Independent Media and State Funding

RoTelly

https://radiotoday.ie/2024/09/independent-radio-stations-call-for-level-playing-field-with-rte-and-better-support/

So should Indo radio, TV, Newspapers or media be funded by the Government / State?

Or should supports be put in place?

What are we getting from our local radio providers? Has local media ever been strong in Ireland?

eightieschewbaccy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058370251/independent-media-and-state-funding

Local radio is still pretty big in Cork anyway. During the flooding last year it tended to be the best resource in terms of info. And plenty of local stories get reported that wouldn't make the national press.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122649267#Comment_122649267

Should it be funded or be given a grant for this service?

What is their news service online like/ what is their evening news output like / what is their speech programming?

Who owns local radio in Cork?

Atlantic Dawn

I think a better approach would be limits placed on what advertising revenue RTÉ can bring in, strip them back to one ad slot per hour and ban them from being able to have shows sponsored, that would make advertisers seek alternatives and the money would flow in to the independent sector.

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058370251/independent-media-and-state-funding

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122649361#Comment_122649361

That is a fair heap of questions. Have you an opinion yourself on it?

Has local media ever been strong in Ireland?

It certainly dwarfed national radio at one time. Whether that is still the same I have no idea.

end of the road

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122649758#Comment_122649758

i don't really agree that it would.

advertisers and sponsors could already spend money in the independant sector if they wish but aren't doing so.

i suspect that's not specifically down to RTE but other factors such as bang for buck so to speak.

problem is if we go down that route with rte then we have to pay more and i'm not sure people are in the mood at the moment to have a higher tv license which is fair given the cost of living issues.

end of the road

quite a large amount of local radio is owned by rupert murdock's wireless group and bauer media.
ultimately if any state funding is provided to the independant sector, it will have to be for specific types of content with a high standard of provision mandated in return.
if just giving funding to stations across the board then the amount of public service content required will have to substantially rise in return, otherwise we would be better just funding more community radio and letting the commercial sector do as they please.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122649758#Comment_122649758

RTÉ already have limits to advertising revenue on Radio and on TV. Independents can sell more advertising.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122649843#Comment_122649843

I do but I wanted to see what others thought.

IMO I don't agree that they should get funding for the contract that they have all signed up to, through the BAI/CnaM, local radio has large a 50% share of the listener-ship which ultimately gives them a slight monopoly on local radio advertising, while many are part of larger multinationals such as Bauer and Wireless.

At one point I assumed that Local Radio was providing a localized version of Radio 1, but generally local Radio consists of Local News from 7am to 7pm, and one 2 hour chat show, much like that of the 2 local Dublin stations 104fm and 98fm.

Meanwhile local news is dropped for syndicated news at night in most cases.

This is having listened to KFM, LMFM and Midland's 103, having been brought up in Dublin. (I don't believe either KFM or Midland's belong to a large organisation?)

I don't really believe their view that this is public service broadcasting. They seem to want the government to pay for the more expensive parts of their schedules.

conorhal

State funded 'independent' media, an oxymoron for the modern age. You can have one or the other, but certiantly not both.

Shan Doras

The quality of Irish local radio varies a lot around the country. Midwest Radio in Mayo for example maybe very old fashioned but does a great job serving older listeners aged 60+. I've heard them do everything from lost dentures to helping a poor single parent find an adorable communion outfit for their child. It's also a station that's live from 7am to 1am, 7 days a week, afaik it's the only radio station in Ireland that didn't reduce live broadcasting hours during covid. I'd say that it's a radio station that really is a "lifeline" for a lot of older people in Mayo/Galway/Sligo. At the other end of the spectrum, Wicklows East coast Fm apart from it's daily local talk show is no different from Classic Hits or Q102, indeed itself and Classic Hits radio are often doing the same thing, they both have 5 hour autopilot club classics on Saturday nights.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122652592#Comment_122652592

Eastcoast FM has a relationship to Classic Hits? while historically it did try to overspill into the Dublin market, and would have been heavily influenced by 98FM and FM104 schedules back in the day due to them eating into the Wicklow market.