Dublin Community Television, which is decribed as "Ireland’s first democratically-run, advert-free" TV channel is to launch and officially switch on at 1pm tomorrow, Wenesday July 16, at the New Theatre Temple Bar.

It will be available — as it has been on a pilot basis since September — on the Chorus ntl digital cable network on Channel 802. Here’s the press release from their website:

A new kind of television arrives in Ireland this month with the launch of Dublin Community Television (DCTV). Broadcasting programmes made by, about and for Dublin communities, DCTV is Ireland’s only democratically-controlled and only advertising-free TV channel. The new station will be formally launched with the help of Communications Minister Eamon Ryan T.D. at 1pm on Wednesday, July 16th.

You can become a member of DCTV - and become a broadcaster - by dropping into the New Theatre between 3pm and 6pm on Wednesday, July 16th. On our temporary studio stage, record a message on camera about what you’d like to see on community television. Your message will be broadcast on DCTV. Membership costs €25 a year (€15 unwaged), gives you a say in running the station and choosing programming and gives you access to the means to make programmes for DCTV.

The arrival of DCTV on Ireland’s airwaves is the culmination of years of organising, planning and lobbying by a diverse network of community media, residents’ groups, ethnic minority organisations and arts organisations, with support from the Dublin Community Forum and in conjunction with the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI).

Where to Find Us
DCTV will broadcast 24-hours-a-day at Channel 802 on the Chorus ntl digital cable network, reaching 200,000 households across Dublin, Limerick, Cork, Galway and Waterford. The new channel will air drama, documentaries, arts shows, magazine programmes, current affairs, adult education and more;  some made by experienced producers, others by community organisations jumping into TV production for the first time, availing of DCTV’s broadly open access ethos.

Programming will also be made available on this website over the coming months.

Ownership and Management
DCTV was awarded Ireland’s first Community Television licence in May 2006 and has been broadcasting on a pilot basis since September 2007 on the Chorus ntl digital cable network. The station is run by a not-for-profit, democratic co-operative, of which membership is open to all both individuals and not-for-profit organisations. The station is controlled by its members, and most of the programming is created and produced by members.

Speaking in advance of the launch, Minister Ryan welcomed the arrival of DCTV. "I am delighted to launch Dublin Community Television. I am particularly pleased to see that the channel will be an additional outlet for programming made with the assistance of the Sound and Vision fund, providing increased viewing options to the people of Dublin. The use of innovative digital technology to assist the station’s low-cost operation is remarkable and I have no doubt the channel will be a success.

DCTV chairperson Sean Ó Siochrú said: DCTV represents a much-needed and radical new departure in television in Ireland. The channel is part of an growing global movement that brings media closer to people and communities, using new technologies to create more varied, alternative and community-focused broadcasting."