Latest news with #ÁineNíChaoindealbháin
Irish Examiner
10 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Virgin Media warns of programme cuts and job losses without injection of State funding
Virgin Media has warned of a potential loss of jobs and cuts to popular programmes without further State funding. The broadcaster told the Oireachtas Media Committee that it has concerns as to whether it can continue to deliver public service programming at its current output if its funding remains at the same level. In March 2024, Virgin Media had sought €30m in funding for its news, current affairs, and daytime programming but received nothing, managing director Áine Ní Chaoindealbháin said. As a result, it was forced to make some "difficult decisions" in terms of programming due to its commercial situation. The decision was taken last year to reduce The Tonight Show from four nights a week to two, which Ms Ní Chaoindealbháin said resulted in job losses. The station produces 36.5 hours of live public service content a week in addition to commissions and acquisitions, the committee heard. Virgin Media Television is the only Section 70 licence operator in the country and was the only one to apply for it when it was brought in. Ms Ní Chaoindealbháin said this is because it is not an attractive proposition, "it is far easier to come in and not to have the onerous task of doing news and current affairs". This is not simply a matter of funding; it is a matter of underpinning the presence and depth of Irish public service broadcasting in Ireland for the future. Meanwhile, committee chair Alan Kelly has criticised the media minister Patrick O'Donovan's "unilateral" decision to block plans to introduce a streaming levy. Screen Producers Ireland CEO Susan Kirby said she felt "shocked and deflated" on learning the minister's decision. "Deflated because it had been an industry-wide effort over a number of years and there was a lot of benefit by actually working together as an industry in that way," said Ms Kirby. "I will also say that we felt a degree of pragmatism because we are not immune to looking at the geopolitical environment and saying, ok potentially a bad time for what we believe is still a very important and good idea." The legislation was also criticised for its lack of clarity surrounding additionality as Mr Kelly said even after going through the legislation "upside down and inside out" the committee is still unsure of what the rules are. There are concerns that, as it is written now, broadcasters could withdraw public content only to later reintroduce it because then it may qualify for funding as a result. Read More Sustainable funding essential to ensure future of public service media, say broadcasters
Irish Times
13 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Virgin Media received ‘nothing' after requesting €30m from State
Virgin Media Television received 'nothing' from the Government after requesting €30 million last year to fund its news and public service content, the broadcaster's managing director has told an Oireachtas committee. Áine Ní Chaoindealbháin, who has led the commercial television company since last year, also said on Wednesday that the criteria for media organisations to receive funding from the Coalition's proposed Media Fund are too restrictive, and the cost challenges associated with producing its existing news output will remain. Ms Ní Chaoindealbháin was giving evidence at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communication, Culture and Sport, which is conducting pre-legislative scrutiny of the Government's Broadcasting Amendment Bill. Among other things, the bill proposes to convert the State's existing Broadcasting Bill to a general media fund, which will help Irish media outlets to fund public service content across different platforms. READ MORE In her opening statement, Ms Ní Chaoindealbháin broadly welcomed the proposal but raised a concern that funding under the newly formed scheme will be granted only for the production of new categories of public service content. This principle of 'additionality' means the cost challenges associated with maintaining Virgin Media's existing public service content output will 'remain', she said. Ms Ní Chaoindealbháin said: 'Delivering our public service content remit on a purely commercial basis is not viable under current funding arrangements.' Referring to the decision to cut the Tonight Show's air time to two programmes a week from four, she said: 'Last year, we did have to make some difficult decisions [about] our existing content because of the commercial situation that we were in. 'So we don't want to reduce our public service broadcasting content. We're committed to our public service broadcasting content.' However, Ms Ní Chaoindealbháin said that 'to push that further, to add more bulletins, to add more current affairs content' so as to qualify for the media fund 'would be a real strain on the system that is already very tight'. Last year, Virgin Media, which is owned by US telecoms billionaire John Malone's Liberty Global group and is funded through commercial revenues and advertising, wrote to then-minister for media Catherine Martin, requesting €30 million to fund its news and public service output. In the letter, Ms Ní Chaoindealbháin raised questions about the sustainability of Virgin Media's competition with RTÉ, given that the State broadcaster receives €200 million in annual Government funding, along with 'annual multi-million-euro taxpayer-funded top-ups'. Asked on Wednesday by Fianna Fáil TD Peter 'Chap' Cleere what Virgin Media had received in response to the request, Ms Ní Chaoindealbháin said: 'Nothing.' Labour Party TD Alan Kelly , who chairs the committee, later said its members are 'not clear' what the principle of 'additionality' means in the context of the media fund proposal, despite having interrogated the bill in detail in recent sessions.
