James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Dooley for bringing forward this very important motion on local radio stations. More than 70% of us tune into local radio every weekday. Local radio stations focus on local issues and provide an opportunity to give our local communities a voice. They have a key role in the dissemination of news, current affairs, sports and entertainment. They inform people and allow local communities to participate in decisions that affect them, serving as the arteries of communication by empowering people to stay informed of what is happening in their local communities. They provide life-saving information in times of extreme weather events. They can facilitate and empower communities whose representation is generally ignored by mainstream media. I think of the invaluable community resource that South East Radio provides and in particular the news and the Alan Corcoran show. I also think that the critical contribution of BEAT events for young listeners in the south east. The commercial local radio industry is critically important to our economy as a whole and to local economies in particular. It provides jobs, an opportunity for young people especially to cut their teeth, and an outlet for local businesses to advertise and raise awareness, which businesses could never afford to advertise with mainstream media. This important value to local economies is often overlooked and in many cases taken for granted. The survival of local radio, like that of the local newspapers, is at risk. Unfortunately, as a result of changes within media, local radio stations now find themselves operating under increasing financial pressure. Revenues have declined significantly in the past ten years, putting pressure on independent radio stations to stay afloat. Fianna Fáil believes that the loss of high-quality locally sourced news from the independent radio sector will represent a loss to the valuable community and undermine our local democracy. That is why Fianna Fáil is proposing the establishment of a public service broadcast support.

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