The industrial dispute involving news staff at Capital Radio has understandably been overshadowed by the strike at the ESB but the issues raised are nonetheless very important. I want to thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for allowing me to raise the matter and to thank the Minister for Labour for coming into the House to listen to what I have to say on that matter.
In many respects the dispute at Capital Radio is symptomatic of the more general industrial relations problems being experienced in commercial radio stations all over the country. While the dispute at Century Radio has now been settled — although it is hard to see how that station can maintain the quality and extent of its news coverage with the loss of three senior journalists — there is a number of potential disputes in local stations which are likely to erupt unless action is taken to improve industrial relations procedures in the sector.
Many of these disputes have arisen from arbitrary decisions taken by station proprietors to dismiss journalists or change their working conditions. In the case of Capital Radio unilateral changes were introduced by the management which would have resulted in the letting go of four of the nine journalists employed. On Friday last, at the time when the proposed lay-offs were under dispute, the management dismissed another one of the journalists who was then Acting Head of News, Joyce Jackson.
Because of the industrial dispute Capital Radio have not been meeting the requirements specified in the Radio and Television Act, 1988, that 20 per cent of air time should be devoted to news and current affairs matters. To add to the seriousness of the matter, on Tuesday last the station management removed virtually all the equipment used in the collation of news. Typewriters, telephones and FAX machines were removed without warning, a step which indicated that the management were going to disregard their legal obligations regarding news and current affairs coverage.
I regret to say that attempts made by me and other party spokespersons in the House to involve the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications, Deputy Brennan, in this matter failed. Private Notice Questions and requests to raise matters on the Adjournment were rejected on the grounds that the Minister maintained he had no responsibility in this area. Therefore we have had to resort to an important and significant device, labour relations, in an attempt to secure some discussion in the Chamber on this matter. It should not be forgotten that we were concerned to ensure, having passed the Broadcasting Bill last year, that a proper news service was provided; but we cannot, apparently, debate that matter because the Minister for Communications has very cleverly denied responsibility.
Many of the difficulties being faced by radio stations at present arise from the attempts of proprietors to wriggle out of commitments, given when seeking licences, to maintain high standards in their news and current affairs programmes. Some of the submissions made at that time to the Independent Radio and Television Commission bear little relationship to the programmes many of the stations are now carrying. Station owners, devoid of vision and imagination, are trying to blame the requirement of 20 per cent news and current affairs for their failure to attract forecasted audience levels while the real reason is their own inept programming. The experience of RTE and many stations around the country is that good quality news and current affairs programmes, especially local news programmes, are an asset in attracting listeners.
The attitude of many station managers to staff is deplorable. They have ridden roughshod over established labour relations procedures and have acted in a manner which is reminiscent of the worse days of pirate radio. The dispute at Capital Radio is to be considered by the Labour Relations Commission in the morning. I hope they will actively seek a solution to the dispute, take a broader view of the problem and use the powers available under section 25 of the Industrial Relations Act, 1989, to prepare a code of practice for industrial relations in the independent radio sector.
Finally, I hope the Minister will join with me in appealing to the management of Capital Radio to reinstate the Deputy Head of News, Joyce Jackson, and to enter into meaningful negotiations with the union. The managing director of Capital Radio, Mr. Michael Hogan, is a well known supporter of Fianna Fáil and has on many occasions placed on public record——
