Mr. Paul Farrell:

I thank members for the invitation. Virgin Media Television is Ireland’s leading independent national public service broadcaster, operating under section 70 of the Broadcasting Act 2009. Our revenues and funding are sourced commercially on a competitive market basis. We are a major investor in creativity and choice in Ireland, playing an essential part in the plurality of Irish media and keeping the nation informed with trusted news content and current affairs programmes, as well as drama, entertainment and sport.

Since the start of the current crisis, we have seen our news viewership increase by more than 50%. Research by the Department of Health in November found that 44% of the population now go to Virgin Media for their trusted news content. We operate an efficient broadcasting platform and we live within our budgets. During the current crisis, our priority has been to ensure continuity and, simultaneously, to radically increase our programming and output. We have spent an extra and unanticipated €600,000 this year directly related to Covid-19, including increased live broadcasting capacity and technology for remote working. We are also supporting our communities and businesses with more than €1 million in funding to support our #BackingBusiness and #BackingLocal initiatives, through which we have promoted over 200 Irish small and medium enterprises, SMEs, across our broadcast, digital and social platforms.

Public service broadcasting is an essential pillar for Irish society, media plurality and democracy. It is essential now and for the future that the State’s funding of public service broadcasting is both transparent and accountable and that it is channelled and used in a manner that is economically viable, upholds wider plurality throughout the indigenous media sector and ensures a free and fair marketplace. A move towards contestable funds with clear transparency and accountability, greater collaboration across the entire media ecosystem and a clear strategy on distribution platforms to support all indigenous media would be welcome in policy terms.

We welcome and are supportive of the Future of Media Commission, but we believe the timeframe for its work is too protracted to address the challenges of the sector. Covid-19 has accelerated the move to digital media consumption across the board. Audiences are deciding when, where and how they wish to consume and find their content.

On behalf of Virgin Media Television, I assure the committee that we will continue to serve the people of Ireland to the maximum of our capability. I thank members.