RTÉ and TG4 are close to agreement with the British company BSkyB on broadcasting the channels on the satellite platform in Northern Ireland.
The deal will expand the reach of RTÉ and TG4 into a further 190,000 homes in Northern Ireland that subscribe to BSkyB's satellite platform as early as May.
The talks between BSkyB, RTÉ and TG4 follow a four-year delay while the Irish channels negotiated with the rights holders to foreign and sports programmes.
UTV and BBC have also been in discussions with RTÉ and TG4 about the British rights to certain high-profile events such as premiership football that they own for the Northern Ireland region.
It is understood that certain contentious programming - where rights are owned by rival British broadcasters - may have to be blacked out by RTÉ and TG4. But this would affect only a very small proportion of programmes.
Sources said yesterday that the current talks between Sky, RTÉ and TG4 are expected to be concluded shortly as RTÉ's existing carriage deal with Sky for the Republic already held out the promise of broadcasting in Northern Ireland. This carriage deal was struck in 2001 and runs from April 2002 until 2007.
Pádhraic Ó Ciardha, leascheannasaí at TG4, confirmed yesterday that talks between Sky and the Irish language channel were going very well. He said TG4 was keen to go on the BSkyB platform in Northern Ireland following the start of broadcasts on terrestrial television earlier this month.
A spokesman for RTÉ would not comment yesterday.
But it is understood that RTÉ is keen to expand its broadcasting reach into the North as a means of delivering on the sentiments expressed within the Belfast Agreement to greater cultural understanding.
RTÉ is already available to some homes in Northern Ireland who subscribe to NTL's digital television or who live near the Border. It is unclear whether adding new viewers in Northern Ireland would translate into higher advertising revenues for RTÉ.
Sky's deal with RTÉ has proved an enormous success for the British firm, which is controlled by media baron Rupert Murdoch.
When the deal was struck in November 2001, Sky had just 193,000 subscribers. It now has a subscriber base of 347,000 and has purchased rights to certain sports programming and set up an Irish news service.
