Shane McEntee (Meath, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 15: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he or others, with or without his authority, have entered into discussions with RTE or those in the private sector in the context of the likely contents of the proposed Broadcasting Bill; if agreements or conclusions have been arrived at; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13843/06]

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The priority issues to be addressed by the Broadcasting Bill are as follows: the establishment of a single content regulator for commercial, community and public service broadcasters; the establishment of RTE as a company under the Companies Acts; the provision of a statutory mechanism for future adjustments to the level of the television licence fee; and the development of the right of reply mechanism, allowing persons whose reputation and good name have been damaged by an assertion of incorrect facts in a television or radio programme to gain redress.

The Minister's intention in framing the legislative proposals that will form the basis of the new Broadcasting Bill will be to ensure that the broadcasting regulatory environment continues to encourage the parallel development of high quality broadcasting by Irish public service, commercial and community broadcasters.

In the context of the development of broadcasting policy, our officials and the Minister have cause, on a regular basis, to meet with the various interests that comprise the broadcasting sector including, but not limited to, commercial broadcasters, public service broadcasters and independent producers. At many of these meetings the issues to be addressed in the forthcoming Broadcasting Bill, given their relative importance to the sector, have been raised and discussed in general terms.