1999 in Irish television

The following is a list of events relating to television in Ireland from 1999.

Events

• 1 February – RTÉ News Online is launched.^[1]
• 6 May – CableLink, the cable television company which is part owned by RTÉ is sold to NTL Communications for more than £535 million.^[1]
• 14 May – Sunday Independent journalist Terry Keane discusses her affair with former Taoiseach Charles Haughey during an edition of The Late Late Show.^[2]
• 21 May – Gay Byrne presents his final edition of The Late Late Show on RTÉ Television.^[1]
• 28 June – Launch of TV You (later UTV2) in Northern Ireland. The channel's programme content is primarily simulcast with ITV2 in London. However, unusually for a commercial station, it does not carry any advertising
• Summer – Helen O'Rahilly is appointed as the first female Director of Television at RTÉ. She left in 2000 to take up a position at the BBC in London.^[3][4]
• September – Pat Kenny succeeds Gay Byrne as presenter of The Late Late Show.
• 4 November – The Broadcasting Bill is presented in the Dáil, addressing the emergence of digital media. The Bill also establishes the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland.^[1]
• 31 December – RTÉ presents Millennium Eve: Celebrate 2000, coverage of the turn of the millennium from 31 December 1999 into 1 January 2000. The programme is part of the international strand 2000 Today to celebrate the occasion.

Debuts

RTÉ

• April – States of Fear (1999)
• September – Telly Bingo on RTÉ One (1999–present)
• 4 November – Bull Island on RTÉ One (1999–2001)
• Undated – Make 'Em Laugh on RTÉ One (1999)
• Undated – Open House on RTÉ One (1999–2004)
• Undated – The View on RTÉ Two (1999–2011)

TV3

• 12 April – First Edition (1999–2001)
• 12 April – A Game of Two Halves (1999)
• 12 April – TV3 News @ 7 (1999–2000)
• 20 September – Ireland AM (1999–present)
• 21 November – Agenda (1999–2004)

BBC

• Undated – Patrick Kielty Almost Live on BBC One (1999–2003)

Ongoing television programmes

1960s

• RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock (1961–present)
• RTÉ News: Six One (1962–present)
• The Late Late Show (1962–present)

1970s

• The Late Late Toy Show (1975–present)
• RTÉ News on Two (1978–present)
• The Sunday Game (1979–present)

1980s

• Glenroe (1983–2001)
• Questions and Answers (1986–2009)
• Dempsey's Den (1986–2010)
• Fair City (1989–present)
• RTÉ News: One O'Clock (1989–present)

1990s

• Winning Streak (1990–present)
• Challenging Times (1991–2001)
• Prime Time (1992–present)
• The Movie Show (1993–2001)
• No Disco (1993–2003)
• Nuacht RTÉ (1995–present)
• Fame and Fortune (1996–2006)
• Nuacht TG4 (1996–present)
• Ros na Rún (1996–present)
• Later on 2 (1997–2000)
• Don't Feed the Gondolas (1997–2001)
• A Scare at Bedtime (1997–2006)
• 2Phat (1998–2000)
• The Premiership/Premier Soccer Saturday (1998–2013)
• Sports Tonight (1998–2009)
• TV3 News (1998–present)

Ending this year

• 11 April – TV3 News @ 6 (1998–1999)
• 22 May – Kenny Live (1988–1999)
• May – PM Live (1997–1999)
• May – States of Fear (1999)
• June – Echo Island (1994–1999)
• 5 July – A Game of Two Halves (1999)
• 18 December – Saturday Live (1986–1999)
• Undated – Speakeasy (1998–1999)

References