13th European Broadcasting Union Radio Assembly

This significant gathering, representing national broadcasting organisations, will celebrate one hundred years of radio. However, in doing so, we recognize that the term “broadcasting” is no longer adequate to describe the full scope of your activities in the EBU.

Yours is a union of public service media providers and you are extending your vision beyond the traditional sense of the word “broadcasting”.

I congratulate the EBU for the service it has provided to its members for more than fifty years.

The work of the Union has always prioritised the free flow of information in society and I regard this as a fundamental value of democracy.

The exchanges of news and programmes, the pioneering developments in technology and programmes of professional development have meant that the EBU continues to strengthen broadcasting’s role in democratic public life.

Almost one hundred broadcasting organisations throughout the world are registered users of your news resources for covering events of international interest.

This is a highly significant aid to building bonds of mutual understanding in Europe and in the world beyond our continent.
As someone who has battled for free-to-air sports coverage, I thank the EBU for the work of its sports group, which devotes its expertise to securing free-to-air broadcast rights.

This is increasingly difficult to achieve, yet we all recognise the importance of public access, free-to-air, for sporting events of national significance.

As you debate the future of your medium – its technologies, its distribution platforms and its strategies for the next generation of radio use – I ask that you maintain a customer-focussed approach to the plans.

Audiences around Europe benefit from the exchanges, the concerts and competitions organised in all genres of music, under the aegis of the Radio Committee.

The trust of these audiences throughout Europe is essential and the people who pay for the services must understand your role.

Its editorial independence, reliability and impartiality must be clear to the citizen and I urge you to continue to promote and explain your role to the public.

For example our own RTÉ has been required, since 2004, to produce a Public Service Broadcasting Charter. Under this Charter, RTÉ publishes an annual statement of commitments.

This tells the people of Ireland, the licence fee payers, what they can expect in return for their licence fee. The role and accountability of public service broadcasters has been an item of considerable debate in Ireland over the last number of months.

We have published the draft general scheme of the Broadcasting Bill, the separation of TG4 from RTÉ and, most recently, the enactment of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Act 2007.

The Broadcasting Bill contains the Government’s legislative proposals for reform of the regulation and role of public service broadcasting in Ireland.

The Bill has been the subject of an innovative e-consultation process, which involved the submission of the Bill to a parliamentary committee – the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.

The Joint Committee undertook a public consultation into the legislative proposals using Internet technologies, including an on-line discussion forum and the live streaming of the Committee’s public hearings.

In essence this process made use of technology to inform, educate and to extend participation in the development of a key part of our democracy – broadcast media.

The Joint Committee published its conclusions yesterday, and I propose to introduce the Bill into the Oireachtas in 2007.

The Government established TG4 – Ireland’s Irish language public service television broadcaster – as an independent statutory body earlier this month.

I believe that this step is crucial for the continued development of the Irish language and public service broadcasting in Ireland.

TG4 has enjoyed much success in the ten or so years that it been broadcasting. This success is in no small part due to the work of my fellow speaker Cathal Goan, who guided the station during its formative years.

I recently introduced the enactment of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Act 2007, which amends the public service remit of RTÉ by mandating it to provide a radio and television service to Irish communities abroad.

It also enables digital terrestrial broadcasting – a key step if we are to secure the future of terrestrial broadcasting in Ireland, both radio and television, in a digital age.

Irish broadcasting is culturally distinctive. It carries our signature; it projects the views and the many different voices of a society that has changed in profound ways over the last decade.

One example of this is last year’s census of the population, which told us that one in ten people now living in Ireland and contributing to Irish society were born abroad.

We recognise that as a people, we are diversifying. Listeners and viewers have wider interests and changing needs.

Faced with these realities, public service broadcasting is central to the media landscape here in Ireland.

We have vibrant competitive media in this country particularly in the area of radio broadcasting. RTÉ Radio provides four national radio services, and there are almost three dozen licensed commercial and community radio channels in the State.

At present, we are conducting trials of both DAB radio and DTT television services, as well as extending broadband around the country.

I am committed to ensuring that Ireland keeps pace with the developments in media and communications.

While I fully support the benefits of digital media and providing access to programmes throughout Europe, I personally believe that it is important that national and local media maintains its commitment to its national audiences.

National media must not opt out of producing and publishing national and local information for cheaper syndicated programmes.

Radio is and will continue to be part of the fabric of Europe’s culture, of its democracy, and of its multi-media communications.

What you discover and discuss at this important assembly will have a long-term influence on Europe’s radio services.

Finally I know that the coming days will not be entirely about work. I believe that you will experience something of our sport, our entertainment and our history.

It is my pleasure to offer you the facilities of St. Patrick’s Hall here in the Castle for your gala dinner on Friday evening.

Enjoy your work and your social programme. I trust that you will remember your visit to Ireland as a professional benefit and a social pleasure.

And I hope that you may be inspired to return and visit us at some time in the future.

Thank you.

ENDS