UPC welcomes new look Oireachtas TV

UPC welcomes new look Oireachtas TV Pictured: Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett, presenter John Bowman and Magnus Ternsjö, CEO of UPC Ireland
UPC welcomes new look Oireachtas TV
Pictured: Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett, presenter John Bowman and Magnus Ternsjö, CEO of UPC Ireland

UPC has welcomed the first broadcast of Ireland’s first fully fledged, dedicated parliamentary channel Oireachtas TV, which is being carried on UPC channel 207.

Oireachtas TV will now provide unfiltered access to the parliamentary process to over one million households nationwide, including debates, committees and other proceedings from both houses of the Oireachtas.

Since its launch on UPC, Oireachtas TV has increasd its viewership by 20pc following its move to channel 207, having previously being broadcast on channel 801.

Now available alongside mainstream news and current affairs channels, the Oireachtas TV channel is regularly viewed by 55pc of UPC subscribers.

“This channel ensures the citizens we serve can see for themselves and judge for themselves, first hand and unfiltered, the performance of their parliament and parliamentarians. By providing instant, accessible, factual, objective and impartial coverage of Oireachtas Éireann, I hope that it will improve citizens’ understanding and perception of the work of our parliament and parliamentarians,” said Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett.

CEO of UPC Ireland Magnus Ternsjö added: “UPC was the first cable TV operator in Ireland to broadcast Oireachtas TV as a pilot channel and since its inception has being delivering this service at no additional cost to the Houses of the Oireachtas or the taxpayer.

“We have worked in partnership with the Oireachtas team to continuously improve the delivery of the channel and as a consequence we gave the channel greater prominence among our news and current affairs line-up. In parallel we have continued to carry out annual usage surveys and the most recent findings indicated an increase of viewership by 20pc on UPC channel 207.

“I congratulate the Ceann Comhairle for his foresight in promoting this fully fledged parliamentary channel. Providing a dedicated channel for the public to access and follow Oireachtas proceedings is a great way of linking citizens with local and national democracy through the medium of television.”