A LEVY to fund the new Broadcasting Authority of Ireland is being imposed on all broadcasters licensed in the state at the worst possible time, the head of the new independent regulator admitted yesterday.

Dublin: A research report has found that there is a need for a coherent approach to the development of digital radio in Ireland.

The Broadcasting Commission has issued new guidelines for coverage of the debate ahead of the second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty this October.

BROADCASTERS have welcomed clarification of their responsibilities ahead of the Lisbon Referendum and regulatory clearance not to be compelled to split coverage 50/50.

Funding of almost €960,000 was today awarded to 89 radio projects.

THE media interests of billionaire entrepreneur Denis O’Brien are not enough to create competition concerns in the Irish market, the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) has ruled.

The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland has found that Denis O'Brien does not have control of an undue number of media outlets in this country.

There is another bastion that needs to come under scrutiny – the Supreme Court This most august, overriding authority is unelected and unaccountable. Its judges are probably our most learned lawyers. However, they have handed down judgments in relation to referenda that almost render the process unmanageable

CONSUMPTION of high caffeine and high calorie energy drinks has more than doubled in the past seven years, leading to growing calls for a ban on selling the drinks to under-16s.

THE Independent News & Media (INM) board is likely to be granted more time to reach a refinancing deal regarding its €200 million bond, which reaches deadline next Monday.

A GROUP of investors led by Clare FM managingdirector Liam O’Shea yesterday confirmed a deal to purchase a majority stake in radio station Kfm – the licensed local radio service for Kildare.

OneVision, a consortium consisting of Arqiva, Eircom, Setanta and TV3, has confirmed that it is entering discussions with the BCI with a view to negotiating for the three DTT (digital terrestrial television) contracts that are available following the withdrawal of the Boxer consortium from the DTT process.

I AGREE with your editorial (December 6) that the decision by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) to ban a Christmas radio advert by Catholic booksellers Veritas is “utterly, mind-numbingly stupid”.

IT SEEMS we’ve swapped the tyranny of the crozier for the far more subversive tyranny of political correctness.

THE decision by the Broadcasting Commission to ban an advert for Veritas has been roundly condemned by politicians.

TV3 and the 32 independent radio stations have called for an end to the practice of equal coverage for opposing sides in referendum debates and the scrapping of the ban on coverage on the last day before polling.

A new watchdog for TV and radio programmes in Ireland will begin work in early 2009, it emerged today.

There has been a call for the Government to cut the tax on bottled water and fruit juices.

Donal Hickey takes flight with Ireland’s bats.

THREE rival bidders have outlined how they will offer digital TV services here as an alternative to existing cable and satellite providers.

A CONSORTIUM featuring Thomas Crosbie Holdings (TCH) and the Irish Times has been awarded the country’s latest multi-city music radio licence.

THE two bidders for the multi-city over-45s radio licence have differed over the potential revenue the new station could generate.

RTÉ is to get a €14m windfall from licence fee payers, it emerged today.

THE Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) yesterday announced the award of €48,000 in funding to three individual projects in the area of media and broadcasting research.

IRELAND’S competitiveness ranking globally has held unchanged at 22nd, according to the latest Global Competitiveness Index compiled by the World Economic Forum.

The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) has today announced details of the fifth funding round of Sound & Vision, the Broadcasting Funding Scheme, for television.

The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) has today approved the proposed sale by EMAP to Communicorp of Today FM and Highland Radio, but has not approved the proposed sale of FM104 to Communicorp.

The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland is expected to make a decision today on whether to approve Denis O'Brien's planned takeover of three more radio stations.

THE Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) has announced the award of €954,000 for radio programming in the fourth round of Sound & Vision, the broadcasting funding scheme.

THE Broadcasting Commission of Ireland announced details of the fifth funding round of Sound & Vision yesterday, the broadcasting funding scheme for radio.

The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) has signed a 10-year contract with United Christian Broadcasters (Ireland) Ltd for the provision of a satellite radio service.

Denis O'Brien’s Communicorp Group Limited has purchased the three Irish radio stations owned by Emap plc, it was announced today.

TV3 has made a €10 million bid to create a radio licence, which would create 50 jobs in studios across Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway.

The Dublin Chamber of Commerce has hit out at a decision by the Broadcasting Commission to ban its general election ads.

MIDDLE-AGED city dwellers — a new radio channel just for you is on its way.

The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) has placed an advertisement in the national and local press seeking applications for a sound broadcasting service to operate a multi-city service for the 45+ age group.

Oscar-nominated Irish actor Stephen Rea is appearing in a new Christmas film being shot around Dublin.

TRÓCAIRE last night warned charities faced constraints after the Irish organisation was forced to change an advertisement for its Lenten campaign.

THURSDAY, International Women’s Day 2007, began without the sounds of Trócaire’s Lenten campaign on the airwaves of commercial radio stations.

The Trócaire charity says it plans to lodge a submission with the Broadcasting Commission today challenging a ban on ads for its annual Lenten campaign.

THE peremptory decision of the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) to ban a Trocaire advertisement highlighting the inequalities facing women in the developing world is absolutely ludicrous.

UTV owners of Limerick Live 95 FM have successfully fought off a bid by a new Limerick consortium to acquire the licence the station held for 10 years.

More than 130 applications have been made for funding for new TV programmes under the Sound and Vision scheme.

THE Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) has announced that it has received 136 applications for radio funding in the third round of Sound & Vision, the broadcasting funding scheme.