ALTV Launches New Digital TV Platform In Dublin

A new, free, streaming service was launched in Dublin last night. ALTV.com will aim to bring "exciting and relevant video content" to under-served areas of the world.

The launch of the service, which will be based in Dublin, took place at the Royal Hibernian Academy. Speakers at the event included Hollywood actor Omar Miller, who praised ALTV for challenging the entertainment industry of the United States and offering a different perspective to viewers across the world. Fine Gael TD Pat Breen, who is Minister for Employment and Small Business, also spoke at the event, highlighting the importance of companies like ALTV putting down roots in Ireland. He also praised the founder David C. McCourt, of Granahan McCourt Capital, for his ongoing commitment to Ireland.

ALTV is the latest chapter in Granahan McCourt Capital’s historic policy of connecting under-served regions across the globe. "For over 30 years, the firm’s chairman and CEO, David McCourt, has been credited with disrupting markets to bring consumers fairer and more competitive products,” a spokesperson said.

An Emmy award-winning TV producer, McCourt has produced the American children's television series Reading Rainbow, as well as prime time documentaries with Angelina Jolie in Tanzania and Michael Douglas in Sierra Leone. He was also responsible for bringing the first competitive telephone and TV landscape to Mexico and built the first competitive telecom network in America with Corporate Communications Network, which was merged into MFS to create MFS/McCourt. MFS was later sold to WorldCom for $14.5bn.

"The decision to place ALTV’s base of operations in Ireland,” a statement added, "was made in order to capitalise on the country’s strong and rapidly growing technology sector, which includes an abundance of tech talent, as well as what McCourt referred to as an alignment of values between Ireland and ALTV."

McCourt spoke himself at the launch. “Ireland exemplifies embracing change,” he said. "It exemplifies the little guy taking on the big guy. It exemplifies collaboration, because it was never big enough to go on its own and so it has always had to collaborate. Dublin itself has gone through a financial crisis of epic proportions and come out stronger in the end. It’s transformed its economy. It’s continually played above its weight globally, because of the people of Ireland’s ability to embrace change.”

Along with Granahan McCourt’s growing portfolio of Ireland-based businesses, ALTV will bring additional opportunities to Irish tech professionals, who are eager to fill the gaps in content that exist around the world.

ALTV has now commenced in the Middle East and North Africa. the plan is to expand into South America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Launching in these markets, ALTV aims to develop a wide-ranging network of creative talents in each region, filling a major gap in these markets by giving millions of younger viewers access to local, high-quality content that reflects their culture, interests and aspirations.

"ALTV.com will become the number one channel for a growing audience that is increasingly shunning traditional television channels in favour of more relevant, locally-made content designed to be enjoyed via a smartphone,” the official statement added.

McCourt also ended with a promise. “Our responsiveness and relevance,” he said, "together with the creative brilliance of our contributors will make us number one for vibrant, must-see local content in every under-served area of the world.”