Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate Mr. Kiely's presentation. He signalled a strong recognition of the importance of public service broadcasting, which I share, namely, the importance of protecting our local news and current affairs output, in which TV3 very much participates, as well as the importance of the preservation and protection of our culture, language, music and indigenous production sector. This is all very important. I might correct Mr. Kiely on the distinction between a public service broadcaster and a State broadcaster. I see RTE as a public service broadcaster but certainly not as a State broadcaster. It does not necessarily represent the Government; it certainly did not do so when my party was in government and I am sure members from the other parties would say the same. Mr Kiely's presentation was good in setting out a framework but I probably counted as many references to RTE in it as I did to TV3. While he has told us what we should not do for RTE, he has not really told us what we should be doing for TV3. Perhaps Mr. Kiely believes that keeping RTE at a level of control would allow TV3 to flourish. He might enlighten us on that.

TV3 plays a very significant role in adding to the preservation and protection of our culture, language, music, and current affairs and news output. I would be interested to hear if there is anything more that we can do to protect that. There was a time when the debate was a matter of TV3 versus RTE. I do not see this any more and nor do I see it as a matter of TV3 and RTE versus Sky or Virgin. What I see is all of these broadcasters versus Google and Facebook and that poses a very significant threat to the indigenous content in respect of news, current affairs, culture, music and so on. I consider that to be under enormous threat and I would prefer to see TV3 and RTE more closely aligned in recognising that threat, as opposed to necessarily taking pops at each other. If RTE were in here with us they would probably say much the same against TV3 as Mr. Kiely has said against them. I do not think that this helps the debate when it comes to what members are trying to do, which is to deal with what I perceive as a threat to our local sector from Google, Facebook and others. From Mr. Kiely's perspective, is there anything this committee can do to assist TV3 in continuing to flourish? He indicated that the emergence of Virgin as a partner and operator has been very positive in setting TV3 on a firm path. Mr. Kiely rightly identified the station's role here in Leinster House and what it has done for current affairs broadcasting. Many of us who have had to encounter Vincent Browne will see his retirement from TV3 as a very significant loss - one might not have done as one was leaving the studio - in terms of his contribution to democracy in Ireland with that particular programme. The role undertaken by TV3 with its programming in the last election put RTE under pressure, particularly with regard to how it reached regions and communities. It did a really good job.

TV3 has had a very positive role and I recognise that. Maybe the situation has changed since Mr. David McRedmond was at TV3, and I believe Mr. Kiely was around in those days also. Mr. McRedmond had a particular view about retransmission fees and I think he was in favour of the capacity to negotiate at the time. Has TV3's view on that changed with the emergence of Virgin Media, or should I direct that question to Virgin Media representatives when we see them later?