Estar
18/10/2003, 9:00 AM
TG4's excellent coverage of Irish sport has received justifiable commendation in recent years, thanks to it the Irish language channel's innovative targeting of niche competitions.
While box office events like the Six Nations and the All-Ireland series will remain beyond the station's budget, the sports department have not given up by being left with merely sloppy seconds.
For example, their coverage of competitions such as the Celtic League and Schools' finals in rugby, not to mention the GAA club finals and the Ladies Football championship - which they now proudly sponsor - is superlative.
Indeed, this year alone they expect to have broadcast live coverage of 66 games in both codes - 40 GAA and 26 rugby.
Their viewing figures of 184,000 for the recent All-Ireland ladies' football final was a record for the station this year.
With the FAI eager to stick their fingers in as many televisual pies as possible, it wouldn't be surprising if they weren't more than a little intrigued at the possibility of forging a mutually beneficial alliance.
Naturally enough, when Laurence St John - TV rights advisor to both the IRFU and FAI - was discussing rugby with TG4 recently, he lobbed in a curve ball about the Eircom League.
Except he presumed they'd only be interested in covering Galway, Finn Harps and Sligo Rovers - the ones in the West where most of the Gaelgóirs are.
TG4 dismissed such a presumptous, condescending approach. But imagine their surprise when the conversation appeared verbatim in a business supplement last Sunday. Leaks and the FAI? Shurely shome mishtake?
"If we were going to do something, we would do it properly," says Ronan Ó Coisdealbha from TG4 Sport, confirming that a conversation did indeed take place with the FAI's man on the telly case.
"But the way it appeared made it look as if we would be covering the western seaboard just because we're based in Galway. We're not a regional station, we're a national station.
"And anyway, there would have been no exclusivity involved because TV3 and RTE are also involved."
Pity the FAI's rather bumbling advances weren't a bit subtler as TG4's commitment and innovation would have been a welcome approach as RTE and TV3 still haven't got it quite right.
Is their Gealteacht areas in Cork, Waterford, Kerry,Meath as well.
Their are plenty all Irish speaking national schools dotted around the country as well.
I like the way TG4 said they we're a national station.
TG4 would give far better time slots to the EL.
Fingers crossed we will see EL soccer on TG4 very shortly.
I'm sure EL soccer could break their veiwing figures.
Wouldn't it be great too see 20 live EL matches a season.
While box office events like the Six Nations and the All-Ireland series will remain beyond the station's budget, the sports department have not given up by being left with merely sloppy seconds.
For example, their coverage of competitions such as the Celtic League and Schools' finals in rugby, not to mention the GAA club finals and the Ladies Football championship - which they now proudly sponsor - is superlative.
Indeed, this year alone they expect to have broadcast live coverage of 66 games in both codes - 40 GAA and 26 rugby.
Their viewing figures of 184,000 for the recent All-Ireland ladies' football final was a record for the station this year.
With the FAI eager to stick their fingers in as many televisual pies as possible, it wouldn't be surprising if they weren't more than a little intrigued at the possibility of forging a mutually beneficial alliance.
Naturally enough, when Laurence St John - TV rights advisor to both the IRFU and FAI - was discussing rugby with TG4 recently, he lobbed in a curve ball about the Eircom League.
Except he presumed they'd only be interested in covering Galway, Finn Harps and Sligo Rovers - the ones in the West where most of the Gaelgóirs are.
TG4 dismissed such a presumptous, condescending approach. But imagine their surprise when the conversation appeared verbatim in a business supplement last Sunday. Leaks and the FAI? Shurely shome mishtake?
"If we were going to do something, we would do it properly," says Ronan Ó Coisdealbha from TG4 Sport, confirming that a conversation did indeed take place with the FAI's man on the telly case.
"But the way it appeared made it look as if we would be covering the western seaboard just because we're based in Galway. We're not a regional station, we're a national station.
"And anyway, there would have been no exclusivity involved because TV3 and RTE are also involved."
Pity the FAI's rather bumbling advances weren't a bit subtler as TG4's commitment and innovation would have been a welcome approach as RTE and TV3 still haven't got it quite right.
Is their Gealteacht areas in Cork, Waterford, Kerry,Meath as well.
Their are plenty all Irish speaking national schools dotted around the country as well.
I like the way TG4 said they we're a national station.
TG4 would give far better time slots to the EL.
Fingers crossed we will see EL soccer on TG4 very shortly.
I'm sure EL soccer could break their veiwing figures.
Wouldn't it be great too see 20 live EL matches a season.