Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I am pleased to open this debate on the Broadcasting (Major Events Television Coverage) (Amendment) Bill 2003. This debate provides an opportunity for the House to consider the important issues contained in the Bill. These issues relate to the television coverage of events of major importance to the people of Ireland. Senators will have the opportunity to express their views on these issues. I am interested in hearing those views.

Irish television viewers have traditionally enjoyed access to major events, both sporting and otherwise, on free television services. In the past, given the demands on the radio frequency spectrum for broadcasting purposes, the number of broadcasters has been necessarily restricted. In the past ten years, however, the emergence of digital broadcasting services, operated on an almost entirely commercial basis, has changed the broadcasting map considerably. For example, we have seen the emergence of dedicated sports channels. These channels often acquire exclusive broadcasting rights to major sports events and this exclusivity is a key driver of uptake of their services. It is undeniable that these channels have provided increased choice to those fans who are interested and can afford to pay the price of such services.

The potential of digital broadcasting to vastly increase the capacity for the provision of broadcasting channels has caused revolutionary change. Commercial services have discovered the importance of sport to their schedules. Indeed, the market for any kind of programming with popular appeal is becoming more and more intense, leading in turn to increased costs in acquiring broadcast rights. There is clear evidence of coverage of sports events migrating to pay-television services.

The European Union's Television Without Frontiers Directive – Directive 97/36 EC – recognised that member states should have the right to take measures to ensure that events that are regarded by a member state as "events of major importance to society" should continue to be available on free television services. Under the directive it is open to each individual member state to decide whether it wishes to designate events in this way. A cornerstone of the directive is that it requires each member state to take measures to protect the interests of other member states who have decided to designate events.