Irish Print Media

Irish Print Media

The ownership and control of Ireland’s mass media is principally subject to the following
legislation:
Centre d’études sur les médias, février 2001 3
Public Sector Broadcasting
Radio Telefis Éireann (RTÉ), is currently governed by the RTÉ Authority, which is
appointed by the government, under the Broadcasting Authority Acts, 1960 to 1993. Under
the legislation before the Irish Parliament, RTÉ will continue to be the responsibility of the
Minister for the Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht. Ownership of some of RTÉ’s assets
became a contested political issue in 2000 (see below) as the Broadcasting Bill was debated
by Parliament. RTÉ is funded through a combination of licence fee and advertising
revenue.
Independent Broadcasting
The Radio and Television Act 1988 established the Independent Radio and Television
Commission (IRTC) as the regulatory authority overseeing the independent broadcasting
sector in the Republic (http://www.irtc.ie). The competence of the IRTC in matters of
media ownership resides in their arbitration of any change in the shareholding of
independent broadcasting companies. One of the central components of the 1999
Broadcasting Bill before the Irish Parliament is to rename the IRTC. The new body will be known as the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) and it will take on additional
functions relating to digital terrestrial broadcasting.
At present there is only one licensed independent television channel in Ireland (TV3), so the
IRTC’s regulatory role in terms of ownership has been focussed on the independent radio
sector. The IRTC perceive their remit in respect of ownership and control of independent
broadcasting as promoting diversity. The IRTC emphasise Sections 6(2)(g) and (h) of the
1988 Act when considering the award of broadcasting contracts. These sections stipulate
that the IRTC must consider inter alia:
The desirability of allowing any person, or group of persons, to have control of, or
substantial...

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