One more thing:Liberty Global's €2 million investment in David Harvey's City Channel has been given the green light by regulators here.

The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland cleared the deal at a board meeting earlier this month while the Competition Authority gave its approval on Wednesday.

Liberty, the ultimate parent company of cable TV operators NTL and Chorus, is taking a 35 per cent stake in City Channel through its Chellomedia content subsidiary with a view to acquiring the whole business down the road.

The two groups plan to launch similar local stations in Hungary and other central and eastern European cities.

It seems, however, that City Channel wasn't the only Irish television station in which Liberty considered investing.

The Colorado-based group also ran the rule over Channel 6, the digital general entertainment channel founded by former TV3 employee Michael Murphy and veteran advertising executive Pat Donnelly.

Channel 6 has struggled for ratings and revenue since its launch in early 2006 and is believed to be seeking additional funding of €4-5 million or more to keep the show on the road.

The station has largely based its programming around re-runs of American shows, including the Sopranos, Frasier and Sex and the City. It's the type of programming being used by a number of other digital channels in the UK.

A plan to run soft porn earlier this year was scrapped after some of its existing shareholders, who include the Barry tea family in Cork, Senator Feargal Quinn, Claret Capital and the Gowan Group, objected.

Channel 6 has also become embroiled in a row with Sky over its placing on the satellite platform's electronic programming guide.