Mr. Bob Collins:

We are unambiguous that the schedules of public broadcasters need to be different from the schedules of commercial broadcasters. We make it clear that any additional funding that goes to RTE should only be in return for clear plans set out in detail in advance of what the money will be used for to ensure it will be of a distinctly public service character. As Mr. O'Keeffe has said, we are the first to recognise what has been achieved by the local radio stations in particular and by commercial radio in general. By the extent to which they engage with their communities they do things a national broadcaster simply cannot do because they can address local issues in the way that they do. However, they are commercial broadcasters and that is the basis on which they initially sought their licences.

We will be signing some new contracts today with broadcasters. We have already signed new ten-year contracts with six or seven broadcasters. It is clear from them that despite the difficulties, they are facing into their new contract periods with confidence in terms of their financial planning and with commitment in terms of what they hope to offer in their schedules. The challenge for RTE in particular and for TG4 is that the distinctiveness of their schedules reflects the extent to which they are funded publicly. Our view, which is not without some support, is that it is better to point a greater level of the available advertising revenue in the direction of the commercial stations and to limit RTE's access to commercial revenue as a share of its total income.