Cable television in Ireland

• 1974 - Dublin City
• 1975 - Waterford, Celbridge, Arklow, Dundalk and Cavan
• 1976 - Glenties, Enniscorthy and New Ross
• 1978 - Boyle, Sligo and Mullingar
• 1979 - Carlow, Greystones, Rush and Ashbourne
• 1980 - Navan Town
• 1981 - Clonard Estate, Dundrum, Athlone, Dungarvan, Cork City and Naas
• 1982 - Longford and Swords
• 1983 - Bagenalstonwn, Maynooth and Limerick City
• 1984 - Portlaoise, Clane, Tullamore, Kilkenny Town and Portarlington
• 1985 - Buncrana, Carrigaline, Ballina , Clonmel and Nenagh
• 1986 - Galway City, Donegal Town and Newbridge[2]

Further towns such as Thurles, Tipperary, Tullow, Ennis, Castlebar and Birr would be cabled during the late 1980s.

The provision of cable television was regularly debated in the Irish parliament (Dail Eireann) who set out details of years of cable licence operations in the country.[2]

Long before any coaxial cable had been laid for the distribution of television in Ireland, the Irish were enjoying multi-channel TV. Even before Teilifís Éireann had begun to broadcast, Irish viewers were watching the BBC and ITV. The BBC signal was available to 40% of the population in the Republic by the late 1950s.[3] Many had already installed outdoor aerials to get signals from Northern Ireland or Wales. Not all of the country could get access to the BBC and ITVs signals, so they were introduced to television by the new Irish television service Teilifís Éireann, by the time the 1960 Broadcasting Act had been produced around 50,000 television set had been sold in Ireland.[4] During this time Ireland experienced economic growth and the beginnings of Community Antenna Television (CATV) or Cabled television broadcasts. RTÉ set up their relays service for viewers in Ballymun providing both the BBC and Ulster Television on their service known as RTÉ Relays.[5] Even before the advent of Sky Digital in Ireland and later FTA UK Satellite, over 75% of households had ITV (UTV and/or HTV).

There were two prevailing reasons for cable. The attraction of the British channels and hence more choice, and better reception for many people, analogue terrestrial signals covered about 90% of the population. Cable companies around Dublin (such as RTÉ Relays, Marlin Communal Aerials Ltd., and Phoenix Relays Ltd.) provided the 3 main British broadcasters at the time (later they would also provide Channel 4 and satellite channels).[6]

Cablevision rolled out CATV systems in Waterford and Galway.

In 1981 Marlin Communal Aerials Ltd. acquired Phoenix Relays Ltd and formed Dublin Cablesystems Ltd. (DCS). The Canadian company Rogers Cable owned Cablevision and Dublin Cablesystems through their purchase of Perimer Cablevision in 1980. In 1984 RTÉ proposed to buy 75% of DCS in an aim to modernise cable systems that had an "urgent need for modernisation and development which was impossible under present conditions".[7]

Cablelink TV F connector box

There was little regulation of cable systems during the early years, often it was there to redistribute British channels and improve RTÉ's reception. With this in mind RTÉ was allowed buy a 75% share in DCS and 1986 formed Cablelink. Cablelink had approximately 200,000 subscribers.[7] By 1990 almost 300,000 homes had cable subscriptions and the Government began to regulate the MMDS system.[8]

MMDS was used to distribute multichannel television to non-cabled areas between 1989 and 2016. While "cable" television generally refers to services provided by cables, as the name might suggest, legally MMDS television distribution systems, which were widespread in some regions of rural Ireland, were classified as a form of 'cable' television. MMDS rollout began in 1989, with the network of 29 cells forming a "national grid" being regulated for, if not intact by 1998.

Analogue MMDS specifications were legally set in 1998 by the then Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation in the document "Technical conditions for the operation of analogue programme services distribution systems in the frequency band 2500-2686 MHz"

Virgin Media Digital MMDS used a DVB-C variant on ex NTL MMDS and a variant of DVB-T on ex Chorus MMDS networks.

One of the first MMDS operators provided 11 channels, but RTÉ One or Network 2 did not appear on the service, rather their CEO insisted on the RTÉ News that customers could already receive those transmission terrestrially and his product was about providing more choice.[9]

The introduction of MMDS proved controversial for a time in some rural areas which were accustomed to receiving multichannel services more cheaply via unlicensed UHF relay "deflector" or "rebeaming" systems. These operations were generally community operated and technically illegal however many of them were eventually licensed in 1999 following intense political lobbying. All deflector licenses lapsed in 2012 with the switchover to digital television while all MMDS operations ceased in 2016.

The Report of the Cable Systems Committee of 1984 recommended the upgrading of the current cable systems in Ireland. There seemed at this time to be no mandate for community or local broadcasts. According to the committee Ireland's cable network had evolved to gain better access to "off‐air" signals coming from Britain. In 1961 the limited use of aerials saw the development of Irish cable. In 1966 RTÉ was given the task of providing cabled services to the Ballymun area. Cable saw restrictions put in places as RTÉ sought to establish itself as a television broadcaster. Only areas with over the air access to ITV and BBC signals were permitted to have cable services (to improve receptions they already had), within those areas only one building or ten houses could use the one link, in 1970 this was increased to 500. This was to try to prevent RTÉ having a monopoly, but they remained in the market with RTÉ Relays.

In 1973 the government introduced a levy to all cable company for 15% of their fee to be given to RTÉ due to losses incurred from advertising revenues, any company with less than 100 subscribers were exempt from this levy. By 1974 43 cable companies had been licensed. From 1981 new cable companies were allowed in areas without "off‐air"/spillover signals. In 1985 314,000 homes had access to cable television, with 80% of those home taking up the services provided.[10]

There was some unauthorized access to cable service by customers which caused radio disruption, while older systems lacked the two-way communication while new cable had only some two-way communications. The committee was advising that cable be treated as a national infrastructure and to be dealt with in a manner ready for the information age. It continued to suggest that new services such as local and community TV, Pay TV, pay per view and interactive services could be used on the cable networks. Direct Satellite Broadcasting was ready to begin in Europe by 1986. The committee looked at both Belgium and Canada as they had similar take-up of cable as Ireland.[11]

Cable was an integral part of Ireland Information Infrastructure and the Department of Communications took an active role in regulating it technical and in regards content.[12]

In 1985 VHF band I and III were used to carry six television stations, while VHF band II carried radio stations, however it was thought that up to 15 channels could be provided on the cable services. They were advised that 30‐50 channels could be provided, but this would be at huge infrastructure costs and was not in the interest of customers, since many only had a 15-channel dial [13]

With the merger of RTÉ Relays and DCS many customers were beginning to see better reception due to the integration of both systems, Cablelink had begun to reduce head‐ends which help with reception issues.[13]

The Cable Systems Committee recommended further penetration of the network around the country. Issues surrounding copyrights were an issue, however at this time the Television Without Frontiers Directive (TVWF) was being discussed in Europe, it was recommending that once content was legally transmitted in one jurisdiction that it should be permitted in others.[14]

The committee spent some time investigating interactivity; while it came to no conclusion about the need for interactive services it did suggest that cable licensees set about upgrading their systems in case such services become popular in the future. The committee also investigated planning laws; it was felt that each planning authority at the time had different rules for the laying of cable. There should be a more uniformed approach, they did not go as far as to suggest that cable companies be given the status of utility companies thus providing them with access to private property, they did suggest that those not wishing to have equipment on the premises should then be charge for the re‐route should they ever want cable in the future. It was also pointed out that some Local Authorities put levies on cable systems, which cable companies were not aware of when applying for their licence, thus having the need to request price increases. It was not thought that unauthorised access should be made a criminal offence, but rather that cable be placed underground as this had cause reductions in unauthorised access in other countries. It was also felt that cables should be earthed to prevent any electrical danger it may cause to people in their homes.[15]

At the time RTÉ received a 15% percent levy from the cable companies for money lost through advertising revenue, as RTÉ now owned 80% of Cablelink the largest cable supplier it was thought that this should be reviewed as it had a near monopoly in the country. Administration costs were also to be reduced and the commission suggested that a 6 monthly list of customers should be provided to the department rather than a monthly one. Local adverts provided on the cable company's line up of channels should be allowed however the companies should have the same constrains as RTÉ Television.

By 1981 Dublin had two major cable companies, DCS and RTÉ relays and a few smaller companies around the city. Allied Combined Trust (ACT), a subsidiary of Allied Irish Investment Bank, held 20% of Cablelink by 1986, while 80% was held by RTÉ. The Minister for Communications Jim Mitchell asked for a review of the Restrictive practices in Dublin caused by a virtual monopoly that had been built by the new company.

The takeover of the DCS system by RTÉ Relays had been approved and a number of reasons for the merger were put forward:

1. A more integrated approach to Dublin cable which had grown in a patchwork of different companies
2. A new primary network was to be laid covering 140 km (90 miles), with 80 km (50 miles) underground
3. A new technical processing centre in Ternure to provide other services
4. Cells of 3,000 homes
5. Increase number of stations available to the public

New set-top boxes could be used to provide free satellite channels, Pay TV, Pay per View and interactive services.

The issues surrounding the monopoly insisted that the cable company had some competition from other sources:

1. RTÉ ONE and TWO are available free‐to‐air
2. BBC 1, BBC2, UTV, HTV, S4C and C4 were available through roof-top aerials
3. Direct satellite broadcasters were currently broadcasting direct to home satellite systems

However

1. It was felt that RTÉ ONE and TWO was not sufficient
2. There was limited use of roof top aerials for the British channels
3. It was at that time illegal to own a satellite dish [16]

It was felt that more than one operator would provide smaller areas and two to a house was unworkable, it did not matter how many cable companies were available since most areas would only ever have one those providing a monopoly in that area.[17]

The committee wanted local television to be defined; Cablelink pointed out that within the network each area was made up of 3000 cells so this would not be an issue should areas require their own local TV service. The company was also in good finances; some smaller operators could end up out of business due to the high cost of maintaining their network. There was also a feeling that the CEO of a larger company did not listen to their customers as they were so far removed from the customer, small local cable companies had the CEO as the area manager. By 1986 Cablelink had made no approaches to the Minister for the addition of services via satellite, there was a suggestion that RTÉ was preventing new services from appearing on screen however Cablelink insisted that it wanted to launch the services across Dublin rather than in bits and pieces as it upgraded their network.[18]

1963: Marlin cables part Ballymun

1968: RTÉ with its subsidiary RTÉ Relays cables the Ballymun Flats.

1970s: Phoenix and Marlin merge to form Dublin Cablesystems (DCS) owned by Rogers Cable Canada

1980 Premier Cablevision is bought by Rogers Cable which owns Cablevision Waterford and Galway

In the early 1980s Westward cable provide cable to Limerick City, Cork city is cabled by Cork Communications

1990s Princes Holding buy Cork Communications and rebrand as Limerick and Cork Multichannel

CMI: Cable Management Ireland begin to buy up small town franchises

1990s RTÉ sells a 60% share of Cablelink to Telecom Éireann, in 1999 both are forced to sell their shares, NTL buys Cablelink.

Mid 1990s Cork and Limerick Multichannel become Irish Multichannel 2000 Irish Multichannel buy CMI and Nore‐Suir Relays and rebrand as Chorus

2004 Independent Newspapers sell their 50% of chorus to Liberty Global

2007 Virgin Media sells NTL Ireland to Liberty Global. The two largest cable companies in Ireland merge and form Chorus NTL owned by UPC.

2013 Liberty Global announced that they had agreed to buy Virgin Media for approximately US$23.3 billion (£15 billion) in a stock and cash merger.

2015 It was announced that UPC Ireland would be rebranded as Virgin Media Ireland. The name change took place on 5 October.

Several smaller providers remain in some smaller towns. The biggest being Casey Cable in Dungarvan which was set up in the 1970s.

Casey TV was bought out by Virgin Media in 2018