ComReg, the Commission for Communications Regulation in Ireland, has published a notice on digital terrestrial television and long-term future of the spectrum used for broadcasting. The purpose of the ComReg information notice is to inform planning and the efficient use of radio spectrum and to assist stakeholder discussions on the future role of digital terrestrial television and free-to-air television broadcasting in Ireland more generally. Questions about the future of digital terrestrial television reflect similar discussions in other countries, including the United Kingdom.

The Saorview digital terrestrial television platform in Ireland is provided by the national public service media organisation RTÉ, which is currently celebrating its centenary. It delivers 98% coverage of the country through a resilient and secure network. 33% of the population can access digital terrestrial television, and 13% use it as their primary service, but only 7% have it has their sole service.

There has been a 27% decline in television viewing among those aged over 15 over the last ten years.

Gigabit broadband coverage reaches 92% of all premises in Ireland and is predicted to reach 100% by 2028.

The regulator says that with the changing trends in viewing habits it is likely that the use of the sub 700 MHz band used for digital terrestrial television will change after 2030.

It describes three possible scenarios. The first is the status quo. The second envisages a partial release of spectrum for other use, such as mobile broadband. The third is a full release which would involve decommissioning terrestrial television entirely.

The note says that while DTT remains important in the short to medium term, its long-term role and its future use of the sub-700 MHz spectrum band will need to be considered in light of changing consumer behaviour, technological developments, and international policy decisions, particularly from Ireland’s neighbouring countries the United Kingdom and France.

ComReg says it will continue to monitor the situation and provide advice to government and other stakeholders to assist their considerations of the future of digital terrestrial television and its spectrum requirements.

An Ipsos survey on television viewing habits found that four out of five homes in Ireland have a smart television. The primary device used to watch television and other audiovisual material in the home was a smart television at 71%, followed by a traditional television at 18%.

It reports that four out of ten homes in Ireland have a satellite dish, with 27% having Sky and 14% using free-to-air satellite services. 13% used digital terrestrial television as their primary television service. 7% state they only use digital terrestrial television on their primary television set, although that rises to 15% in rural areas.

The survey found that over the last three years, 3% of all households migrated from primarily watching digital terrestrial television to a paid service. The reasons given were a greater choice of programming, the ability to watch on multiple screens, and because they had access to better internet access.

Half of those that primarily used digital terrestrial television would consider migrating to a different service, but 47% said nothing would influence them to move to an alternative service, free or paid.

Among those that primarily used digital terrestrial television, 19% did not have fixed broadband internet access, with 9% of all respondents not having it, of which 36% said they used the mobile phone for internet access.

The digital terrestrial television network is Ireland is operated by 2rn, a wholly owned subsidiary of RTÉ. It manages around 1,450 radio and television transmission sites across the country, carrying services for RTÉ, TG4, Virgin Media Television, as well as services for mobile operators and emergency services.

2rn says it believes that television via broadband cannot completely replicate digital terrestrial television services. It argues that this includes key features including true free access to public service media with anonymous viewing, trustworthy access to trusted content without gatekeepers, using a robust, reliable, resilient and secure network, which it says is the most energy efficient way to deliver broadcast video.

It expects the sub 700 MHz band to be required for digital terrestrial television well into the 2040s, together with continued sharing with use for programming making and special events.

www.comreg.ie

The proposed acquisition by Sky of ITV Media and Entertainment for £1.6 billion faces scrutiny by Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary. She has said she is minded to intervene in the anticipated merger. Subject to assessments from the communications regulator Ofcom and the Competition and Markets Authority, she would need to decide whether to refer this for a more detailed investigation by the CMA.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has written to the legal representatives of Sky and ITV to inform them that the secretary of state is minded to intervene.

Such intervention would be under the Enterprise Act 2002 under public interest considerations.

The public interest grounds cited are the need for free expression of opinion in news media, for a sufficient plurality of views in news media, and for a sufficient plurality of persons with control.

The culture secretary says she is also minded to intervene on public interest grounds that are not specified in the current legislation to account for the availability of high-quality and varied programming on demand.

In the event that she decides to intervene, she says she would bring forward legislation to extend the application of the public interest consideration to on-demand programmes.

Letters have been sent to the lawyers acting for Sky and ITV regarding the proposed acquisition.

They note that the independence of Sky News is protected under agreements given by Comcast when it acquired Sky in 2018 but these are due to expire at the end of 2028.

Sky and ITV currently operate separate news services. Under the proposed acquisition, Sky would acquire a 20% shareholding in ITN, which provides national news programming for ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5.

Sky had a 44% share of all live sports broadcasting in the United Kingdom in 2025, which ITV had 16%, with the BBC at 26%. A combined Sky and ITV would have 60% of all live sports viewing.

The letters also express concern about the potential impact on STV, which holds the channel 3 licence for Scotland and buys programming from ITV.

There is also concern about Sky taking a 25% stake in Everyone TV, which is currently owned by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5, and manages the main free-to-air television platforms on their behalf.

The possibility is suggested that Sky and ITV may have incentives to streamline and consolidate their on-demand programme services and that freely available ITVX programming may diminish or be charged for in the future.

The letters to lawyers for Sky and ITV give them a matter of days to respond.

The government has previously accepted legally binding undertakings concerning editorial independence and investment in programming in connection with the Paramount Skydance acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery.

In 2018, concerns about media plurality in the proposed acquisition of Sky by 21st Century Fox led the Competition and Markets Authority to recommend the divestment of Sky News.

The proposed Sky acquisition of ITV could similarly proceed subject to further undertakings, although a formal investigation could result in more substantial remedies or potentially prohibition.

www.gov.uk
www.sky.com
www.itv.com

The BBC News channel has been made available through YouTube for viewers in the United Kingdom and United States. It is a described as a trial and is part of a wider strategy to reach new and younger audiences where they are. Whether they will want to watch the BBC News channel there is another matter.

The BBC News channel is already available on YouTube in a number of other countries, including Australia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Poland.

“Audiences increasingly expect news to be available wherever they are, on the platforms they use throughout their day,” said Anjali Kapoor, the director of AI, innovation and growth for BBC News.

“Launching the BBC News channel on YouTube in the UK and US is an important step in bringing our trusted journalism to even more people. It will make it easier for audiences to access live coverage of the stories shaping our world, while helping us reach new audiences in the places and at the times that work best for them.”

Alison Lomax, the managing director of YouTube UK, said: “It is an incredible milestone that YouTube’s audiences in the UK, US, Australia, Kenya, Nigeria and Poland can now access BBC’s live news channel, making trusted news even more accessible to a new generation of digital first viewers”.

Earlier this year, the BBC announced a landmark deal with YouTube, which will see the corporation make programming specifically for the online platform.

Matt Brittin, the new director general of the BBC, was previously president of Google for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He recently said: “BBC content should be on Netflix, on YouTube, on TikTok, on Spotify and Instagram, and everywhere where audiences are.”

The communications regulator Ofcom reported that in 2025 those aged 16-34 watched live television for an average of just over 15 minutes a day, and a total of broadcaster output including recordings and video-on-demand of just over 43 minutes a day, compared to nearly 74 minutes a day of online video sharing platforms like YouTube.

One of the benefits of online delivery is that it is possible to measure usage accurately. The BBC News page on YouTube shows it has over 20 million subscribers. However, the number watching The BBC News channel live whenever we checked was in the low hundreds.

Interestingly, viewers watching the BBC News channel in the United Kingdom at the time of transmission requires a television licence, a funding model that the new director general has described as “a busted flush” and “no longer fit for purpose”.

A government white paper on the is expected to be published before Christmas, which will set out how the corporation will be governed, regulated and funded from 2028 onwards.

www.bbc.co.uk
www.youtube.com