The Brexit Effect

So Brexit it almost upon us.

I’m based in Ireland and am interested in the impact. Yesterday Sky removed most music channels that don’t have a license to broadcast in Ireland from their ROI lineup, no word yet if Virgin will do the same.

As Jan 1 approaches I wonder what impact Brexit will have on the broadcasting landscape?

Here are the full list of channels removed from the ROI EPG this week on Sky on the basis of Brexit. Only RT is gone from Virgin Media Ireland.

Trace Xmas 364
Trace Vault 365
NOW 70s 368
NOW XMAS 371
NOW 80s 372
Clubland TV 373

CGTN HD 509
RT HD 511
RT 879
CGTN 891

JML Direct 661
Cruise1st.tv 688

AAJ TAK 710
British Muslim 752

Classic FM 0106
Absolute 0107
talkSPORT 0108
Capital 0109
Planet Rock 0110
Heart 0111
Heart 80s 0112
Radio X 0113
Capital XTRA 0114
Gold 0121
WRN Europe 0122
LBC 0124
Smooth 0128
TWR 0138
Heart Dance 0146
Sukh Sagar 0150
Desi Radio 0169
Kiss 0178
Magic 0180
Hits Radio 0188
Absolute 80s 0200
Absolute 90s 0201
Jazz FM 0202
Classic Rock 0203
Virgin Radio 0215
Scala Radio 0216
Heart 90s 0217
LBC News 0221

How awful! A devastating blow to the Sky ROI lineup!

(Yes. I am being sarcastic)

I wonder how much extra money or hassle it is for the broadcasters to modify their licences or obtain a new one for Ireland... and if any of them will bother doing it so they can return in 2021?

Going by the list though, the only real "loss" for ROI Sky customers would be the music channels and some of the radio stations, and the channels can still be tuned in, they just can't be recorded from and no 7 day TV guide.

All through the year European channels that held licences in the UK have been moving them, often to the Netherlands.

For the most part, not a lot changes. Most broadcasters have applied for and obtained European licenses this year so that they can continue broadcasting both in the UK and the EU (i.e. Ireland), so in that respect nothing changes.

The broadcasters that Sky have pulled from the EPG are the small few that haven't bothered to obtain EU licenses. Virgin will inevitably have to do the same, the only reason Sky have done it ahead of Jan 1st is because they go in to a technical lockdown over Christmas and New Year, so it was the last day that changes could be made to the platform before it is 'locked'.

The more interesting one is the radio stations on Sky as they're licensed differently and operate differently to the television stations. For the majority of them carriage on the Irish EPG was a free bonus, so generally they've chosen not to go to the effort and expense of applying for European licenses, hence their mass removal from the Irish EPG this week.

As it happens I think all the services that have been removed are FTA, so they can all be tuned back in via Other Channels.

UK licenses can't be modified to cover Ireland. Thanks to Brexit our licenses can't cover the EU anymore.

All broadcasters have had to obtain licenses new to continue broadcasting to Ireland, be it from the BAI in Ireland or from the regulators in other EU countries.

For example, the broadcaster I work for secured new uplink licenses from Luxembourg so that our channels could remain on the Irish EPG.

Is there a reason broadcasters have chosen regulators in countries other than Ireland?

That’s a surprise regarding RT as they operate in several EU countries.

I think usually broadcasters go with a country with the least onerous regulatory requirements.

Some of those Global stations that have been removed are on DAB in Malta.

Really?? Which ones exactly? And how on Earth do the signal of the Global stations even reaches Malta?