TG4 marks 30 years with launch of new services

Kilcock's Deirdre Ní Choistín, Director General of TG4, looks to the future

TG4 is marking 30 years on air with a series of launches that reflect how a broadcaster looks towards the future.

Since first broadcasting on 31 October 1996, TG4 has grown from an Irish language television channel to a distinctive, multiplatform public service media organisation with a strong cultural, creative and economic impact. That growth included the launch of sister channel Cúla4 in 2023, creating a dedicated Irish-language service for children and young audiences.

To mark its 30th anniversary, TG4 is unveiling a major new ‘Súil Eile’ campaign, alongside the launch of TG4+, a newly redesigned and enhanced version of the TG4 Player and a digital news service for Nuacht TG4. Together, these launches represent significant steps in TG4’s evolution and a clear statement of ambition for the next 30 years.

Deirdre Ní Choistín, Director General of TG4, who is from Kilcock, said: "On the opening night of TnaG in 1996, Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht Michael D Higgins said: "Táim ag tnúth leis an am a bheidh Teilifís na Gaeilge ina rogha, ní hamháin i measc na ndaoine a úsáideann an Ghaeilge mar a dteanga laethúil ach freisin i measc thromlach phobal na tíre atá fabhrach don teanga agus a aithníonn a sainiúlacht agus a tábhacht bhunúsach mar chuid dár gcultúr.”

"The launch of TnaG marked the beginning of a new exciting era of Irish language creativity and cultural identity. As Director General of TG4, it is both a privilege and a responsibility to reflect on the journey that has brought us to our 30th anniversary. Since our establishment in 1996, the media landscape has changed beyond recognition, but our purpose remains as important as ever: to serve audiences through distinctive Irish-language public service media and to ensure that the language has a strong, visible and contemporary presence in Irish life."

Understanding Súil Eile in an Era of Choice

In an English-dominated media market, TG4 offers a unique perspective on Ireland. Súil Eile is about more than broadcasting in Irish; it is about a different perspective of life, distinctive storytelling, championing creativity and reflecting the lives, experiences and aspirations of our communities.

Ní Choistín said: "Global streaming services, public service media, social media platforms and connected devices have transformed how programmes are discovered, accessed and consumed. In this environment, we therefore must reflect on what Súil Eile means to audiences today, in the era of choice, and how TG4 can remain distinctive, relevant and essential in their lives.

"This year, we commissioned research from market research agency Bricolage to help us understand what audiences look for from TG4, their needs and motivations, and how TG4 makes them feel. One of the most encouraging findings is that audiences feel proud when they watch TG4. Across all audience groups, entertainment and mood regulation emerged as key needs.

"The research findings will help shape our future content strategy, scheduling, marketing and brand positioning. They reinforce that audiences must be at the heart of our decision making. At the same time, we must continue to offer them something they cannot find elsewhere. Our response is not simply to copy or produce more content. It is to cultivate creativity: to create original ip, and create the conditions in which talent, ideas and ambition can flourish to support new voices; and to enable our producers to take risks, innovate and tell distinctive stories."

At the centre of TG4’s 30th anniversary is a new ‘Súil Eile’ campaign, asking audiences to reflect on the colour and unique perspective TG4 and the Irish language brings. Developed with The Tenth Man and filmmakers the McGloughlin Brothers, the campaign brings TG4’s identity to life through film and photography, including new work by photographer Kevin Goss-Ross.

Creativity that Travels

"They are freedom makers. They don't question you. If they like the idea, then they'll allow you to run with that idea and they don't babysit you or over produce you, which is what a lot of shows do … That's why you see stuff that is a little bit, left to field or a bit more adventurous. And long may they continue.” : Robert Quinn, Director.

"As we approach our 30th anniversary, there are more opportunities to work with TG4 than ever before," Ní Choistín says.

"In 2025 we worked with 79 production companies across Ireland, generated an estimated €92.8 million in economic output, and supported up to 1,460 jobs nationwide. As TG4 enters its fourth decade, I do not want us simply to adapt to a changing media landscape. I want us to help shape its future.

"Technology will continue to evolve. Distribution models will change, and audience expectations will grow. But one thing will remain constant: creativity is at the heart of what TG4 does.

"It is our Súil Eile. It connects us to the Gaeltacht, to na Gaeil and to the communities whose voices and experiences we bring to the screen. It gives expression to our mission, makes the Irish language visible and vibrant, and enables us to tell stories that set us apart.

For me, these initiatives reflect an important principle: creativity must be at the heart of TG4’s future, regardless of the platform, format or screen through which audiences encounter our work. Before the end of the year, we will announce new content output contracts with the independent production sector, including three ringfenced specifically for Gaeltacht areas outside Connemara. This investment will help stimulate local Gaeltacht economies, develop new production clusters and strengthen creative capacity across all regions.

We celebrate 25 years of partnership with Ladies Gaelic Football this year too and have extended our sponsorship and broadcasting of the LGFA Championship until 2032. We will also launch a new digital news service for Nuacht TG4, extending the reach and accessibility of Irish-language journalism. Meanwhile, our dedicated children’s channel, Cúla4, marked three years on air in September. I am especially pleased that we are continuing to invest in younger audiences and in the next generation of Irish speakers.

Our commitment for the sector extends beyond commissioning. Through a new three-year partnership with Údarás na Gaeltachta, we will jointly invest €1.2 million per annum to support skills development and strengthen the independent production sector. I want to help create the conditions in which creative businesses can grow, talent can develop and the economic and cultural value of Irish-language production can be realised throughout the Gaeltacht and beyond.

Evolving with Audiences and Technology

The way people access television is changing rapidly. Increasing numbers of households are watching through internet-connected devices and streaming services rather than relying solely on traditional aerial, cable or satellite distribution. Smart TV ownership is growing, and audience viewing habits continue to evolve.

TG4 has been responding to these changes for several years. However, technological and market developments are moving at a pace that legislation has struggled to match. Public service media must be accessible and discoverable wherever audiences choose to watch.

TG4+ : A major step in TG4’s digital future

TG4+ is the new version of the TG4 Player to be launched on 31st October. Through this new service, TG4 is looking ahead to the next 30 years as a platform neutral multimedia service. TG4+ offers a better viewing experience for audiences with increased user experience and user interface features, as well as a wealth of content available to audiences worldwide.

This builds on the existing range of Irish-language subtitled content, including Cúla4 programming, Ros na Rún, and a selection of documentaries. Viewers can also easily search for content with Irish-language subtitles using the dedicated search filter on TG4+.

The second series of crime drama CRÁ will be released on TG4+ on the 3rd November.

Our ambition is to take a genuinely platform-neutral approach: developing and distributing programmes and stories in ways that respond to audience needs, maximise discoverability and deliver public value across broadcast and digital platforms. We urge the implementation, of the prominence provisions of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022. These provisions are increasingly important in ensuring that public service media remains visible and accessible as audiences move towards connected television and ip and digital distribution.

TG4 needs to be fairly funded, and it needs to be findable. Both are essential if we are to fulfil our public service remit, sustain Irish-language creativity and ensure audiences can continue to access distinctive Irish-language programming in an increasingly competitive media environment.

TG4 unlike many European public service media providers, it continues to operate without a multi-annual funding settlement. The European Media Freedom Act requires adequate, sustainable and predictable funding for public service media.   Ireland already ranks among the lowest funders of public service media in Europe. European Broadcasting Union research shows Ireland invests just 0.07% of GDP in public service media, compared with an EU average of 0.14%.

Thirty years on, our purpose remains clear. We are here to deliver distinctive public service media that serves audiences, strengthens the Irish language and enriches Ireland’s creative and cultural life. It is a purpose I am proud to lead, and one that I believe is more important than ever.