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RTE and TG4 signals are to be available free-to-air across all of Northern Ireland from 2012, under a deal just signed by the government.
The deal has been signed by communications minister Eamon Ryan and his British counterpart Ben Bradshaw.
It will also see some BBC channels being carried free-to-air on the new digital transmission system planned for south of the border.
The agreement will ease the effects of the analogue signal switchoff, which is due to take place in both jurisdictions in 2012. Under the new arrangements, there will also be joint ownership of some television masts along the border. Until now, southern off-air tv signals have only reached around half of Northern Ireland viewers. Although they can be received by other viewers via Sky or cable, the new deal will mean that the channels from the Republic will in future be available on the Freeview digital box, which is the free-to-air receptor for digital signals in Northern Ireland. Because the digital systems being used north and south are different, there were fears south of the border that the digital switchover would black out free-to-air BBC signals in the Republic. However, the new deal means that BBC channels will now be available on the Republic's digital receiver, which has still be to unveiled.
