Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Government policy is to encourage and support a diverse media that serves all of the people. Licence fee funding for public service broadcasting provides an independent and reliable income, which allows the two public service broadcasters - RTE and TG4 - to meet their public service objectives with a high level of editorial independence. This is especially important in the context of news and current affairs. Under the dual funding model, RTE is statutorily obliged to use its commercial revenues to further subsidise its public service obligations.

All public, community and independent commercial broadcasters can access public funding from the broadcasting funding scheme, mentioned by the Deputy, which encourages programming on Irish culture, heritage, adult literacy and global issues. Funded by 7% of net television licence fee receipts, Sound & Vision II funded 477 projects, worth over €3.6 million, from commercial radio stations. This represented 40% of the total radio allocation. By contrast, allocations to public service broadcasting stations from the fund in the same period were worth less than €1 .6 million or 18% of the total.

I fully recognise the contribution that the commercial sector makes to broadcasting in Ireland, but I remain to be convinced that the further distribution of public funds to independent commercial broadcasters, beyond the supports that already exist, would represent good public or broadcasting policy. The net effect of such a move would be to reduce the amount of funding available to all other broadcasters, community and public, and I see little logic in this proposition in the current circumstances.

I recently published an economic analysis of the Irish advertising market, which was undertaken by Indecon as part of the Government's response to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland's five year review of the funding of public service broadcasting. It is now my intention to put forward a number of proposals for amending the current regulatory framework for advertising. In regard to commercial radio advertising, I am proposing to give the BAI oversight and control of the amount of advertising minutage allowed to such broadcasters. I expect that this will provide more flexibility than in the current situation, where the amount of permitted minutage is effectively set in stone. I will also put forward amendments to ensure that the BAI's reviews of public service broadcasting funding will always take account of the impact of its recommendations on the broader advertising market.

I believe that these proposed changes will lead to a more sustainable advertising regulatory framework for all broadcasters which, in the context of an improving economy, should assist in delivering a viable future for everyone in the sector.

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