TG4 (Spoken as TG Ceathair or TG a Ceathair; pronounced [tiː dʒiː kʲahəɾʲ]) is a television channel in Ireland, aimed at Irish-language speakers and established as a wholly owned subsidiary by Radio Telefís Éireann on October 31, 1996. It was formerly known as Teilifís na Gaeilge or TnaG, before a rebranding campaign in 1999. The channel is now headed by an independent public corporation, Teilifís na Gaeilge, since 1 April 2007, following the passage of relevant legislation in 2001. Additional funding is anticipated.
Initially derided as a white elephant by journalist Kevin Myers formerly of the Irish Times (who called it 'Telefís De Lorean', in a reference to the ill-fated De Lorean Motor Company), the station attracts approximately 730,000 viewers every day and the core audience is in the region of 100,000, giving it an audience share of between 2-3%. Ladies gaelic football broadcasts attract up to 180,000 viewers. In July 2007, TG4 was accepted as a new member of the European Broadcasting Union.
