If enthusiasm alone could determine that a new venture should succeed, then Andy Ruane should have no problems with his latest media venture - an internet TV channel, which he claims is the first such "24/7" service in the world.
The former 2FM DJ, current managing director of Like It Love It Productions and, now, owner of the Anner Media group, cannot hide his enthusiasm for his new project, Irelandlivetelevision.tv.
It might seem odd that a man who claims to have had little interest in the internet up until last Christmas should now be setting up a Web-based television service. But it was only when he discovered "streaming" - the ability to put TV pictures on the Web - that Mr Ruane said he realised the potential of the internet for broadcasting.
"When I discovered streaming video, the penny dropped. I can actually deliver my content to the planet from this building," he says from his Anner Media group office on Dublin's Upper Mount Street.
" 'One day,' they said, 'you'll be watching TV on your computer.' That day has arrived. We are the first company in the world to set up a TV network streaming digital media."
After paying nearly £1 million (€1.27 million) for post-production company Anner International, which he later rebranded Anner Media group, Mr Ruane made the decision to gut the existing premises in Upper Mount Street and refit it with the latest digital media technology, making it one of the most sophisticated post-production companies in the Republic and Britain.
That left the company in a perfect position to undertake its latest television venture, Mr Ruane says.
Companies have tried it before and failed, something of which Mr Ruane is only too aware.
"There is a graveyard of them out there," he says, and recalls how Eircom spent £15 million and three years developing Rondomondo, its now defunct digital publishing business that was set up to deliver high-quality content and media services. So, why should his project succeed where others have failed?
"We're uniquely positioned. On the one hand, we're producers. Secondly, we also have a broadcast facility. We have all the infrastructure. And we have the vision to do it," he says. "We've created our own network. We come to this as a professional broadcaster with proper production values."
In less than half a year, and for around £3 million, Mr Ruane says his network is already up and running.
His venture is nothing if not ambitious. Already past its trial stage, the network will start next month with six sponsored programmes, which will also carry advertising, on top of a 24-hour news channel, which will form the backbone of the venture. The programmes include music, entertainment, sports, politics, business and finance, and Irish language programming. The plan then is to bring on one channel a month after that.
At the moment, viewers will be able to receive the network using computers with standard 56K modems, which he says is adequate for the service. But the arrival of broadband will be the catalyst for the service, he says. "By this time next year, broadband will be quite readily available. As soon as broadband kicks in, we'll be away and we'll have been doing this for a year before that," he says.
But the potential of streaming goes beyond broadcasting. As the distinctions between various media becoming increasingly blurred, streaming will revolutionise the Web as companies use it at the moment, according to Mr Ruane.
"Anner Media group has created a content delivery network. It can do two things with that. It can use it itself as it is doing with Irelandlivetelevision, or it can and is selling streaming services to every company in this country and every company in the world because Anner is also a streaming provider. That, as far as I am concerned, is the future. Video is going to drive the Web. If you don't have video content on your website in a year, people won't go to it," he says.
Everyone, from retailers to State bodies, will use streaming on the Web to promote, sell or explain its services, whether it is a salesman selling or demonstrating a product or an official from a Government department explaining how to fill out a form, according to Mr Ruane.
With its ability to carry television advertising, Mr Ruane has described streaming as a lifeline to the internet industry.
"A Web page is a nice facility, but are you going to make money from it? Not at all. You don't even make money from banner ads now," he says.
Mr Ruane has the success of his other company, Like It, Love It Productions - and the success, in particular, of one show, The Lyrics Board - to thank for the opportunity to buy Anner and set up Irelandlivetelevision.
Although he is reluctant to divulge numbers, he described the turnover of Like It, Love It as "substantial" and said The Lyrics Board had made the company "an awful lot of money".
"We have done pretty well from The Lyrics Board and we are re-investing our money," he says, adding that it is now the most successful music game show in the world.
"It's not the Irish version of the show; we licensed the format," he explains. "We're on air in 19 countries. We're beating Big Brother in Poland. There are 25 million people watching us every week in Russia. It was the most watched show last year in the history of Finnish television. Right now, we're close to a network deal in the US for The Lyrics Board."
Ironic for a show that was originally turned down by RT╔, forcing Mr Ruane and his business partner, Mr Philip Kampf, to fund their own pilot, which was snapped up by the State channel second time around.
Mr Ruane is unapologetic about the types of programmes Like It, Love It has produced over the years, which have been described as cheap and easy to make. "It's easy to do if you know how," he says. "We specialise in music, entertainment and formats. That's our genre. That's what we're good at. We don't do documentaries and we don't do drama. Stick to what you're good at. Our core activity is producing entertainment programmes with a format backbone to them and licensing formats around the world."
Mr Ruane started his career as DJ on the pirate radio station Sunshine. From there he moved to 2FM.
Over the years he progressed from radio to TV. Like It, Love It was set up 10 years ago as a vehicle for Mr Ruane to take over producing the RT╔ children's television programme Scratch Saturday.
It took its name from the catchphrase Mr Ruane used on the programme.
The market has changed over those 10 years. There are now two new television stations in the Republic - TV3 and TG4. Like It, Love It now has three customers. It makes CΘol Tire and Pop TV for TG4 and Perfect Match for TG3, as well as the programmes such as Dodge The Question and Top 30 Hits that it makes for RT╔.
Despite the arrival of the new stations, Mr Ruane said the market for independent producers is still tough, especially for newcomers.
"It would be tough to try to get into it. We've been in it for a long time, so we have a track record. There's a certain amount of reassurance there for a broadcaster."
Mr Ruane says he has few interests outside of the TV business. Away from the hectic life of TV, Mr Ruane likes to spend time with his wife, Danielle, and their three children. But TV will always keep its lure - he has even had a walk-on role as a TV producer on the US TV programme Baywatch.
"Why am I doing this? Sometimes I ask myself. I don't have to do this, but I can't stop myself."
