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The Broadcasting Bill 1999 was passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas (Parliament) and signed into law on 14 March 2001. It paves the way for digital broadcasting. It makes provision in Part II for the supply of programme material, including transmission by digital means, and for the establishment of a transmission company (s.5) and a multiplex company (s.8). It also covers digital content contracts (s.12) and electronic programme guides (s.16). Part III deals with standards in broadcasting. The Independent Radio and Television Commission (IRTC), established by statute in 1988 to regulate the...

On 23 March, a High Court jury in Dublin resolved a libel action in favour of RTE, the national public service broadcasting station. The station had been sued by a well-known politician, Beverly Cooper-Flynn. The case arose from RTE news broadcasts in June-July 1998. The politician, a former bank official, claimed that the news items meant that she had instigated a tax evasion scheme. The jury decided that RTE had not proved that she had induced the third-named defendant to evade tax. They also found, however, that RTE had proved that she had advised or encouraged a number of other persons to evade...

On 29 January 2001, the Independent Radio and Television Commission (IRTC) refused to allow Ulster Television to take over County Media. Ulster Television (UTV) broadcasts in and from Northern Ireland and is part of the UK's Independent Television Network. County Media is the owner of three independent local radio stations in Cork, the second largest city in Ireland. Under section 6.2 of the Radio and Television Act 1988, the IRTC must have regard inter alia to the character, expertise and experience of the applicant. It must also have regard to the desirability of having a diversity of services...

The legislation in Ireland, which regulates the content and supply of videos, is the Video Recordings Act 1989. That Act designated the Film Censor's office as the regulatory body to deal with videos as well as films. The Film Censor has power to classify videos according to age and to refuse certificates for the supply of videos if their content is such that they may inter alia corrupt viewers or incite to crime. The Act, however, does not extend to video games. Initially, this omission did not pose a problem. More recently, developments in the content and range of video games have given rise...

The Irish government has recently implemented the provisions of Directive 98/84/EC on the legal protection of services based on, or consisting of, conditional access. The Directive is aimed at approximating provisions in the Member States concerning measures against illicit devices that give unauthorised access to protected services. The Directive has been implemented into Irish law by means of Ministerial Regulations. For the purposes of the Regulations, "protected services" means: - television broadcasting (but does not include communication services such as telecopying or electronic banks,...