3News Ireland

Specialized Programming

Current shows:

Previous shows:

News team

Some notable 3News team members include:

General history

Prior to launch of TV3 in Ireland, its strategy was to produce Ireland's first independent television news service. The first televisual broadcast of TV3 News took place at 18:00 on 20 September 1998, 30 minutes after the channel launched.

Initially, TV3 News was presented by Gráinne Seoige (from Nuacht TG4) and Alan Cantwell. The current main evening bulletin takes place from 17:30 to 18:00 and is presented by Alan Cantwell and Colette Fitzpatrick. All bulletins are broadcast from the chromakeyed news studio at the TV3 studio complex at Ballymount, Dublin. TV3 News Tonight was broadcast Monday to Friday at 23:00. The Week in Review broadcast on Sunday nights at 23:00.

On 20 October 2008, TV3 announced that it was axing the Friday broadcast of TV3 Nightly News, moving current affairs programme The Political Party to replace it. (The Political Party has itself since been cancelled and replaced with Midweek). The Saturday and Sunday editions of TV3 News at 5:30 were also cut back, with TV3 News at 5:30 being axed from the weekend schedules to be replaced by five-minute news bulletins.

Since its launch TV3 has added more news programming over the years.

3 News on Ireland AM

From its inception 3 News has played a major role on Ireland AM helping to inform viewers of the latest local, national and international news stories. TV3 News on Ireland AM also provides entertainment news, funny stories, weather, traffic updates and sports news.

3 News morning bulletins are broadcast during Ireland AM and presented by Siobhan Bastible and/or Caroline Twohig, or Geraldine Lynagh or Stephen Murphy. These news updates were previously presented by Elaine Crowley (moved to present and produce TV3 Midday) and/or Claire Brock (moved to UTV Ireland in 2015). Sports news is provided Aidan Cooney or Tommy Martin. News bulletins are broadcast every half hour on Ireland AM. A news ticker also runs throughout the programme, keeping viewers informed of the news headlines. In 2013, Ireland AM decided to extend the show by 45 minutes to include an hour of Current Affairs from 08:00 each morning hosted by Today FM radio present Anton Savage. By August 2014, this segment was dropped following Anton Savage's departure from the show.

As of 29 August 2015 Ireland AM's spin-off shows Saturday AM and Sunday AM will provide news bulletins, in recent years TV3 News axed its weekend bulletins.

History

On 20 September 1998, TV3 launched its news service. TV3 News @ 6 would broadcast Monday – Friday for an hour at 18:00, with half an hour bulletins on Saturdays and Sundays.

Originally an hour-long news bulletin was broadcast at 18:00 on weeknights. However, this attempt to compete with RTÉ News: Six One was a failure, and the bulletins were moved to 17:30 and 19:00 (later 18:30, after TV3 acquired the rights to Emmerdale and began showing it at 19:00, the same time as ITV). News @ 6.30 was eventually dropped in April 2007. For a time, the 17:30 programme was called First Edition.

Previous anchors have included Gráinne Seoige, who moved to Sky News Ireland in 2004 and Claire Byrne, who departed for the radio station Newstalk in 2006 following a High Court battle with her bosses at TV3.

In 2001, after Granada (now ITV plc) bought 45% of TV3, TV3 began to simultaneously broadcast Emmerdale with the ITV Network, TV3 choose to move their News @ 7 to 18:30 Monday to Friday. In 2006, TV3 axed TV3 News @ 6:30 (their only prime time news programme) in favour of a new entertainment news programme called Xposé (see "Entertainment" section below).

Alan Cantwell has been TV3's main news anchor since it began broadcasting in 1998, his co-anchors have all been women. Gráinne Seoige was his co-anchor after being head hunted from TG4 where she launched their news show Nuacht TnaG, in 2004 she moved to Sky News to launch Sky News Ireland. She was replaced with Claire Byrne who later moved to Newstalk to host their morning show. The current co-anchor is Colette Fitzpatrick.

As of February 2012, TV3 News has announced it is to close its Galway studio. TV3 have also confirmed that it is set to revamp its news service with a new studio and identity. It will also change the way it presents breaking news stories and it will increase the number of stories it covers in each broadcast.

On 22 October 2012, TV3 News revamped its news output. As part of the revamp its main news bulletin News @ 5.30 was rebranded The 5.30 hosted by Alan Cantwell. The show is broadcast from a new studio and the show will focus more on breaking news stories and focuses on its interactive features.

On 30 September 2013 TV3 News introduces 'The 12:45' hosted by Collete Fitzpatrick. The new bulletin will broadcast Monday to Friday for 15 minutes. From 2 June 2014 TV3 replaced 'The 12:45' with the '12:30' the show is a 30-minute news bulletin featuring in-depth news and analysis hosted by Collette Fitzpartick.

TV3 News at 5.30

TV3 News flagship daily news bulletin is broadcast at 5:30 pm. The bulletin is called TV3 News at 5.30 and runs for approximately 30 minutes, though the bulletin has been extended to 60 minutes over the years for major news stories such as general elections, budgets and referendums.

The broadcast includes news headlines with reports from TV3 News reporters and correspondents, sports news and weather. The show is presented from the news desk (and the weather area) and has a bright blue background theme. Alan Cantwell and Colette Fitzpatrick are the news anchors, while Trevor Welch and Martin King are the sports and weather presenters respectively.

On Monday 22 October 2012, TV3 News at 5.30 was renamed 'The 5:30' as part of a rebrand of the networks news division.

TV3 News at 8

Following with tradition of other European broadcasters, TV3 began a news service from Monday 30 March 2015. 'TV3 News at 8' has the same format as The 5:30 and The 12:30. Many European broadcasters have a news programme among its primtetime schedule.

History

TV3 News Tonight, Late Edition or Nightly News was first broadcast on Monday 21 September 1998 at 23:00. It aired at 23:00 each weeknight for 30 minutes. It was hosted by either of its two main anchors each taking alternative nights. In 2008, TV3 News axed the late news in preference for TV3 Nightly News with Vincent Browne which also aired for 30 minutes until 2009 when the show was rebranded as Tonight with Vincent Browne. TV3 Nightly News continued to air on Friday nights until 2009 when it was replaced with The Political Party.

Tonight with Vincent Browne

In early 2008, 3 News launched the Vincent Browne-fronted Nightly News with Vincent Browne, a news programme to replace a nightly sports show entitled Sports Tonight which went out on weeknights featuring various presenters that included Trevor Welch, Des Curran, Tommy Martin, Conor McNamara, Aidan Cooney, Joanne Cantwell etc.; Following the shock axing of Sports Tonight on TV3 which would make way for an expansion of late night news & current affairs programming on the TV3 schedule and "3 News Nightly News" was created which was a similar programme to "Prime Time" broadcast on RTÉ One. Two of TV3's journalists filed the shows main reports, their reports were followed by a studio discussion of that report, followed by a commercial break and they the show would return with a look at the next day's newspapers. The format was changed mid-season and the reports from the two TV3 journalist were scraped in favour of a discussion show. Now the programme is called Tonight with Vincent Browne and starts with a look at what is coming up on the show, followed by a short news bulletin. After this Browne introduces his guests and discusses the day's news with them or a specific topic. After the first commercial break the discussion typically continues and following the second commercial break Browne and his guests typically review the next day's papers, and discuss the stories within them. The weather is then presented at the end, but is not part of the show, unlike News @ 5:30.

The programme used to run from 11:00 pm to 11:40 pm from Monday to Thursday, however, following the cancellation of Sports Tonight the show began to run to midnight. The programme is broadcast from the news studio, albeit on a separate podium to the news desk. It has a red and black background theme. Since the programme has been renamed Tonight with Vincent Browne, it is sponsored by Bank of Scotland (Ireland), with TV3's Nightly News airing for five minutes before the show as a separate bulletin.

During the summer, and on Friday nights, Nightly News with Vincent Browne was simply billed as TV3 Nightly News and followed the old TV3 News Tonight format (i.e., a straight 30 minute news bulletin in much the same style as News at 5:30). The Friday bulletin was axed in October 2008, while the filler service during the summer of 2009 was cut down to a 10-minute bulletin. Summer 2010 editions of Tonight with Vincent Browne were filled in by Sarah Carey, Kevin Myers, Sam Smyth, Ger Colleran and Ivan Yates. Summer 2011 editions of Tonight with Vincent Browne were filled in by Mary O'Rourke, Sam Smyth and others.

Sponsorship controversy

From September 2009 the programme was renamed Tonight with Vincent Browne, after a deal was signed with Bank of Scotland (Ireland) to sponsor the programme. Due to legislation from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland and similar European Union rules preventing a news programme from being sponsored, it was no longer to be branded as "TV3 News" and officially considered to be an "entertainment/lifestyle" programme rather than news or current affairs. The CEO of TV3 David McRedmond is also a Director of Bank of Scotland (Ireland). The sponsorship was short lived.

Additional programming

In house news documentaries include Ireland's Crime Capitals, a sensationalist show that observes crime in Ireland; Gift of Life, a three part special focusing on donor donations; Surviving the Recession, a one-off special looking at life in Ireland and the recession.

It is expected that TV3 will announce a raft of new in house documentaries to replace Midweek for their 2014/2015 season.

In 2014 TV3 piloted a monthly spin-off series to their Tonight show, Vincent Brownes People's Debate brought 250 "ordinary" people into TV3 studios for a 2-hour debate focusing on a specific topic.

TV3 News on 3e

In July 2014 it was announced that 3e was to drop FYI to be replaced by a 60-second news similar to the original TV3 News Update that aired on the channel, the news update will be called The Thread in reference to their new on-line blogging service .

CNN on 3News

CNN, the American cable news channel, often airs on TV3 News when major breaking news stories are taking place, particularly major events in the United States. CNN made its first appearance on TV3 News on 11 September 2001. CNN services have also been availed of during the 2008 election of Barack Obama as President of the United States and the 2009 Death of Michael Jackson. As part of the 2012 President of the United States election TV3 confirmed that both CNN US and TV3 have become media partners in the coverage in Ireland. CNN US reporters will regularly contribute to TV3's Ireland AM, The 5:30 and Tonight with Vincent Browne.

Former programmes

Agenda was a political magazine show hosted by David McWilliams; it ran from 1998 to 2001 on Sunday mornings and repeated in the afternoon; it was replaced by The Political Party. The Political Party was a politically themed chat show, hosted by TV3's political editor Ursula Halligan, which originally aired Sundays at 17:00 before being moved to Fridays at 23:00 in late 2008. However the show was axed in March 2009 due to falling advertising revenues at the station. Both shows were produced independently of TV3.

In 2009, TV3 announced a new business show that would effectively replace the original slot held by both Agenda and The Political Party airing every Sunday at midday. The programme was called Business Matters. The series was hosted by Ivan Yates. Business Matters began on 13 September 2009, but just lasted 19 episodes. The series was produced in house by TV3. In 2009, TV3 also started to broadcast the current affairs show Midweek, which airs weekly each Wednesday night and focuses on the latest political and topical issues affecting Ireland.

Midweek was hosted by TV3 News presenter Colette Fitzpatrick. The show began on 16 September 2009. It was a much more tabloid version of other current affairs shows on Irish television dealing with issues such as mail-order brides, alternative medicine, gangland crime, etc. Midweek aired on Wednesdays at 22:00. In July 2014 it was announced that Midweek would not be returning instead it is to be replaced by a special documentaries unit at TV3.

From the station's launch, a 30-minute news bulletin was broadcast at weekends. However, in December 2008, these weekend bulletins were reduced to five minutes, this cut blamed on a downturn in advertising revenues. According to The Sunday Business Post, TV3 had to cut 15 jobs and 15 freelance jobs in the company to save money.

TV3 News aired at the beginning of Midday. As of 2 June 2014 TV3 News no longer airs at the beginning of Midday as the show begins at 11:30.

Friday Late with Vincent Browne appeared in 2011 and was a more relaxed version of the heavy political debate of Tonight with Vincent Browne. After successful ratings of the more easy-going Friday night election specials in the run-up to the 2011 Irish general election, which often featured Marie-Louise O'Donnell as guest, TV3 chose to continue in the same vein with a new spin-off show entitled Friday Late with Vincent Browne, presented from the Ireland AM studio by Vincent Browne, and taking on The Late Late Show, presented by Ryan Tubridy on RTÉ One. Friday Late with Vincent Browne featured guests such as Ray D'Arcy, Linda Martin and Jedward in its first episode. Subsequent episodes featured guests such as David McSavage and Paddy Cole. Browne introduced entrepreneur Norah Casey as "Norah Carey". It was soon discontinued.

3e News broadcast on TV3's sister channel 3e. It was aimed at the 15- to 36-year-old age group. It is presented by Caroline Twohig (News), Paul Walsh (Sport) and Cassie Stokes (Technology). Reports are sourced from the TV3 newsroom, however TV3 state that the news content is entirely different from that of TV3 News at 5:30. 3e News broadcast daily from the TV3 newsroom at 18:00 Monday to Friday.

3e also broadcast regular one-minute news updates. The programme first started broadcasting shortly after TV3 renamed Channel 6 as 3e. The updates last for one minute, and start at 19:00 and broadcast thereafter, every hour, at 20:00, and 21:00. The programme gives viewers a one-minute news summary, with all of the days main news headlines.

3e News was renamed as FYI (For Your Information) from 10 March 2010. The show's presenters remain on in their current roles and the format of an interactive news aimed at the 15- to 35-year-old age group remains. It also featured the 'Top 5 Downloads' which are five internet clips at the end of every 18:00 show.

3Today

It was proposed as part of Ireland's move towards digital terrestrial television, that the TV3 Group would launch two channels to appear on the OneVision pay television service. These channels included a news and current affairs channel called 3Today and a channel skewed towards women called 3Expose. Onevision (which TV3 held a nominal share in the consortium) withdrew from offering the pay television element to Ireland's digital terrestrial television Saorview after negotiations with the BAI failed due to difficulties with the terms of RTÉ NL apparently regarding multiplexing, marketing for DTT and other issues. The 3Today service was expected to appear on the Onevision DTT service. As of 2011, TV3 Group have yet to confirm whether a similar channel will appear on Saorview or a similar service in the near future. The channel was expected to air both Irish and international bespoke programing in current affairs as well as drama, comedy and documentary titles from international producers. 3Today is no-longer part of TV3 Group's future plans.

Former news presenters and reporters