Independent broadcasters want €6.1 million in State support to tackle challenges in news and current affairs coverage, the industry’s body has told the Government.
Local radio stations, listened to by seven out of 10 Irish people, warn they face a crisis in hiring and keeping reporters and production staff. In a submission to Jack Chambers, Minister for Finance, in advance of his first budget the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI) says it is seeking short-term grants worth €179,000 on average to each station to tackle the problem.
The organisation wants Government to establish a €6.1 million grant scheme to support employment, pay and running costs, specifically in news and current affairs broadcasting, over 12 months from November.
The Republic’s 34 independent stations would divide the cash equally. The group maintains it would provide a bridge for the industry to the point where policymakers can put longer-term supports in place.
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IBI estimates “conservatively” that the amount being sought accounts for just 3.4 per cent of current broadcasting funding through existing schemes operated by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
Local stations will use the cash to help pay wages for new entrants and experienced journalists and production staff, capping it to supplement salaries up to 80 per cent of average industrial earnings.
Michael Kelly, chief executive of the industry body, said his organisation was aware the Government was finalising “massive” licence fee/exchequer funding for RTÉ. This would provide cash to support the State broadcaster’s news and current affairs programmes. “However, zero funding for that same core news and current affairs has been provided or proposed for independent radio stations even though those stations have similar statutory obligations to RTÉ to provide news and current affairs under licences and legislation,” he said.
Mr Kelly argued that independent broadcasting urgently needed a more level playing field, saying the Government could agree to the “reasonable and proportionate” proposals his organisation has set out without hitting RTÉ or any other sector.
IBI also wants the broadcasting levy reformed to “alleviate the unfair burden” on independent stations, which it maintains pay a higher percentage of the charge relative to RTÉ and social media companies.
Its submission states that the organisation is happy to work with the new State body Coimisiún na Meán on an alternative but warns that the current situation cannot be allowed to continue.
Mr Kelly noted that independent radio employs more than 1,200 people in 34 stations. “We believe ring-fenced financial support can be, and must be, urgently made available to our sector.”
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