Virgin Media Television (VMTV) has announced changes to its daytime and tea time schedules which will see 300 hours of additional live Irish programming, resulting in the biggest commitment to local content in the history of the Independent broadcaster.
The schedule changes mean that Virgin Media One will now broadcast live studio content from 7 am until 1 pm each weekday, unique in broadcasting in Ireland.
The new schedule will go live on October 7th and will see the following changes:
- Ireland AM celebrates 20 years as Ireland’s only dedicated breakfast TV show by extending its franchise by 30 minutes; now broadcasting live from 7 am to 11 am. As part of this revamp, Weekend AM will now be rebranded to Ireland AM on Saturdays and Sundays with a combined presentation team working across the seven-day breakfast service. The 15% increase in studio hours will see Ireland AM extend by thirty minutes.
- Elaine will move to a new mid-morning slot of 11 am to 12 noon, from VMTV’s newest studio, Studio 3.
- Live at 12, a new one-hour news programme will bring viewers the latest breaking news and sport with live reports from around the country and discussion on the big stories of the day. It will be anchored by Colette Fitzpatrick from the Virgin Media News Hub.
- The Six O’Clock Show will now air five days a week.
Virgin Media Television also confirmed that as part of these changes Xposé will come to an end after 12 years on air. The last Xposé will broadcast on October 4th with a one-hour special. In addition, ITV’s This Morning and Loose Women will end their run on Virgin Media Television on the same day.
Speaking about today’s announcement, Pat Kiely, Managing Director, Virgin Media Television said:
“Our investment in state-of-the-art studio facilities over the last three years means we can now step up and deliver more Irish content than ever before. Being live and local right through the morning means we will connect more with our viewers and reflect the issues that are important to Irish audiences. From Ireland AM to the Tonight Show, Virgin Media Television now offers more daily live studio and News content than any other broadcaster.
“Like all broadcasters however we are facing on-going economic and competitive challenges. This means we must move with the times and reflect changing tastes and media consumption. It also means having to make tough decisions to ensure we remain viable and relevant.
“I would like to pay tribute to the Xposé team and all who worked on the show over the last twelve years. Xposé set the standard for entertainment reporting in an era before the proliferation of social media and leaves behind a genuine legacy in Irish entertainment journalism.”
