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THE MEDIA |
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To begin, select a topic in the navigation bar to the left
Newspapers and magazines
The most widely read papers in the Republic are the heavyweight Irish
Times and the lighter Irish Independent . High-quality but remarkably
slim papers, they really bring home just how small the population is.
The Times is the more upmarket, a liberal newspaper with comparatively
good foreign-news coverage and plenty of feature material on home news
and sport. A newcomer on the national scene, The Irish Examiner
(formerly The Cork Examiner ), is, in its former provincial incarnation,
the oldest daily published newspaper in the country; it has a softer
focus with excellent local sports coverage. The Star is Ireland's
tabloid, though the Sun and the Mirror both have an Irish edition.
Sunday newspapers include the Times and Independent equivalents, the
liberal Sunday Tribune and the more sensational Sunday World . British
newspapers are generally available the same day in Dublin and other
cities. Mostly conservative and varying widely in quality, there's a
local daily paper in every county; some of the best are The Kerryman,
The Donegal Democrat and The Kilkenny People .
In the North , all the main British papers are sold. Of the newspapers
produced in Northern Ireland, the biggest seller is the evening paper,
the Belfast Telegraph, which has a soft unionist stance while the
morning papers are the Irish News , read by the Nationalist community,
and the Unionist tabloid News Letter .
Television and radio
In the Republic , RTE (Radio Telefís Éireann) runs two state-sponsored
television channels: RTE 1 and Network 2. RTE 1 reflects the state
broadcasting policy with an emphasis on public information and a
commitment to Irish-language and bilingual programmes. Network 2 is more
upbeat, with plenty of chat shows and youth-oriented programmes. There
are two relatively new independent channels: TV3 which features mostly
British and American soaps, films and sport, and the excellent
Irish-language channel Telefìs na Ghaeilge (TG4 as it is commonly
referred to). TG4 has succeeded in its attempt to use the contemporary
medium of television to reinvigorate the language, reflected in much of
its programming which is youth-oriented, upbeat and visually
progressive.
In the North you get the BBC whose strongest programming is related to
politics: look out for the current affairs programme Spotlight on BBC1
on Tuesday evenings, while Talkback with David Dunseith, daily 11am to
1pm on BBC Radio Ulster, gives an insight into the complex sectarian
politics of the north. The independent Ulster Television, the BBC's main
rival, focuses on softer news issues. Many northerners also tune into
RTE which can also be picked up north of the border. Throughout Ireland
the four major English terrestrial TV channels are available on cable,
as are satellite channels such as Sky One and Skysport.
RTE also runs three radio stations - Radio 1, 2 and FM3. RTE1 is devoted
to middle/high-brow music, and cultural and political programmes. RTE 2
is a popular music channel with a more light-hearted feel; in the
mornings for a flavour of everyday Irish life tune into RTE 2's Gerry
Ryan Show from 9am to noon where the host has the ability to turn the
most mundane subjects into highly entertaining radio. FM3 is the
national Irish-language station, Radio na Gaeltachta, which shares the
frequency with classical music programming. Today FM was launched as an
ambitious attempt to rival the state-owned media, and although its
daytime output is rather uninspiring, its evening broadcasting, a mix of
politics, satire and informed musical opinion is by far the best in the
country: The Last Word , weekdays from 5 till 7pm, a current affairs
programme hosted by the outspoken Eamonn Dunphy, is followed from 7 to
9pm by Pet Sounds where Tom Dunne trawls through his eclectic and, at
times, idiosyncratic music collection, while the evening winds down to
the dulcet tones of Kerryman Donal Dineen, an authority on contemporary
electronic music. Deregulation of the radio has resulted in the growth
of local radio on the FM airwaves. The quality varies, but you'll find
some interesting fare, including all-Irish stations in Connemara and
Ring, Co. Waterford, that are worth listening to for traditional music,
country and western and insights into local issues.
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