Childers tells European Parliament that closure of INN raises serious questions over media ownership and diversity

Posted by Bronwen Maher on October 20, 2009 at 09:45 AM

Labour MEP, Nessa Childers told today’s session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg that the Parliament and the EU Institutions must maintain a watching brief on media ownership trends and developments in Ireland.

Highlighting some of the issues arising from the closure of Independent Network News and the provision of a replacement service to Ireland’s local commercial radio stations, Nessa Childers said; “The imminent closure of Independent Network News (INN), a Dublin-based news agency which supplies a first-rate national and international news service to the majority of Ireland’s local radio stations raises serious and legitimate questions about the ownership, plurality and regulation of the media in Ireland.

“Local radio stations in Ireland are statutorily required to ensure that 20% of their news content is national and international. This service has been largely supplied in recent years by INN.

“On foot of INN’s demise, the Newstalk station, owned by Communicorp which is also a major shareholder in INN has been awarded the contract to provide a replacement service for the next six months.

“UTV, whose withdrawal from INN effectively precipitated the service’s demise, has been centrally involved in the efforts to source a replacement service too.

“The National Union of Journalists has raised important questions over the appropriateness of the involvement of both UTV and Communicorp in this process in the context of the diversity of media ownership in Ireland.

“These questions must be fully explored and a watching brief should be maintained by this Parliament in relation to developments and trends in media ownership in Ireland and across the EU.”

“I also believe that it is high time the Irish government seriously considered introducing a windfall tax on the sale of lucrative independent broadcasting licences. This type of measure could serve to act as a brake on the type of speculative investment we have seen in the media sector in recent years. This type of investment has been singularly motivated by the making of a quick buck and has little or nothing to do with maintaining an independent, questioning and vibrant broadcasting sector which is essential to the proper functioning of a democracy”

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