Virgin Media Two
Virgin Media Two, also called Virgin Two, is an Irish free-to-air television channel operated by Virgin Media Television.
History
2006–2009
In August 2006, it was announced that a new television channel would start on terrestrial television in Ireland, catering to audiences similar to those of E4 and Paramount Comedy. Co-founder Michael Murphy wanted to compete against these two channels which, combined, were attracting €50 million in advertising to Ireland, as well as competing against terrestrial channels RTÉ Two and TV3 for viewers, under the grounds that some popular channels, such as Sky One, were tailored for British viewers, while Channel 6 was aiming at an Irish audience. The channel employed a staff of 22, while its programming was going to consist of a mix of music videos and hit TV series such as Sex and the City and Frasier; its launch was projected for late 2005 or early 2006. Channel 6 was launched on 30 March 2006, then operated by Kish Media's subsidiary Channel 6 Broadcasting Ltd. Kish Media was a consortium made up of Tullamore Beta Ltd, the Barry family of Barry's Tea, and Gowan Group. In its infant stages, the channel's consortium invested €14 million to fund the project. It was anticipated that Channel 6 would launch further channels including a Channel 6+1 service and a music channel.In 2008, Kish Media announced the channel was for sale. In July 2008, it was confirmed that TV3 had purchased Kish Media for €10 million. The channel continued to broadcast as Channel 6 for a further six months, when TV3 began to promote Channel 6 programming on its main channel.
The station's first managing director was Martin Drake, who left the company after just eight months, and after a period under interim CEO Mark Kellett, the channel's top job was taken by Managing Director Michael Murphy, who later left the channel when it was fully transferred to TV3 and integrated into the TV3 Group. In December 2008, TV3 confirmed it would to re-brand Channel 6 to 3e on 5 January 2009.
2009–2016
In 2009 Channel 6 was rebranded as 3e. In 2008, it was announced the channel was for sale. In July 2008, it was confirmed that TV3 had purchased the parent company, Kish Media, for €10 million. The channel continued to broadcast as Channel 6 for a further 6 months before it was re-branded as 3e. Prior to its relaunch TV3 began to promote Channel 6 programming on its main channel. Including the 2008 series of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, which previously aired on TV3 and subsequently aired on 3e until 2014. Channel 6 Broadcasting Ltd remains a subsidiary of TV3 posting profits of 4million euro in 2015 and profits of 8 million euro in 2023.In December 2008, TV3 confirmed it was to rebrand Channel 6 to 3e on 5 January 2009. The channel would use existing TV3 programming and provide TV3 audiences with a wider range of programming. 3e provides viewers with a mix of US and Australian acquisitions.
It is also used as a TV3 replay service featuring repeats of previously broadcast programs on TV3 such as Ireland AM, Xposé and Midday. It was reported on 24 July 2009; TV3 Group sought to change 3e's licensing from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland.
On 29 July 2009, the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland announced that the 3e licence would be licensed under Section 34, rather than Sections 36 and 41, of the Broadcasting Act 2001. This means that 3e is no longer a separate cable and satellite service rather it will be covered by the main terms and conditions of the existing TV3 contract.
2010–present:
In November 2010, the TV3 Group confirmed 3e made financial losses, but returned to a profit in 2011.
From November 2010, 3e began to air in the majority of homes in Ireland as it became one of the test channels on Saorview. By May 2012, the channel became available to 98% of homes in Ireland through Saorview and also available on other digital television providers.
3e was expected to receive a revamped on-air presentation in November 2014, but it appears that the transition has been either delayed or abandoned.
2017
On 9 January 2017, 3e was re-launched as part of a wider repositioning of TV3 Group's networks with the launch of be3. 3e was re-vamped as an entertainment-oriented network aimed towards viewers aged 15–44.In June 2018, it was announced that 3e was rebranded as Virgin Media Two on 30 August 2018, as part of a rebranding of all three TV3 channels under the Virgin Media brand.
Restructuring
With the announcement that TV3 Group would operate the channel. It was confirmed in December 2008 that TV3 had decided not to recommission the majority of Channel 6's homegrown programming which included Night Shift which had a cult following. The controversial move to cancel the series was reported in the media with major criticism from music journalists and music fans. Other shows which were cancelled with TV3's acquisition of Channel 6 included music shows Day Shift, Pop Scene, and Take 6, a weekly movie review show.From 2009, TV3 began to use the channel as a replay service. In late 2010, 3e began producing its own programming which includes FYI and Uploaded. FYI was subsequently dropped in favour or TV3 News at 8, with bulletins replaced by The Thread.
3e was made available on Sky Ireland in late 2009. Predecessor Channel 6 was not made available on Sky until 2007 due to a dispute between Kish Media and Sky. On 29 September 2009 TV3 Group and Sky Ireland confirmed that 3e would be moved to 105 its service having been on channel 182 prior to this change.
Broadcasting policy
As Channel 6 the service was aimed at the 15 to 35 year old demographic. It aired many new US programmes exclusively on the channel with a number of popular re-runs. The channel also re-introduced Music TV back into the Irish market, and successfully return an alternative music programme to Irish TV following the axing of No Disco and Pop3. The decision by TV3 to drop Night Shift in 2009 was picked up by alternative music magazine Hot Press and many in the Irish music industry.As 3e, TV3 replaced most of Channel 6's homegrown programmes with repeats of Daytime TV from TV3, which it has dropped most of Channel 6 US first runs with US repeats with only Family Guy, American Dad and The Cleveland Show airing first runs.
3e uses the existing staff at TV3 to operate the channel. The channel airs a stripped schedule with very little original programme from any country. Much of 3e's news programmes were dropped in 2015.
Viewing figures
TV3 Group reported on 12 November 2009 that 3e's viewing figures had increased since moving to Sky 105. Its audience share increased by 25% from 0.9% to 1.1% – this brought the channel back to the audience figures received by Channel 6 at the end of 2008. As of 2010, 3e has increased its viewing figures through an increase in live sports. In May 2015 3e had 2.5% of the TV viewing audience.Budget
In 2010, 3e's parent company recorded losses at the station during 2009. A pre-tax loss of €5million was reported to the Irish Company Registrars Office. Kish Media will not look to recoup their €14.5million investment until such time as the channel begins to make profits and when all liabilities at the station are paid as they fall due. It is expected that the channel will move into profit in 2010, however the downturn in the Irish market and falling advertising rates did cause the channel problems during 2009. Revenue was down in 2008 from 2007, while expenses during 2008 had been reduced slightly.Programming
In 2009, several rearrangements of the 3e schedule occurred. These included showing repeats of Xpose and Emmerdale straight after TV3, followed by putting Xpose on at 17:30 instead of 18:30 and removing repeat showings of Emmerdale and replacing them with repeat showings of Coronation Street. Each of the changes failed to ignite 3e audience share, at first a small drop was seen. Xpose was returned to 18:30, while a Coronation Street omnibus was on a Sunday afternoon, however ultimately both ITV soaps were dropped from the 3e schedule.3Kids
On 27 June 2016, 3e began to broadcast a kids programming block titled 3Kids. The programming block airs seven days a week from 07:00 to 10:00, which features shows such as Barney & Friends, Origanimals, Teletubbies, Ghosts of Time, The Wiggles, Stella and Sam, Winx Club, and Babar and the Adventures of Badou among others.From Monday 9 January 2017, 3Kids moved to sister channel Be3. This was part of a major TV3 rebrand.
Since 30 August 2018 when be3 become Virgin Media Three, the 3Kids branding has not been used. However, children's shows were broadcast from 07:00-09:00 daily on Virgin Media Three and was branded as Virgin Media Kids.
The programming block was later quietly discontinued on 18 September 2021 when Teletubbies was removed from the Virgin Media Three schedule, as such and since then, Virgin Media Television now no longer broadcasts any kids programming.
Homegrown
Channel 6 produced several shows to compete with both RTÉ2's and TV3's youth orientated programming, such as, Cois Farraige an Irish surfing and surf culture show hosted by Jenny Buckley, Access Hollywood also hosted by Jenny Buckley, Day Shift a weekend morning music show, Game On a video games show, Night Shift a late night interactive music show hosted by Michelle Doherty, Quiz 6 a phone-in quiz show, where viewers could answer on screen puzzles to win cash and Take Six a movie show hosted by Taragh Loughrey Grant who was later replaced by Elsa Jones, Sean Munsanje and Serena Bellissimo. Channel 6 had cancelled all but Day Shift, Night Shift, Pop Scene and Take 6 by the time TV3 had bought the station. TV3 cancelled all of the remaining Channel 6 programmes as it re-branded the channel as 3e.With the launch of 3e the Channel 6 programming was replaced by repeats of TV3's XposéXTRA and The Holiday Show. Towards the end of 2009 TV3 began to produce more programming Xccelerate a weekly motoring show for 3e, produced by City Productions for TV3.
In 2010 TV3 started to repeat its morning and daytime shows to the channel as repeats. Ireland AM is repeated on 3e each morning at 10:15, The Morning Show is repeated the following morning on 3e at 09:25 and Midday is repeated the following morning on 3e at 08:35. This continued with the introduction of TV3 daytime shows The Seven O'Clock Show, Saturday AM and Sunday AM.
Other Irish programming included Uploaded and Tallafornia Uncut which aired in 2012.
Since 2015 3e largely repeats homegrown programming from TV3, including Red Rock. Repeats of Red Rock moved to be3 as of 2017.