Ireland

[IE] Establishment of Forum on Broadcasting

IRIS 2002-7:1/24

Candelaria van Strien-Reney

Faculty of Law, National University of Ireland, Galway

The Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands recently announced the establishment of a Forum on Broadcasting. The seven members of the Forum come from broadcasting, business, academic and arts fields.

The Minister has directed the Forum to examine a number of topics and to make recommendations on them. The topics concern the roles of public and commercial/independent broadcasting services, and whether these roles differ at national, regional and local levels; the funding of public service broadcasting ("but excluding issues specifically related to the adequacy or otherwise of the current RTÉ (Radio Telefís Éireann, the national public service broadcaster) licence fee" - see IRIS 2002-4: 7 and IRIS 2001-8: 11); the appropriate role of the independent audiovisual production sector; the responsibility - if any

- of broadcasters to develop and broadcast programmes in the Irish language and programmes with cultural content; and the responsibilities - if any - of different broadcasters to make and conserve national audiovisual heritage.

In carrying out its work, the Forum is to have regard to: the need to foster an environment that encourages the establishment and maintenance of high quality Irish radio and television services; the need to ensure plurality and diversity; the current legislative framework (both Irish and EU) concerning the provision of broadcasting services; the need to protect independent and impartial journalism; and emerging trends in the technological and commercial environments.

The Forum is due to make its recommendations by 31 July 2002.