The Independent Broadcasters of Ireland has welcomed the announcement by the Media Minister that she is moving ahead with a new scheme to support news and current affairs on independent broadcasting services.
The IBI says today’s announcement by Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, which follows the Budget yesterday, “recognises the unique role of the independent radio sector, and the vital Public Service Content it provides to 2.5 million listeners all over Ireland daily, and the contribution this makes to democracy and society”.
The organisation says the ringfenced measures are “very positive” and “will be of significant help in supporting the maintenance and development of the news and current affairs services provided by our 34 independent radio stations”.
Gratitude has also been expressed to the Minister for Finance, Jack Chambers, and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, who have announced a further €6 million for the Sound and Vision scheme to enable the funding of news and current affairs content by independent commercial broadcasters.
Full statement from the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland:
The Independent Broadcasters of Ireland has welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin T.D., that she is moving ahead with a new scheme to support news and current affairs on independent broadcasting services.
The announcement, which followed the Budget yesterday, recognises the unique role of the independent radio sector, and the vital Public Service Content it provides to 2.5 million listeners all over Ireland daily, and the contribution this makes to democracy and society.
We in the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland believe that the ringfenced measures which were announced by Minister Martin today are very positive. They will be of significant help in supporting the maintenance and development of the news and current affairs services provided by our 34 independent radio stations.
We are grateful for the engagement by the Minister and her Department with our sector and for their decision to provide much-needed support for the news and current affairs services in independent local, regional and national radio stations as part of the €6 million announced funding. We feel that it is very positive that there has been recognition that additionality of coverage was a significant issue for our sector, and that there is a commitment to addressing that, and ensuring funding for core news and current affairs.
We are also grateful to the Minister for Finance, Jack Chambers T.D., and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe T.D., who set out the funding in the Budget yesterday.
We look forward to working constructively and without delay with Minister Martin and her Department and with Coimisiún na Meán, to ensure that independent stations can access this funding as soon as possible. It is urgent that it is available to support the essential services which stations provide and which are so valued by our listeners.
We in IBI thank the Minister and her officials for this recognition of the services we provide.
We are also grateful to a broad range of public representatives who have leant their support to the sector in relation to this important issue.
We are hopeful that this is the beginning of a process where sustainable, meaningful and predictable funding will be available for independent radio in the years ahead.
