; Irish: TG Ceathair, pronounced [ˌtʲeːɟeː ˈcahəɾʲ]) is an Irish free-to-air public service television network. The channel launched on 31 October 1996 and is available online and through its on demand service TG4 Player in Ireland and beyond.
This article is about the Irish language television channel. For the R&B quartet, see Tom Gurl Four. For the Italian television news program, see TG4 (TV program).Country
Republic of Ireland
Northern Ireland
Worldwide (online with both live streaming and some of its programming)
TG4 +1
TG4 +2 (online only)
31 October 1996
Teilifís na Gaeilge (TnaG)
(1996–1999)
Channel 4 (HD)
Channel 53 (SD)
Watch live (Ireland only)
TG4 was formerly known as Teilifís na Gaeilge (TnaG), before a rebranding campaign in 1999. TG4 was the third national station to be launched in Ireland, after RTÉ One in 1961 (as Teilifís Éireann) and RTÉ Two in 1978. It was followed by a fourth channel, TV3 (now called Virgin Media One), in 1998.
On average 1.2m people watch TG4 in the Republic of Ireland every week.[1] The channel has 650,000 viewers who tune into the channel each day to view a broad programming policy. It has been reported to have a share of 2% of the national television market in the Republic of Ireland and 3% of the national television market in Northern Ireland. The daily Irish-language programme schedule is its core service: seven hours of programming in Irish supported by a wide range of material in other languages, mostly English and French.[2]
TG4 launched its high-definition channel (TG4 HD) in 2012 on Virgin Media Ireland.[3][4]
TG4 on demand[edit]
As of 2011, TG4's video on demand (VOD) service is called TG4 Player.[59] Previously, the service was supplied by TG4 Beo; this service was launched in 2003 (and more recently in 2010) ahead of most European broadcasters.[60] TG4 Player allows viewers globally to watch TG4 live and watch previously aired programming on demand.
The current service is delivered and maintained in partnership with Brightcove. For certain programmes, a choice of subtitles in Irish and English is available. According to TG4, the catch-up service has had over 2 million downloads in a 12-month period.
New apps for Smart TVs launched in February 2021, alongside this a live stream of TG4 +1 and TG4 +2, with a facility across all channel to start the current programme from the start.[61]
1999-2003
2003-2012
List of TG4 Idents[edit]
1996:
Just the launch of the logo
1999:
1. Messing in the background
2. Playing
2004:
1. Fairy
2. Laundry
3. Bridge
4. Cars
5. Wrestling
2012:
1. Robo the Pink Creature
2. Swan
3. Baling Bales
2021:
1. Road
2. Farmer
Northern Ireland[edit]
TG4 was originally only available in Northern Ireland via 'overspill' of the terrestrial signal from the Republic of Ireland. In the 1998 Belfast Agreement there was provision for TG4 (then TnaG) to be made available in Northern Ireland, along with increased recognition of the Irish language. Similarly, while TG4, along with the Republic of Ireland's other terrestrial channels, are carried on Sky Ireland there, it was not available to Sky subscribers in Northern Ireland until 18 April 2005 or on Virgin Media NI until February 2007.
In March 2005, TG4 began broadcasting from the Divis transmitter near Belfast, as a result of agreement between the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Northern Ireland Office. However, because of overcrowding on the frequency bands, only a low power signal can be transmitted and reception was still unavailable in many areas, even in parts of Belfast. The channel was, however, available on cable, digital terrestrial television (Freeview) and on to Sky satellite subscribers.
On 1 February 2010, the Ireland's Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan signed an agreement with the UK's Ben Bradshaw.[66] This agreement enabled viewers within Northern Ireland to watch RTÉ One, RTÉ Two and TG4 on a free-to-air basis as of 2012.[67]
The agreement between both jurisdictions initially also guaranteed viewers within the Republic would be able to view BBC One Northern Ireland and BBC Two Northern Ireland on the Republic's free-to-air service Saorview. A cross-border initiative has always been on the agenda for the Green Party in Ireland. However, it was later confirmed BBC Northern Ireland services will not be made available in the Republic and would be made available on a 'paid for' basis. As of 2023, BBC Northern Ireland services are still unavailable on Saorview.