New Irish TV station Dublin Community Television (DCTV) launched this week in Dublin, and is set to air a range of home grown drama and documentaries to 200,000 households across Dublin, Limerick, Cork, Galway and Waterford.
The station, which switched on at 1pm on Wednesday July 16th, DCTV is broadcast on Channel 802 on the Chorus NTL digital cable network, and will offer 24 hour ad free programming, most of which will be created and produced by DCTV members.
The station is funded by several Dublin councils and the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) Sound and Vision fund, which is generated from the television licence fee.
DCTV was awarded Ireland’s first Community television licence in May 2006 and has been airing on a pilot basis since September 2007 on Chorus NTL. The station is run by a not-for-profit, democratic co-operative, with membership open to both individuals and not-for-profit organisations.
“I am delighted to launch Dublin Community Television,” said Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan. “I am particularly pleased to see that the channel will be an additional outlet for programming made with the assistance of the Sound and Vision fund, providing increased viewing options to the people of Dublin. The use of innovative digital technology to assist the station’s low-cost operation is remarkable and I have no doubt the channel will be a success.”
“DCTV represents a much-needed and radical new departure in television in Ireland,” said DCTV chairperson Sean Ó Siochrú. “The channel is part of an growing global movement that brings media closer to people and communities, using new technologies to create more varied, alternative and community-focused broadcasting."
Membership of the station costs €25 a year (€15 unwaged), and entitles you to a say in running the station, choosing programming and gives you access to the means to make programmes for DCTV. For more info go to www.dctv.ie.
Programming will also be made available on this website over the coming months.
