Ireland’s independent radio stations have dismissed new Government schemes to fund public service journalism as “unfit for purpose”, writes Shane Doran.
The damning assessment of schemes set up by media regulator Coimisiún na Meán by the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI) is contained in a hard-hitting letter to Taoiseach Simon Harris.
The body – comprising 34 local and national stations which together make up 70% of radio listenership in the country with more than 2.5 million daily listeners – wrote: “The stations – and their listeners – deserve fair and meaningful action to support their long-term sustainability in a challenging market.
“In our view, the design of the proposed journalism schemes means they are unfit for purpose and they would not provide accessible, workable and meaningful support for our stations.”
Signed by heads of 26 independent broadcasters, the letter said stations “all intensively and individually considered the schemes on their merits”, adding: “We spent …