Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I presume RTE is monitoring this debate. I have difficulty in picking up its longwave broadcasts. I tried to listen into a broadcast from the Sacred Heart Church in Roscommon last Sunday, but I could not pick it up. If I could not do so, I do not know who could. Will those monitoring the debate investigate the issue of frequencies and how to tune into the stations in question?

In section 116 the Bill establishes a fund of €40 million for RTE to commission independent television and radio programmes. This is a welcome move and the success of independently produced television programmes is well recognised. However, while 95%, or €38 million, of the fund is specifically for independent television programmes, only 1.25%, some €500,000, is for independent radio productions. That amount would barely cover the costs of administering the allocation of the funds. I urge the Minister of State to ensure that 5% of the fund, a full €2 million, be allocated for independent radio productions. Independent radio producers can contribute worthwhile programming in important but often neglected areas such as the Irish language, children's radio and radio dramas.

In recent years, local radio stations have been steadily acquired by large corporations. The Bill should explicitly allow the State to impose a broad and extensive range of conditions on licences to such acquisitions or transfers in many different ways. Section 69 of the Bill sets out the conditions that broadcasting licences may contain and makes provision for conditions prohibiting the assignment of the licence or a change in the material ownership of the licenceholder if the broadcasting authority sees fit. I welcome this development, but the Bill could also empower the authority or the Minister to, if either sees fit, make provision for the State to be reimbursed or to take a fee from any subsequent financial transaction involving the resale of State-issued licences. This is only relevant in situations where the authority chooses not to prohibit the transfer of the licence outright, addressing the concerns raised by the Leader about the vast wealth accumulated by some individuals, which was not anticipated or catered for in previous legislation. I am a former Fianna Fáil Front Bench spokesperson on broadcasting and introduced such legislation, but it was not envisaged that local radio stations would be sold to large companies.

The independent Ox report commissioned by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland, BCI, was published in 2004 and noted that only cross-media ownership is monitored by regulators because of plurality controls. It recommended that changes in organisational shareholding structures should be reported to the regulatory authority. In light of the increasing acquisition of local radio stations by groups such as UTV Radio, Communicorp, Thomas Crosbie Holdings Limited and Radio Kerry, which was mentioned by a shareholding Senator — they have acquired FM 104, Dublin's Q102, Cork's 96FM, 103FM County Sound, Limerick's Live 95FM and LMFM, Today FM, Newstalk, Spin and Dublin's 98FM, WLR FM, Beat, Midwest Radio and Red FM, and Shannonside-Northern Sound, respectively — it is vital that procedures for monitoring ownership of broadcasting licences are continually developed and improved.

I commend the quality of local radio stations, which do good work and have brought broadcasting to the people. I also commend community stations. RosFM is doing considerable work in bringing radio to the people and I compliment its managers and directors. I have a vested interest because my wife, Mary, is a director of RosFM, a non-profit organisation. The Minister of State would agree that there should be more news input in local radio and a greater proportion of Irish, ensuring a fair hearing for Irish-produced records.

Another aspect of the Bill allows the children's advertising code to prohibit advertising of unhealthy food aimed at children. This is to be particularly welcomed in light of concerns about the eating habits of younger people and eating disorders in general, which were raised in the House this morning.

I welcome that the Minister has not prohibited elected public representatives from being members of the authority's board. Members of the Oireachtas made it clear that a prohibition on elected councillors being appointed to such boards was unacceptable.

I commend our high standards of public broadcasting, particularly in terms of RTE 1. I commend it on its "Prime Time" programme last night, which detailed the contents of the Lisbon reform treaty. I hope RTE 1 continues broadcasting such exposés, as people want to know the facts and television is the best medium through which to present them. TV3 could do more in respect of the treaty. There should be a dedicated Oireachtas channel. Last night, "Oireachtas Report" was aired at 12.40 a.m. I nodded off, but I spotted my good friend, Senator O'Reilly, speaking well. He is the only person I remember.