Latest news with #MediahuisIreland
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Communications Minister announces €10m in funding for public interest journalism
The latest round of funding forms part of a Government scheme introduced in Budget 2025 that committed to supporting reporting on local authorities and local courts granted through Coimisiún na Meán. Speaking about the announcement, Mr O'Donovan, said: 'Building on the success of Round 1 of the Local Democracy and Courts Reporting Schemes, I am pleased to announce the allocation to Coimisiún na Meán of a further €6m for the continuation of these Schemes, which will enable media outlets to further strengthen their coverage of local authorities and the Courts. In addition to the €6 million announced, another €4 million is also to be invested in areas where some news stories are underreported, €3 million of which will be ring-fenced for commercial radio under the News Reporting Scheme. The €3 million ring-fenced funding will enable commercial radio services to provide additional high-quality news reporting on matters of public interest. 'I am pleased to announce a specific allocation of €3m to the commercial radio sector through the News Reporting Scheme,' Mr O'Donovan said. "The allocation recognises the important role of commercial radio services in providing high-quality, trustworthy and accurate news to the public. 'This allocation is in line with the Programme for Government commitment to provide accessible funding to support the provision of objective news and current affairs content and will complement the ongoing supports already provided to the commercial radio sector through the Sound and Vision Scheme. 'Commercial radio stations play an invaluable role in community engagement, cohesion and the promotion of social inclusion across the country and provide a crucial public service in the delivery of trusted information to our citizens. "The funding will enhance the provision of high-quality public service content to both local and national audiences.' This year, Mediahuis Ireland, which publishes the Irish Independent, Sunday Independent and 11 regional titles, has benefited from the scheme operated by the media regulator and has hired more than a dozen reporters around the country focused on local democracy and courts reporting.
Irish Independent
11-08-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Mediahuis Ireland buys stake in Clubber
Clubber is best known for live-streaming club GAA games, offering a subscription service for fans and coaches. Mediahuis Ireland will acquire a minority stake in the business, understood to be around 25pc, in return for investment to support Clubber's plans for further expansion – not only in the GAA but across a broad range of Irish and international sports. As part of the tie-up, Mediahuis Ireland titles and their readers, including those of the Irish Independent and local news titles across the country, will have access to video content, including highlight reels. The chief operating officer of Mediahuis Ireland, Ian Keogh, will join the Clubber board as part of the agreement. Clubber was founded by Microsoft veteran Jimmy Doyle in 2020 and has quickly established itself as a streaming platform for live sports in Ireland, with a strong focus on GAA. It delivered 1,000 live and on-demand sports events in 2024. Its model includes agreeing multi-year streaming rights deals with GAA county boards for access to club matches, which traditionally have not been available for broadcast on any live service. Currently, games from 14 counties are being streamed. These include the Tipperary, Cork and Kilkenny hurling championships, the club football championships from Kerry, Kildare and Meath, plus the Camogie Club Championships. The model is built on combining scalable, tech-driven infrastructure with acquiring rights to a large volume of live sports in order to provide a comprehensive offering to fans of under-served competitions. The model is now being expanded into the UK, and into sports other than the GAA. David Courtney, Head of Sport at Mediahuis Ireland, said Clubber is transforming sports streaming. 'We are thrilled to partner with Clubber as it revolutionises the way Irish and international sport is streamed,' he said. 'This partnership underscores our commitment to supporting local sporting communities and providing unrivalled access to sporting stories that matter.'
Irish Independent
18-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Money Talks podcast: Lorraine Keane on buying a house in Foxrock at 20: ‘I doubled what I'd paid for it'
Hosted by Indo Money editor Katie Byrne, Money Talks asks household names to lift the lid on their personal finances and share their money story. Each week, Ms Byrne will chat to a mix of entertainers, artists and entrepreneurs about how they spend, save and invest their money. In the first episode, available to listen to now, broadcaster Lorraine Keane shares how she got into the property market at the age of 20 and why she worries her daughters won't have the same opportunities. Money Talks: Lorraine Keane on buying a house in Foxrock at 20: 'I doubled what I'd paid for it' Upcoming guests include comedian Colm O'Regan, jewellery entrepreneur Chupi Sweetman, podcaster Jenny Claffey and fitness influencer Rob Lipsett. Money Talks is the latest addition to the growing portfolio of award-winning shows from the Irish Independent. These include The Indo Daily, Indo Sport with Joe Molloy, Real Health with Karl Henry and The Big Tech Show with Adrian Weckler. Mediahuis Ireland – the publisher of the Irish Independent – is also the home of the phenomenally successful Crime World, hosted by Nicola Tallant. Mediahuis Ireland editor-in-chief Cormac Bourke said: 'We want to continue to improve our service to our readers. Launching the Indo Money hub was designed to do just that. Building on its success, the Money Talks podcast is another important step to give our audience the journalism it wants in the right format and at the right time.' Group head of audio Mary Carroll said: 'Money Talks is a non-conventional personal finance podcast that is less about dispensing advice and more about people's personal experiences with money and how it has shaped who they are. It's a fresh approach and an exciting addition to our podcast portfolio.' Indo Money editor and Money Talks host Katie Byrne said: 'We want to break the taboo around talking about money by asking the questions people are often too afraid to ask. Our guests share openly about their financial experiences, in turn revealing another side to their personality.' Subscribe to Money Talks on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Irish Independent
12-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
‘Mediahuis firmly believes in the future of journalism in Ireland' – ‘Irish Independent' publisher reaches 100,000 digital subscribers
The Irish Independent began placing its journalism behind a paywall in February 2020 as part of a new digital strategy. Over the past five years the digital offering has grown with the development of audio and video departments as well as a renewed focus on local news. Along with subscribers, Mediahuis reaches over one million readers in Ireland every week through a mix of print products, podcasts and free digital news. The 100,000 subscribers figure was announced by Mediahuis Ireland CEO Peter Vandermeersch at a meeting of staff today. 'I am extremely happy and proud of this achievement,' he said. 'It shows that our journalism, be it in the Irish Independent or the Belfast Telegraph, is being valued by readers all over the island of Ireland. 'In a world where fake news is omnipresent, it is crucial to be a trusted source. Mediahuis firmly believes in further building the future of journalism in Ireland.' The paywall was launched just before Ireland and the world was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced the Irish Independent's journalists to work remotely for two years. Editor-in-chief Cormac Bourke said: 'In the period since we started asking people to pay for news online, there have been historic elections, some of the worst storms on record, disturbing events like the Dublin riots and joyful days like our Olympic glories. 'Our journalists have been there for all of them, working to ensure our readers get the full picture and the story behind the story. 'It is down to their hard work that people come back day after day for reliable and relatable news and features. Our subscribers are giving us their trust and their financial support, which is a huge vote of confidence and encourages us to do even more.' ADVERTISEMENT In recent times, the Irish Independent has launched a number of new journalistic projects, including the 'Indo Sport' podcast with Joe Molloy; a new online vertical focused entirely on money and personal finance. There has also been significant investment in hiring local journalists in communities around Ireland, and each county now has its own dedicated news page on the Irish Independent website and app. The Irish Independent offers two digital subscription tiers: Premium, which gives full access to online articles and app content, and Premium+, which includes digital replicas of the print editions, complete with offline reading, archives, and puzzles. Sheena Pierse, chief customer officer, said: 'With 100,000 paying digital subscribers and a weekly readership that spans more than a million across print and digital, Mediahuis Ireland's news brands are not only trusted, they are essential. Our titles lead the way in reach and relevance, reflecting the enduring value of independent Irish journalism.'
Irish Independent
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
The Indo Daily: Fifteen years gone: how Gerry Ryan changed Irish airwaves
At his best, the Dubliner was a broadcaster of the first rank, one who could delight, entertain, inform, infuriate and challenge the listener – often over the course of a single show. He was an undeniable force of nature in the world of Irish broadcasting. Controversy also didn't really faze the man, in fact, he made his career off the back of it. His voracious appetite for life, and indeed becoming a major part of the lives of his audience, was quintessential Gerry Ryan, as was his signature rambunctious approach to the microphone. Love or loathe the man, you had an opinion about him. But in the end, the life of Gerry Ryan was tragically cut short, with his sudden death as hotly debated as any 'Ryan Line' phone-in special. Today on the Indo Daily, Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Mediahuis Ireland journalists John Meagher and Niamh Horan, to reflect on the days of a true broadcasting legend, his legacy on the Irish airwaves and to remember the days when the Ryan Line was open.
