Bob Geldof is now confident that his 14-hour music cable TV channel, Atomic Ireland, will be given Government approval and could be on air on January 1st. Yesterday, he met the Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Employment and Trade, Ms Harney, who, he said, was "totally supportive", saying the channel would be good for competition.
Meanwhile, the contract between the Independent Radio and Television Commission (IRTC) and the TV 3 consortium will be signed within the next two weeks. This will give the go-ahead for the establishment of the third national channel which is expected to go on air in September.
Mr Geldof has met the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Ms de Valera, as well as Ms Harney, while an executive of his production company, Planet 24, has also met the Minister for Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke.
Mr Geldof is adamant that Government approval is not actually necessary and if it is not forthcoming, he will go ahead and broadcast Atomic Ireland under European Broadcasting regulations.
Speaking to The Irish Times yesterday, Mr Geldof said: "There is no legal impediment, no regulatory impediment, no legal, artistic or financial impediment to Atomic going on air now."
His business plan, he said, included 54 new jobs and an investment of between £4.5 million and £5 million. Already he had a "queue" of people waiting to invest.
It is believed that a deal is nearing completion with Tara Television - the cable company which transmits RTE programmes to 600,000 homes in Britain - to take Atomic Ireland.
The plans to establish Atomic Ireland have already been welcomed by the music and advertising industries. Yesterday, Mr Aidan Dunne, of McConnells Advertising, said the industry welcomed anything that increased the amount of minutes available on TV.
Although the IRTC has no role in regulating cable television, its views on Atomic were sought and it has opposed approval being given at this time. It is believed it is worried that the establishment of Atomic Ireland might upset the TV 3 consortium at a time when negotiations are nearing completion.
In a letter to the IRTC, Mr Geldof said the content of Atomic TV in Ireland would be 40 per cent Irish and 60 per cent international music.