Deflectors (UHF Television Programme Retransmission)
In rural areas where neither cable or MMDS are available, UHF Television Programme Retransmission systems or deflectors pick up the UK terrestrial channels (either from Northern Ireland or Wales), and retransmit them on local UHF signals along with other channels. These operators faced legal action in the late 1990s from MMDS operators, as they did not pay royalties to the relevant broadcasters, and were not licensed. When the deflectors were shut down, there was such an outcry in those areas that an independent election candidate in County Donegal, Tom Gildea, was elected as a TD on a platform of supporting legalisation, which occurred in 1999.
Deflectors were first licensed in 1999 by the then spectrum regulator, the ODTR. The current regulations, Wireless Telegraphy (UHF Television Programme Retransmission) Regulations, 2009 will be the last for deflectors, all deflector licences expire in Dec 2012 and will not be renewed due to the roll-out of DTT in Ireland.
Read more about this topic: Television In Ireland
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