David Norris (Independent)

I welcome to the House the Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Seán Power, and congratulate him on his new office. I would also have been pleased to welcome the new Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Mansergh, and commend him on his elevation. Unfortunately, that elevation reduces the potential for badinage between the two of us. We used to have great sport across the floor of the House. Now, alas, I shall have to treat him with the respect due to a Minister. However, I will be pleased to do so.

I should declare an interest in this issue. Being something of a Jack of all trades, I am occasionally introduced as a politician, ex-academic and broadcaster. I partake in a certain amount of broadcasting, both when I am invited to do so by RTE and in my regular Sunday morning slot on Newstalk, which I greatly enjoy. Therefore, I have an insider's view of the broadcasting world. The independent stations, even those such as Newstalk which now broadcast nationally, are operating on a shoestring. They must be nourished. Newstalk is seeking to grow its national audience from a localised Dublin base. However, I do not wish to be too partisan about that station. The growth of independent stations is a positive development. I also welcome the fostering of community radio as provided for in the Bill.

We all have our favourite radio presenters. Senator O'Toole mentioned several of his. I have always enjoyed radio as a consumer and have derived pleasure from the distinctive voices of presenters such as Tommy O'Brien. His wonderful mellow Tipperary tones are part of what makes his programme, "Your Choice and Mine", so enjoyable. Val Joyce has provided some wonderful radio moments which one could not expect to encounter anywhere else in the world. I recall one occasion when the programme's signature tune failed and Val asked the girl in the weather forecast office if she would sing the tune. She agreed to do so if Val helped her out and the two of them proceeded to hum the tune. One would not get that on the BBC.

Examples such as these show how radio can reach out to people and communities in a very human way. Sometimes one might feel uninspired by a particular programme but as one listens while doing the washing-up, it brings one alive. Some programmes are geared towards a specific audience but can appeal to a wider one. I am thinking in particular of "Outside the Box", with Olan McGowan. It is one of the great radio programmes and it reaches out to people described as disabled and so on. However, that is enough about the programmes in which I am interested.

I have just been speaking at the lunch and annual general meeting of MIST, an organisation for people with macular degeneration of the retina. I have the problem in a small form. Such people really depend on radio; television is not much use to them. I will come back to this because we must ensure the radio signal is sufficiently strong. I have put down some amendments on the matter. It is important to recognise the spread of the independent radio service. A total of 63% of the population, 2.25 million people, tune into independent radio stations daily. That is an enormous section of the population and it must be serviced properly.

I commend this Bill. It consolidates an enormous welter of broadcasting legislation in a single Bill. That is a good approach. I welcome the installation of the broadcasting regulator through the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, BAI. I also welcome the fact that a significant proportion of the appointments to the board will be subject to the advice of the Oireachtas committee on broadcasting. I believe that committee can be used to a greater extent but I will turn to that when I discuss the levy. With regard to the limits that apply to advertising minutes, I have been lobbied to ease this provision. However, I do not believe it should be eased. We have the correct balance at present and an increase in advertising to American levels, for example, would be regrettable.

I agree with the broadcasting codes. RTE can really take credit for objectivity because its coverage of the Lisbon treaty has been excellent. It is about the only place where there has been an attempt at balance. It certainly has not existed in this House but it has existed on RTE radio, which is welcome. It was a pleasure to hear an MEP from Denmark give a considered view of the "No" case today on RTE. One would not hear it anywhere else. Unlike Senator Bradford, I considered the coverage of the American election superb. I agree with Senator O'Toole that RTE should maintain correspondents in America. I am interested in "Super Tuesday", even if Senator Bradford is not.

Senator Bradford also mentioned alcohol advertising. I believe it should be banned, with some form of compensation for the drastic reduction in revenue. If we are serious about this major problem, the advertising should be addressed. However, it does not appear to be mentioned in the Bill. There is reference to children and fatty, sugary foods and so forth but the most damaging issue is alcohol. We have already dealt with the issue of cigarette advertising.

It is important that we invoke the Oireachtas committee with regard to the levy. Why not provide that when the broadcasting authority is devising a budget it should present the budget to the Oireachtas committee in the first instance to have it approved? When it is approved, the authority can seek the levy to service the agreed budget. With regard to fines, people should not be sent to jail for not having a television licence. It is nonsense. First, it actually costs the taxpayer money and, second, one hears of awful instances of hardship. A few days ago a woman was wrenched from her family and put in jail. That is absolutely unacceptable.

The broadcasting funding scheme for commissioning radio programmes is important. However, it does not fund recurring strands, regardless of their success. That is similar to the old FÁS schemes, where people were brought into schemes from unemployment and made a terrific contribution but once the schemes were up and running, they were cancelled because there was a policy of not repeating the funding. If one has a success, one should encourage, cherish and develop it.

The strength of the radio signal was referred to by Senator O'Toole. In many parts of the country one cannot receive the RTE signal. It fades from time to time, for example, when one is travelling on the train to Belfast. Why is that? It should be available throughout the island; there is no excuse for it not being available. The Senator also mentioned that it was not easy to receive the signal in London. That was acknowledged by RTE in January 2002. In a letter the station said it had always been hampered by the fact that there is no clear signal reception in the greater London area. This deficiency was a prime consideration in the decision not to replicate the RTE Radio 1 service, as the Tullamore medium wave transmitter had equal or better coverage in that regard. That is true, but then RTE closed the Tullamore transmitter so the point made in the letter was cancelled. The replacement frequency, long wave 252, has been downgraded and broadcasts with half its daytime licensed power at 300 KW.

There is a problem with FM. First, it does not cover the blackspots. One must also consider the weather forecasts for fishermen. I recall listening to those broadcasts in the same way as I listened to GAA results; I knew nothing about the GAA but loved hearing the names of the townlands I knew in Laois and around the Slieve Bloom mountains spoken in that wonderful voice. I also listened to the fishing forecast to hear the placenames and to imagine where they were. However, the fishing fleets are beyond the range of the FM service.

We recently received leaflets about what we should do in a nuclear emergency. There was a funny satirical programme about them on RTE Radio I recently. If there is a nuclear facility available we might have to take shelter with our transistors, but that means we will be unable to receive the advice about what we should do, even if it is a little barmy. That situation must be addressed. I have attempted to do so by putting down a couple of amendments. I will also put down amendments to deal with the issue of people being sent to jail and the question of alcohol advertising. That will not make me popular in Newstalk but I believe there should be a compensatory mechanism for a ban on alcohol advertising.

I welcome the Bill. I hope this House will be able to play its role in sharpening the Bill's focus by putting down amendments to achieve this. There is an allocation of €0.5 million for independent radio production. That figure should be re-examined. It should be a percentage and it should be increased. It is the view of some of independent radio stations that up to 70% of the proposed budget would be required to manage and administer the unit in RTE for procuring programmes from independent radio producers.

Finally, the broadcasting complaints commission is very welcome. I have neither the time nor the wish to rake over the Cathal Ó Searcaigh controversy again but RTE did not cover itself in glory. If it thinks, as its spokesperson said, that it showed its commitment to impartiality by sending the maker of that dubious programme back to Nepal to check the facts, it is not my idea of impartiality or a commitment to fair treatment. Let us have a complaints commission with teeth. However, the fine of €250,000 is very severe. What type of offence would provoke such a large fine? In my experience of independent radio, such a fine would put virtually any independent radio station in this country out of business.