Monthly Archives: March 2013

Reception for ‘Today’s Ireland’ New Television Channel to reach 38 Million homes in the US

The All Party Friends of the United States Irish Parliamentary Group chaired by Senator Mark Daly is hosting a reception for ‘Today’s Ireland’ in the private members dining room of Leinster House on Tuesday March 12th at 6.30pm.

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny will be officially launching ‘Today’s Ireland’ in Washington DC on March 19th. The Taosieach will also broadcast a special Saint Patrick’s Day ‘Message to America’ on the channel to mark the launch of Today’s Ireland in the U.S.

Today’s Ireland will connect 38 million American viewers with contemporary Ireland through a blend of news, current affairs, politics, economy, business, education, tourism, culture, drama, sports and entertainment. The all-island (Ireland- North and South)content is cooperatively provided by television broadcasters and film producers who share a common desire to promote better understanding of Ireland to internationally minded American viewers of ‘Today’s Ireland’ throughout the US.

The All Ireland program concept of Today’s Ireland has never before been attempted and makes it a one of a kind television broadcast service that connects with Ireland’s American Diaspora, as well as MHz Worldview’s well-established national audience in the U.S.

Content from Irish broadcasters RTE, TV3, TG4 & Irish. TV anchors Today Ireland and is augmented with additional programming from Northern Vision Television, independent productions from Northern Ireland, and regional specialty- programming such as ‘The Gathering 2013’ and ‘Derry-Londonderry- 2013 UK City of Culture.

Launching initially, with six hours of daily programming that begins airing at 3 PM EST daily, Today Ireland will build to a 24/7 channel within a year. Expanded cultural and travel vignettes, short form content, magazine and talk programs, music performance, dance, sports and more will be added to the schedule. Cinema Ireland will be a weekly feature, with highly acclaimed feature films provided by the Irish Film Board and Northern Ireland Screen.

“This has taken some time to put together,” says Frederick Thomas, MHz Founder and Chief Executive, “but the time spent finding the right mix of content, representing the whole of Ireland, was well worth it. The mix of public and private channel content provides a fascinating mosaic of the people and perspectives of this modern, yet still bucolic, country that has deep ties to the US”.

The RTE 6 O’clock News Report will be available nationwide at 5 PM EST, seven days a week on MHz Worldview. Cinema Ireland will debut nationally in primetime on April 4th at 9PM EST, which will be its regular weekly time slot. TI will also be offered as a full-time channel to programmers, MSOs and additional content distribution networks throughout the country.

Michael Collins, Ambassador of Ireland to the US said of the Saint Patrick’s Day launch of Today’s Ireland, “I am delighted that Ireland has, through Today’s Ireland, an established comprehensive public service nationwide television platform as a further means by which to connect Americans with our country and the huge Irish Diaspora in the United States. It will provide an insight to the day to day life, business, investment, education, cultural, tourism resources and opportunities of Ireland, a dynamic European country that greatly values its very special relationship with the United States.”

Today’s Ireland on MHz 12 joins 11 other MHz full-time channels on digital broadcast channels 30.1-30.12 in DC including: MHz Worldview DC, NHK World TV, CCTV News, RT, Al Jazeera English, CCTV Docs, France 24, RT Espanol, Arirang TV, Ethiopian TV, and VTV America.

These forms for the property tax will be send to homes from next Monday , any questions or queries you have don’t hesitate to contact me

Yesterday in the Senate I moved a motion to endorse the protocol governing the national flag on the 165th anniversary of the displaying of the Irish Flag for the first time by Thomas Francis Meagher at 33 The Mall in Waterford City on March 7th 1848.