Joint Committee on Communications,
Climate Action and Environment

Forum on Funding Public Service Broadcasting

Screenshot 2016 07 01 Debate

Contents

  1. General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2017 and Retransmission Fees
  2. Public Consultation on Funding of Public Service Broadcasting
    1. Consultative Process
    2. Themes
    3. Suggested Questions
    4. Hearings and Opening Statements
      1. Committee Meeting 8 November 2016
      2. Committee Meeting 22 November 2016
  3. Reports on Public Service Broadcasting
  4. Submissions
    1. Making Submissions
    2. Format of Submissions
    3. Making a submission is a public process
  5. Submissions February 2017
  6. Forum on the Funding of Public Service Broadcasting

‌Top

General Scheme of the
Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2017
and Retransmission Fees

Published by the Joint Comittee 30 June 2017

  1. General Scheme Broadcasting -Amendment- Bill 2017 - Minister - Chairman-Scanned
  2. General Scheme Broadcasting -Amendment- Bill 2017 - Minister - Chairman
  3. General Scheme Broadcasting -Amendment- Bill 2017
  4. General Scheme Broadcasting -Amendment- Bill 2017 - Briefing Note
  5. Retransmission Fees - Briefing Note

The committee meeting on 11 July 2017 considered the general scheme and head evidence from a number of witnesses.  See below.

Committee Meeting 11 July 2017 | also video recording

Pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment Bill) 2017, and Retransmission Fees

  • Officials from:
    • Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
      • Ms Patricia Cronin, Assistant Secretary
      • Ms Mary Mooney, Assistant Principal
      • Mr. Dualta O’Broin, Assistant Principal
      • ‌
  • Representatives from:

The committee intends to hold a further meeting on this general scheme and retransmission fees with platform operators, provisionally arranged for 3 October 2017.

The committee also decided to publish the following letter from Mr. Tony Hanway, CEO Virgin Media Ireland, in relation to the general scheme:

Committee Meeting Tuesday 3 October 2017 | also video recording

  • Session (A) Representatives from the commercial broadcaster
    • TV3 Ireland:
      • Mr Pat Kiely, Managing Director, TV3 Ireland
      • Mr Bill Malone, Director of Programming, TV3 Ireland
      • Ms Aine Ni Chaoindealbhain, Director of Operations, TV3 Ireland
      •  20171003 TV3 Opening Statement Pat Kiely‌

 Top

 Public Consultation on Funding of Public Service Broadcasting

The submissions received by February 2017 are now available below.

The committee now invites further submissions from interested parties, prior to the Forum.

Top

Consultative Process

The Committee is currently considering the future of public service broadcasting in Ireland, in particular the requisite level of public funding required for stations to fulfil their public service objectives.

The Committee has already brought in the major players to provide an overview and update on the current situation.

Following on from that overview, the Joint Committee is carrying out a public consultation on the funding of public service broadcasting in Ireland and is seeking submissions from interested parties and stakeholders on the themes outlined below.

The Committee will consider any suitable written submissions received and may decide to invite a number of contributors to public hearings at a later date.

The Committee will host a consultative forum on 7 July 2017 on the future of public service broadcasting where stakeholders will feature.

Top

Themes

  • Theme 1: Additional services / growth in digital services
  • Theme 2: Funding / revenue generation
  • Theme 3: Commercial activities vs. public service objects
  • Theme 4: Advertising minutage
  • Theme 5: Outsourced / Independent production (external resources)
  • Theme 6: TG4 and Irish content / language
  • Theme 7: Conduct of the review process
  • Theme 8: Any other issue not covered in the above themes (including the effect on the funding of quality journalism of the changes in the environment).

Top

Suggested Questions

You are invited to read this document which contains suggested questions and further information.

Funding Public Service Broadcasting Suggested Questions v3

Committee Meeting 8 November 2016

See also the full text of the official report of the meeting, and the video recording.

Top

Committee Meeting 22 November 2016

See also the full text of the official report of the meeting and the video recording.

Top

Reports on Public Service Broadcasting

You are invited to read the following reports / reviews.

Date

Title

Author

Scope

May 2013

Review of Funding for Public Service Broadcasters
(the ‘5 year’ review /
the ‘CH review’)

Crowe Horwath (on behalf of BAI (Broadcasting Authority of Ireland))

This first 5-yearly review of the adequacy of public funding, as required under  the Broadcasting Act 2009.

June 2013

Five-year Review of Public Funding - Authority recommendations

 BAI (Broadcasting Authority of Ireland)

BAI’s recommendations on foot of the 5 year review.

July 2013

Government Response to the Review of the Funding of Public Service Broadcasters

Department (the then Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources)

Department’s / Government’s response to the 5 year review (including commitments to bring forward legislation, etc. incorporating the BAI recommendations.)

 

May 2014

Review of RTÉ (the ‘NewERA’ Review)

National Treasury Management Agency (NewERA) (on behalf of the Department)

To examine, quantify (to the extent possible) and assess the scope for further financial efficiencies in RTÉ across all its services and operations to include but not limited to the performing groups and Irish language radio service.

July 2014 (published in)

Public Funding Review of Public Service Broadcasters 2014 (of 2013 performance)  (the ‘O&O review’)

Oliver & Ohlbaum Associates Ltd. (on behalf of BAI)

The Broadcasting Act 2009 imposes a statutory duty on the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (the BAI) to undertake an annual review of the two public service broadcasters in Ireland – RTÉ and TG4. This is the most recent annual review available.

July 2014

Indecon Economic Analysis of the Advertising Market in Ireland 2013

Indecon (on behalf of the Department)

The report concerns an independent economic analysis of the advertising market in Ireland.

Top

Making Submissions

Written submissions and communications should be sent by email.

Submissions should be received not later than the closing date below at the following email address:

PS-Broadcasting@oireachtas.ie or by post to the address below.

The Committee will consider any suitable written submissions received and may decide to invite a number of contributors to public hearings should it be considered necessary.

Submissions and communications should only be sent to the email address above and not to individual members of the Committee.

Please note that the Clerk will ensure that all members of the Committee receive, in due course, copies of all submissions and communications received.

Top

Format of Submissions

As a general guideline, submissions should consist of:

  • a covering letter (email or email attachment in MS Word or equivalent)
  • a main submission document (email or email attachment in MS Word or equivalent).

The covering letter should contain your name and contact details (phone number and postal address and, if available, an email address). If the submission is on behalf of an organisation, you should indicate your position in the organisation. If your submission is on behalf of another organisation, please make this clear in your letter.

The main submission document should contain the following information:

  1. Your name;
  2. A brief introduction, for example, explaining your area of expertise;
  3. Any factual information that you have to offer from which the Committee might be able to draw conclusions, or which could be put to other parties for their reactions;
  4. Any recommendations to the Committee which should be as specific as possible and should be summarised at the end of the document;
  5. An executive summary of the main points made in the submission, if your document is more than 10 pages long;
  6. Whether you would be prepared to appear at a public session of the committee.

Making a submission is a public process

The Committee is not obliged to accept your document once it has been submitted, nor is it obliged to publish any or all of the submissions if it has received or accepted.

However, the operation of a parliament is a public process, and you should be aware that any submissions made to a Committee may be published either as part of a Committee report, or separately, if the Committee decides to do so.

Closing Date

The closing date for receipt of initial submissions was Friday 10 February 2017. 

However, further submissions are now invited prior to the forum, preferably by 26 June 2017.

Late submissions will be circulated to the committee, but there is no guarantee that they will be taken into account when the committee is considering its report.

Committee Details

Queries

Should you have any queries in relation to this matter, please email:

PS-Broadcasting@oireachtas.ie

or contact:

The Clerk
Joint Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment
Houses of the Oireachtas
Leinster House
Kildare Street
Dublin 2
D02 XR20
Ireland

Submissions received February, 2017

1. ABU Media

2. Conradh na Gaeilge

3. CRAOL

4. Darach O'Tuairisg

5. Dr Onada Oladele Olajide

6. Eamonn Geoghegan

7. Fianna Fáil

8. Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI)

9. Jilly Ní Dhonnabhainn

10. Journal Media

11. Local Ireland

12. Macalla Teoranta

13. NEARTV

14. Nemeton TV

15. NewsBrands Ireland

16. Raidió Rí-Rá

17. Richard Logue

18. RTÉ

19. RTÉ RnaG

20. Sinn Féin

21. Sky Ireland

22. TELEGAEL

23. TG4

24. Údarás na Gaeltachta

Additional Submissions published 10 October 2017

25. CRAOL

26. Kevin Crotty

Forum on the Funding of Public Service Broadcasting

#FutureBroadcast

Friday 7 July 2017, 9.30 - 15.30
Hibernia Conference Centre, Dublin Castle

The output from the forum will be used to inform the committee in its preparation of its report on the future funding of Public Service Broadcasting.

Press queries and accreditation:

Press Officer: Ciaran Brennan
Telephone: +353 (0) 1 618 3903
Mobile: +353 (0) 86 049 6518
Email: ciaran.brennan@oireachtas.ie

Friday 7 July 2017 | http://tinyurl.com/FutureBroadcast  | #FutureBroadcast

Top

 

Where can I find?

Connect with us