Virgin Media Television has dramatically pulled its new season of Grá ar an Trá – co-fronted by the presenter and election candidate Gráinne Seoige – which had been due to air tomorrow.
It comes after the Irish Mail on Sunday last month reported the broadcaster would breach regulatory guidelines by allowing
Seoige, who is running for the Dáil in the Galway West constituency, is to present a programme during a potential election campaign.
The series, a dating show for gaeilgeoirí, was due to air tomorrow and run for five weeks. But if, as is widely believed, an early election is called for November, Seoige’s TV job would have put her and Virgin Media in breach of guidelines from the
media regulatory authority, Coimisiún na Meán, which requires ‘fair allocation of airtime’ during elections.
This weekend a spokesperson for Virgin TV confirmed the show had been pulled at the eleventh hour.
They told the MoS: ‘Due to scheduling, Grá ar an Trá will not air as planned.’ A spokesperson for Coimisiún na Meán denied the authority had been in contact with the station about the series, but said all broadcasters are expected to follow guidelines in respect of election coverage.
Grá ar an Trá's Síomha Ní Ruairc, Gráinne Seoige and James Kavanagh at the launch of Virgin Media Television's Autumn Schedule. Pic: Brian McEvoy
‘An Coimisiún has had no contact with the broadcaster regarding the airing of this series and has no role in the editorial process
or scheduling of programming by broadcasters,’ they said this weekend.
‘The scheduling of programming is a matter for individual broadcasters. However, broadcasters are required to comply with Media Codes and Rules, including Coimisiún na Meán’s Code of Fairness, Objectivity and Impartiality. Broadcast content must not display bias in favour of, or against, any election interest, including parties or candidates.
‘Endorsements on-air by a broadcaster of election interests, including candidates or parties are not permitted. In addition, endorsements on-air by staff (who are employed, contracted or who volunteer with a broadcaster) of election interests, including candidates, are also not permitted.’
Virgin Media can run the prerecorded series after the election without infringing any guidelines. A spokesperson for Virgin Media
declined to say this weekend when the series would air.
The slot tomorrow evening has now been filled with a new series of Living with Lucy which had been due to air on a different date.
In August, Seoige announced her intention to put herself forward for selection and was chosen by Fianna Fáil members last month
as one of two candidates for the Galway West constituency, alongside Galway City Councillor John Connolly.
The presenter is the second celebrity candidate in the party’s campaign, alongside former news anchor Alison Comyn. Fifty-year-old Seoige, who is famous for being the only TV personality to have worked with all four national TV stations – RTÉ One, RTÉ2, TV3 and TG4 – began her career in 1996 with TG4 and has also worked with the BBC and Sky News.
She appeared on Dancing With the Stars in 2022. Her latest project with Virgin Media Television, an Irish language interpretation of Love Island, enjoyed rave reviews in its first season.
Over a period of five weeks, 12 singletons get together in the hopes of finding love, while undertaking challenges to improve their
Gaeilge as a couple. The winning pair takes home €10,000.
Ms Seoige had already done pre-publicity for the show and appeared in photoshoots promoting it.
