asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if his Department will grant a licence or licences for multi-channel television in the West Waterford towns of Cappoquin, Lismore and Tallow and in any other town in the country where reception is available through cable-vision.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Multi-Channel TV.
3.
The position in regard to the former single channel area is that my Department have organised competitions in respect of the issue of exclusive licences for the provision of multi-channel cable television systems in the cities of Cork and Galway. Letters of intent to grant a licence in respect of Cork and Galway cities have been issued to Cork Communications Ltd. and Tele Electrics Ltd. of Galway respectively. In both cases the companies in question must comply with certain requirements before a licence can be issued. It would be premature to give any undertaking regarding the issue of licences in respect of smaller towns until it is demonstrated that a satisfactory multi-channel service will be available in Cork and Galway.
Has there been an application for a licence for the towns of Cappoquin, Lismore and Tallow?
It was indicated by the company serving Cork that they could serve Lismore and Tallow but no decision has been given on that yet. So far as that indication was given one could say it was an application but it has not been formalised.
Will the Minister give favourable consideration to any such application seeing that it is on the route to Cork city?
I will give consideration to this as requested.
When does the Minister propose to issue letters of competition to the Limerick area? Why has it not been proceeded with?
That does not arise on this question.
I am sure the Minister has the information at his fingertips.
It is a separate question.
4.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will explain the method by which multi-channel television is to be provided in Cork, Limerick and Galway.
My Department has not yet arranged a competition for an exclusive licence for a multi-channel cable television system in Limerick. Upon the issue of exclusive licences in respect of Cork and Galway, the licensees will be expected to provide an aerial and associated head-end equipment at the site stated in their respective applications and a trunk cable from there to the cities to be served as well as the normal cable network in those cities. The detailed design of the networks will be a matter for each licensee, subject to compliance with the technical conditions laid down by my Department under the Wireless Telegraphy (Wired Broadcast Relay Licence) Regulations, 1974.
Why can the signal not be transmitted through the air?
I understand there are technical objections to doing that. There is also a belief that transmission by microwave could have copyright implications. There is a suggestion that that doubt has been removed but I do not know if it has been removed entirely. The broadcasting review committee in 1974 recommended that microwave link systems should be owned, controlled and maintained by the Department on an integrated basis. If permission was given to individual applications the technical end could become confused and lead to difficulties.
Would not the cable vision system of transmitting this television network also give rise to copyright problems?
I agree with the Deputy that there appears to be a contradiction, but I am advised that there is a distinction between retransmitting by microwave and by cable. I admit I cannot see the distinction but it was held that there was a distinction. Another view seems to be gaining support and that is that rebroadcasting by microwave does not infringe copyright.
Arising from the Minister's reply——
I have already allowed four supplementaries. Next question.
Does the Minister intend to issue a letter of competition to the Limerick area and why has it not been done up to now?
I will consider the question of Limerick shortly but I have no immediate plans to do so. Galway and Cork are both fringe areas for broadcasting and it might be more prudent to wait and see the experience of the contractors in those cities before giving a licence to Limerick. I will keep the matter under review and when I consider it is in order to invite competition for Limerick I will do so.
Would the Minister not agree that by issuing the letter of competition he would get the project under way more quickly? At the end of the day the decision will be taken on the basis of the technology to be used and the technical data submitted with tenders for the project. Surely that is not a real excuse for not going ahead with Limerick. It had already been decided on and I should like to know if it is going ahead.
The question of inviting competition is not as simple as the Deputy suggests because the people who will compete will have to go to considerable expense in preparing submissions. It would be unfair to put them to that expense if it was not technically feasible.
I cannot accept what the Minister says, because people who are interested and go to that expense would know what was involved. That is no excuse.