For a traditional Irish night of entertainment this Christmas why not switch from all the Hollywood make believe and go back to the roots of Irish ancestry. TV viewers across Europe can tune into Sky Channel 191 at 10 p.m. for a Christmas Night treat… Ireland West Music TV will present a two-hour Christmas Night special, hosted by Paul Claffey and Gerry Glennon. The show will treat viewers to conversation and music from Nathan Carter, Michael English, Seán Keane, Brendan and Emily Shine, Patrick Feeney, Conal Gallen, Jimmy Buckley, Des Willoughby, Brendan Quinn and Carmel McLoughlin.
Ireland West Music TV is based in a Ballyhaunis TV studio. The station’s managing director, Paul Claffey, says that the venture is exceeding all expectations. “Since we started Ireland West Music TV the reaction has been phenomenal. We always identified a television programme as a natural extension of what we do on local radio, and the fact that we’ve been able to attain the same levels of support and loyalty across such a vast area proves that a vibrant market exists for this type of service… I’m extremely confident that we will continue to increase the viewership throughout 2014 and beyond.”
The TV project, which started in October 2011, first recorded programmes in Co. Galway. However, earlier this year, significant investment was made in equipping a full TV studio base in Mayo. “We know that we can’t compete financially with RTÉ, BBC or UTV but I can assure the general public that we’ve pulled out all the stops on this Christmas night special and it will beat any other television station for entertainment value,” said Claffey.
Claffey also revealed that Ireland West Music TV is planning a number of similar-type special programmes throughout 2014 “We’ve achieved amazing results in just two years but we know there’s still a lot of work to do in developing the service even further next year. Television is an expensive medium and we have received great support for advertisers both locally and nationally. Hopefully, when viewers see just how much the service has developed as a result of our Christmas Night special – and the plans we have for the future – more advertisers will want to be part of what I think it is the most exciting media development in this country since the advent of local radio itself.”
So if you’re planning a vacation in Ireland this Christmas make sure you tune in to Ireland West Music TV’s Christmas Special will be aired on Christmas Night between 10 p.m. & 12 midnight on Sky Channel 191 or on Showcase TV (free-to-air service).