Editing TG4 (section)

==Operation==
{{Main|Teilifís na Gaeilge (corporation)}}

The daily Irish-language programme schedule is its central service, broadcasting approximately 2.5 hours a day of new Irish-language programming, with an estimated 2.5 hours a day of repeated Irish-language programmes. Currently, RTÉ supplies TG4 with one hour a day of Irish-language programming. The remainder of the TG4 schedule is made up of acquisitions from other broadcasters particularly from US broadcasters.

Operating as a publisher and broadcaster, TG4 invests up to €20m annually in original indigenous programming from the independent production sector in Ireland. The Irish-language soap opera ''[[Ros na Rún]]'' is one of its most popular programmes, and it also commissions a relatively large number of documentaries.

===Scheduling===
During the first two years of TnaG, the service provided a "blocked" schedule. A distinct language schedule was created in line with their commitment to provide two hours of Irish-language television each day. Children's television ran from 17:00 to 18:00, while the prime time Irish-language block began at 20:00 and ended at 22:30 each night. In 1998, the channel began experimenting with their prime time schedule (due to low audience figures and pressure from independent producers). The prime time block was reduced by 30 minutes, ending at 22:00, while they tested Irish-language programming in late night slots after English-language programming, this schedule increased the audience for Irish programmes that followed English programmes. A new "hammocking" schedule was introduced. "Hammocking" is a term used in public service broadcasting meaning that shows with low audience appeal are placed between programmes with high appeal, thus increasing audience share for weaker programming. In 1999, the channel was renamed as TG4. The main aim of its new schedules was to provide "national resonance"{{clarify|post-text=Please explain this term|date=November 2011}} and to compete with [[BBC Two]] and [[Channel 4]] for Irish audiences.<ref name="MacDubhghaill">{{cite web|url=http://www.aber.ac.uk/mercator/images/UinsionnMacDubhghaill.pdf |title=Harry Potter and the Wizards of Baile na hAbhann: Translation, subtitling and dubbing policies in Ireland's TG4, from the start of broadcasting in 1996 to the present day |last=MacDubhghaill |first=Uinsionn |publisher=ABER.ac.uk |access-date=11 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129192352/http://www.aber.ac.uk/mercator/images/UinsionnMacDubhghaill.pdf |archive-date=29 November 2010 }}</ref>

TG4 lost its language-driven schedule and replaced it with a stronger audience-driven schedule, with key audiences delivered at key times. TG4 aims to be a mainstream channel for a niche audience. This new scheduling provided TG4 with a strong increase in audience share during the first six months of the newly re-branded channel, rising from 1% to 2% and, by 2005, TG4 had become the eighth most watched television channel with 2.4% audience share, just below BBC Two and Channel 4, and well ahead of [[Sky One]].<ref name="MacDubhghaill" />

===Budget===
The Government reduced TG4's grant-in-aid from the exchequer to €32.25m for 2010.<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://tg4-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/tg4-redesign-2015/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/TG4-Tuarascail-10-B.pdf |title=Annual Report 2010 |date=2010 |publisher=TG4 |page=9}}</ref>

From 2012 to 2018 TG4 received a portion of the licence fee, full exchequer funding returned in 2019.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=RTÉ Annual Report 2018 |url=https://about.rte.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/RTE-Annual-Report-2018.pdf |journal=RTÉ |pages=30}}</ref> In 2024 TG4 received €53.53m from the exchequer<ref>{{Cite web |title=TG4 Corporate Governance |url=https://www.tg4.ie/en/corporate/corporate-governance/ |website=TG4}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Exchequer funding
! Licence fee
! [[RTÉ]] programming commitment
! [[Broadcasting Authority of Ireland#Sound and Vision Fund|Sound & Vision]] <br /> [[Broadcasting Authority of Ireland|BAI]]
! Northern Ireland [[ILBF]]
! [[Irish Film Board|IFB]]
! Commercial
! Total funding
|-
|2023
|53.53
|0
|7.6
|
|
|
|4.1
|65.23
|-
|2018
|29
|4.2
|7
|
|
|
|3.1
|43.3
|-
| 2012
| {{nts|32.5}}
| {{nts|9.25}}
| {{nts|7.7}}
| {{nts|3.5}}
| {{nts|1.6}}
| {{nts|0}}
| {{nts|1.76}}
| {{nts|47.31}}
|-
| 2010
| {{nts|32.25}}
| {{nts|0}}
| {{nts|8.9 }}
| {{nts|4.7 }}
| {{nts| }}
| {{nts|0.46}}
| {{nts|3.48}}
| {{nts|49.79}}
|-
| 2009
| {{nts|35}}
| {{nts|0}}
| {{nts|10}}
| {{nts|}}
| {{nts|}}
| {{nts|}}
| {{nts|}}
| {{nts|45}}
|}

In 2008, the Teilifís na Gaeilge authority received a budget of €38m for and co-funded productions with the [[Broadcasting Authority of Ireland|BAI]]'s sound and vision fund received €4.6m. The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources reduced their budget from the exchequer to €35m for 2009.<ref>[http://www.tg4.ie/bearla/corp/pr/2009/0421-1.asp TG4 BOARD APPROVES REDUCED BUDGET FOR 2009] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090817091559/http://www.tg4.ie/Bearla/corp/pr/2009/0421-1.asp |date=17 August 2009 }}</ref>

In 2007, TG4 earned €3,596,000 in advertising revenue and had state funding of €24,914,000. The station spent €17,716,000 on programming.<ref>[http://www.tg4.ie/bearla/corp/docs/TB2007-B.pdf TG4 Annual Report 2007] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110304065332/http://www.tg4.ie/bearla/corp/docs/TB2007-B.pdf |date=4 March 2011 }}</ref>

In 2006, TG4 spent €15,469,000 on commissioned programming and €7.5 million on acquired shows. The latter consisted mainly of children's programmes which are dubbed into Irish.<ref name=":0">{{Cite report |url=https://tg4-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/tg4-redesign-2015/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/TG4-Tuarascail-06-B.pdf |title=TG4 Annual Report 2006 |date=2006 |publisher=TG4 |pages=12,14–15 |access-date=13 October 2024}}</ref>

The table below shows TG4's commissioned programming by genre in 2006:<ref name=":0" />

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Genre
! Budget
! Hours
|-
|''[[Ros na Rún]]''
|€3,446,000
|36
|-
|''Documentaries''
|€1,924,000
|60
|-
|''Sport''
|€3,828,000
|283
|-
|''Drama''
|€2,418,000
|25
|-
|''Music''
|€1,378,000
|63
|-
|''Entertainment''
|€1,391,000
|60
|-
|''Travel''
|€267,000
|4
|-
|''[[Studio]]''
|€438,000
|66
|-
|''Total''
|€15,469,000
|597
|}

[[RTÉ]] provide TG4 with their news service {{Langx|ga|[[Nuacht TG4]]|label=none}}. Independent producers (with the backing of TG4) apply for the [[Broadcasting Authority of Ireland]]'s Sound and Vision Fund. The ''Irish Language Broadcasting Fund'' (ILBF) also provides some funding to programmes made for the channel; the fund is administered by [[Northern Ireland Screen]].

===Ratings===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!2010
!2009
!2001
!1996
|-
| style="text-align: right;" |{{nts|900000}}
| style="text-align: right;" |{{nts|800000}}
| style="text-align: right;" |{{nts|730000}}
| style="text-align: right;" |{{nts|250000}}
|}

TG4 has had a share of the Irish television market of some 2-3%.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kenny |first=Colum |date=27 August 2006 |title=Time to call a halt to the lip service behind TG4 'success' |url=https://www.independent.ie/opinion/editorial/time-to-call-a-halt-to-the-lip-service-behind-tg4-success/26415784.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404100757/http://www.independent.ie/opinion/editorial/time-to-call-a-halt-to-the-lip-service-behind-tg4-success-26415784.html |archive-date=4 April 2016 |access-date=13 October 2024 |work=Irish Independent}}</ref> TG4 provide their viewing figures each week on their website. Currently TG4's top ten programmes have ranged from 10,000 to 100,000 viewers, but their top shows have reached as high as 250,000. Like other television services TG4 achieves their highest viewing figures with sporting events.<ref name="tg4.ie">[http://www.tg4.ie/leir/luch.asp] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626124520/http://www.tg4.ie/leir/luch.asp|date=26 June 2009}}</ref>

On Saint Patrick's Day 2009, live coverage of the All-Ireland Finals in the AIB Club Championships on TG4 achieved very high audience ratings for the channel. Twenty five percent of afternoon television viewers on St. Patrick's Day were tuned into TG4. Over 1.1m viewers tuned on TG4 during the day, giving it an overall 8.2% national daily share and placing it in third place in the national daily viewing table for the first time ever.<ref>[http://www.tg4.ie/corp/pr/2009/0319-1.asp] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090322054828/http://www.tg4.ie/corp/pr/2009/0319-1.asp|date=22 March 2009}}</ref>
Other major ratings successes for the channel include the All Ireland Ladies Football Final with 21% of all viewers tuned to that broadcast.
A series of [[Westerns]] has also proven very popular. On 25 April 2010, TG4's coverage of the [[National Football League (Ireland)|Allianz Football League]] Finals in [[Croke Park]] saw them become the most watched channel, with 650,000 viewers watching some of the games. The Division One final had an average audience of 220,000 viewers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tg4.ie/bearla/corp/pr/2010/0427-1.asp |title=VIEWING FIGURES FOR GAA BEO – ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE FINALS 2010 |date=27 April 2010 |publisher=TG4 |access-date=3 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100511212953/http://www.tg4.ie/bearla/corp/pr/2010/0427-1.asp |archive-date=11 May 2010 }}</ref>

Some of the most popular programmes included: {{Langx|ga|[[Glór Tíre]]|label=none}} ([[country and western]] reality competition) – 90–110,000; {{Langx|ga|Rásaí na Gaillimhe|label=none}} (political comedy drama); ''{{Langx|ga|[[Ros na Rún]]|label=none}}'' (soap opera), {{Langx|ga|GAA Beo|label=none}} (GAA sport) – 50–100,000; ''[[Fíorscéal]]'', ''[[Cogar]]'' (documentary); ''{{Langx|ga|[[Seacht]]|label=none}}'' (university drama); ''[[Nuacht TG4]]'' (news); ''{{Langx|ga|[[7 Lá]]|label=none}}'' (weekly review); ''{{Langx|ga|[[Paisean Faisean]]|label=none}}'' (dating programme), {{Langx|ga|Feirm Factor|label=none}} (reality television); and {{Langx|ga|An Jig Gig|label=none}}. These have had an audience reach of 3% to 12% of the total viewing audience, or 40,000 to 100,000 viewers.<ref name="tg4.ie"/>