TV3 Ups Investment

The Sunday Business Post reports that TV3 has invested €10 million in Irish-made programmes this autumn, which is the company's largest development in local production.

The output includes TV3's first foray into home-made drama, a two-part series set in Dublin 4 called The School Run, a crime series headed by Maura Derrane that hopes to follow the success of Dirty Money, the series fronted by crime reporter Paul Williams which ran last year.

There is also a new midday news show - billed as "a mix of loose women and Joe Duffy" - that will placeTV3 news anchors Alan Cantwell, Martin King and Colette Fitzpatrick into less tightly scripted roles, talking about the news of the day.

McRedmond conceded that sport would not be TV3's strongest suit this autumn, but said this was the second year of a three-year plan to create a strong schedule atTV3. From next May,TV3 will have exclusive terrestrial TV rights to the Champions League.

"We're building a stock of regular programmes. You can see that in the shows that are returning, like Xposé and Nightly News With Vincent Browne," McRedmond said.