Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht to discuss challenges faced by broadcast media and newspapers due to Covid-19

The meeting in Committee Room 3 of Leinster House will be divided into two sessions. The first, from 2pm to 2.55pm, will discuss the challenges facing Public Broadcasting and the broader Media Sector as a result of Covid-19 with:

• Representatives of Virgin Media Ireland, Paul Farrell, MD of Virgin Media Ireland, Aine Ní Chaoindealbháin, Director of Operations, and Anna-Maria Barry, Corporate Communications General Manager; and
• Representative of TG4, Alan Esslemont, Director General, TG4.

This will be followed from 3.05pm to 4pm by a discussion on the challenges facing National and Regional Newspapers as a result of Covid-19 with:

• Representatives of Local Ireland, Frank Mulrennan, Executive Member of Local Ireland, and Johnny O’Hanlon, Director of Local Ireland; and
• Representatives of NewsBrands Ireland, Vincent Crowley, Chairman NewsBrands Ireland, Liam Kavanagh, MD, The Irish Times, Colm O’Reilly, CEO Business Post, and Ann-Marie Lenihan, CEO, NewsBrands Ireland.

Committee Chair Deputy Niamh Smyth said: “The media sector was facing challenging times before Covid-19 struck. Both broadcast media and the newspaper sector, nationally and regionally, were suffering from falling advertising revenue, with newspapers also suffering a decline in sales and stiff competition from digital and social media.

“These problems have been compounded by the pandemic with revenues this year expected to see a further significant drop. The Committee looks forward to discussing these and other challenges faced by broadcasters and the national and local newspapers as they face into 2021.”

The Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.

The meeting in Committee Room 3 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.