EPRA MEETING JUNE 2004

WORKING GROUP 2 REGULATION OF RADIO

TOPIC: LOCALNESS, LICENSING AND DIGITALISATION

STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

1988 Act - News and Current Affairs

• 20% of Broadcasting Time

• 2 hours 7am – 7pm

CONTRACTUAL PROVISIONS

• Programme Schedule

• Programme Policy Statement

LOCALNESS - POLICY CONTEXT

Commercial Radio Services

BCI Ownership and Control Policy 2001

-Local ownership no longer a requirement

- Programming and management deliver local ethos.

Community Radio Services - Policy 1997

- Owned and controlled by local community

- Programming by the community which meets

communication needs of the community.

NATIONAL RADIO SERVICES

• Radio 1- Speech/News based 25+ (PBS)

• 2 FM - Music based 15 + (PBS)

• Lyric FM - Classical Music and Arts (PBS)

• R na G - Irish language (PBS)

• Today FM - Music based 25 + (private)

LOCAL RADIO SERVICES

Adult Population (15+) under 200,000

- 16 local broad-format services

Adult Population (15+) over 200,000

- Cork (356,000): 2 music-based

1 broad-format

- Dublin (921,000): 5 music-based

1 News

1 PBS

2 more expected

Pilot regional service (334,000 15+) - youth

COMMUNITY RADIO SERVICES

-Geographical Community

10 services

-Community of Interest

4 services

-Five more expected this year.

PERFORMANCE

Listenership - reach 86% (adults) 2003

Advertising Revenue

All radio services €97m

PBS radio €30m

Private radio €67m

Community - Turnover €1.25m

LOCALNESS - COMMERCIAL RADIO

Management

- Does management team have relevant broadcasting and business expertise

- Does it include sufficient personnel with necessary experience, expertise and

knowledge of specified local area

LOCALNESS - COMMERCIAL RADIO

Programming

- Is the quality, range and type of programming in the schedule appropriate to listeners in specified local area.

- Does Programme Policy Statement reflect sufficient commitment to (a) serving local community (b) new opportunities for Irish talent etc (c ) Irish culture and language

LOCALNESS - COMMUNITY RADIO

Ownership and Management

- Owned by non-profit community organisation

- Membership and management by the members of the community served

- clear definition of community servedis important

LOCALNESS - COMMUNITY RADIO

Programming

- primarily by members of the community served

- should reflect the interests and needs of community served

- should add to diversity or programming available to

community

- should facilitate and support community access

PROGRAMME POLICY STATEMENT

• Broadcasting Philosophy and target audience/community served

• Total Number of Broadcasting hours - automation

• Presentation Style

• News

• Current affairs

• Sport

• General Music

• Specialist Music

• Irish Music

• Special Interest Speech

• Irish Language and Promotion of Irish Talent

• Acquired/networked programming

PROGRAMME SCHEDULE

• Seven day indicative schedule

• Reflect the commitments in the Programme Policy Statement in 7am-7pm and over the total broadcast day.

• Allows flexibility in relation to individual presenters, and some format and content issues

• Allows some seasonal flexibility.

DIGITALISATION

- Planning underway currently - policy expected in 2006.

- Implementation from 2007 onwards - coincide with expiry of national commercial radio franchise

- DAB and DRM being considered.

- National DAB platform for PBS envisaged

- Two possible DAB plans for commercial services under consideration

DAB -PLAN A

- National DAB platform for up to five national channels - possible mix of commercial and non-commercial

- Local services on local multiplex - based on existing county/dual county model

- Greater possibility for overlap

DAB -PLAN B

- Local services on local multiplex - based on existing county/dual county model.

- National service/s carried as channel/s on local multiplexes across the country.